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Library History . . . Through the Decades
** Narrative History **
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1912
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October 29 --
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Referendum passes to accept Andrew Carnegie funds to build a library for the City of Tampa.
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1913
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West Tampa City Council approves Carnegie Library proposal & special election is held.
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1915
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June 30 --
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City of Tampa formally accepts Carnegie building at 102 East Seventh Avenue.
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West Tampa Library opened at 1718 North Howard Avenue.
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1917
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Tampa Public Library begins service at 102 East Seventh Avenue. Find more about the library's Seventh Avenue origins.
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1919
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A library for Negroes opens at the Harlem Academy.
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1922
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July --
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Hyde Park Branch Library opens at 705 Swann Avenue.
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1923
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Desoto Park Branch opens.
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1925
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January 1 --
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West Tampa Library merges with Tampa Public Library System.
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1926
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July --
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Harlem Academy Library moves to the Urban League Headquarters.
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1929
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January 1 --
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Plant City Women's Club funds a library.
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January 4 --
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Seminole Heights Branch Library opens in neighborhood park.
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1930
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July --
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Tampa's first Bookcar visits factories & schools.
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1934
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Ybor City Branch Library opens at 1729 East Broadway.
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1946
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West Branch Library opens at 1129 Main Street.
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1951
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Port Tampa Women's Club opens library at corner of West Shore & Bayshore Boulevards.
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1954
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Tampa's second City Bookmobile serves Ballast Point, Forest Hills, Palma Ceia, Sulphur Springs & Wellswood.
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1960
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October 29 --
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Peninsular Branch opens at 3837 Neptune.
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Brandon Women's Club opens library in clubhouse on North Moon Street.
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Plant City dedicates new library at Wheeler & McLendon Streets.
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Temple Terrace Woman's Club opens library in building on golf course.
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1961
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City & County consolidate libraries into one system by contract.
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Port Tampa Library becomes branch of the system.
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1962
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Federal grant purchases third County bookmobile.
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Temple Terrace Women's Club Library merges into City system & moves to Municipal Center.
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1964
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January 13 --
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North Tampa Branch Library opens at 8916 North Boulevard.
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July 26 --
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Ruskin Women's Club Library incorporates.
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The Main Library is designated a selective depository for federal government documents.
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Lutz Library Guild opens library on Lutz school grounds.
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Seminole Heights Branch opens new building at corner of Central & Osborne Avenues.
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West Branch Library closes.
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1966
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June 5 --
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Ruskin dedicates a new branch library at One Dickman Drive.
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April 17 --
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Temple Terrace Library dedicated at 202 Bullard Parkway.
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Tampa's fourth & larger bookmobile begins service.
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1967
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Remodeling of North Tampa Branch completed.
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The Main Library is designated as a depository for documents issued by the State of Florida.
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1968
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April 21 --
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New Main Library dedicated at 900 North Ashley Drive.
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August 28 --
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Peninsular Branch opens new building at 3909 Neptune Street.
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Brandon Branch Library is dedicated at 135 West Robertson Street.
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Hyde Park Branch Library closes.
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1969
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January --
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Westgate Branch opens on West Hillsborough Avenue storefront.
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Ybor City Branch Library dedicates new building at 1505 Nebraska Avenue.
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East Branch (formerly Harlem) & original Ybor City Branch close.
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1970
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January --
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Special Services fifth bookmobile dedicated; serving nursing homes.
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Lutz Branch Library dedicated at Lake Fern Road & Highway 41.
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1971
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January --
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Plant City Library addition completed.
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1972
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January --
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North Tampa Branch expanded.
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1975
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February 25 --
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The Talking Book Library, established to serve blind & physically handicapped Hillsborough County residents, opens.
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April 20 --
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West Gate Branch dedicates new building at 7606 Paula Drive.
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Brandon Branch Library begins expansion.
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1976
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May 23 --
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Main Library dedicates West Annex Building.
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April 4 --
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Brandon Branch Library completes expansion.
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1977
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June --
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Citrus Park/Keystone Branch opens at North Mobley Road & Gunn Highway.
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North Tampa Branch re-modeled; plaque given in commemoration.
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1978
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November 4 --
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East Gate Branch Library opens in a storefront in the East Gate Shopping Center.
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Temple Terrace Library expansion dedicated.
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1979
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November 18 --
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Riverview Branch Library opens at 10509 Riverview Drive.
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1985
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February 27 --
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Ruskin Branch Library opens new addition.
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December 31 --
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East Gate storefront library closes.
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1986
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December 7 --
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Northwest Regional Library opens at 15610 Premiere Drive.
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Automated library catalog introduced via a system known as CLSI.
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1988
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April 29 --
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Eastlake Branch Library opens in the Eastlake Square Shopping Mall.
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1989
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July 13 --
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College Hill Branch Library opens, in temporary quarters, at 2607 East Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
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July 22 --
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Thonotosassa Branch Library opens at 10715 Main Street.
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1990
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Tampa's sixth & largest bookmobile begins service.
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1991
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March 10 --
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Brandon Regional Library opens new building at 619 Vonderburg Drive.
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1992
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November 5 --
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Groundbreaking for the Austin Davis Branch Library to replace the Citrus Park/Keystone branch begins.
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1993
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May 23 --
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Austin Davis Public Library opens at 17808 Wayne Road.
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June 24 --
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Groundbreaking for the new College Hill Branch Library begins.
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Library catalog automation is upgraded and enhanced thru a system known as DYNIX. Introduces remote access to the library catalog via telnet & dial-up.
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1994
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February 27 --
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College Hill Branch Library opens new building at 2607 East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
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Sunday hours begun at select location around system.
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October 28 --
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Family Self-Sufficiency Unit officially opens within the Tampa Housing Authority.
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1995
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March 15 --
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Sponsored by the Friends of the Hillsborough County Public Library System, the free, online computing initiative, known as the Suncoast Free-Net, launches.
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July 15 --
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Science Library at MOSI is dedicated at 4801 East Fowler Avenue.
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November --
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West Gate Branch becomes West Gate Regional.
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December 22 --
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Bealsville Electric Library dedicated.
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1996
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March 29 --
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Groundbreaking for New Tampa Regional Library at 10001 Cross Creek Boulevard.
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May 23 --
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Groundbreaking for 78th Street Branch Library at 7626 Palm River Road.
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1997
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May 4 --
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Dedication of New Tampa Regional Library.
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May 18 --
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Dedication of 78th Street Community Branch Library.
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July 15 --
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Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System enters into formal partnership with the Hillsborough County School Board for a jointly operated library at the Egypt Lake Elementary School.
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1998
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January --
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Library catalog automation is enhanced for internal users via a graphical interface known as PAC for Windows.
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May 11 --
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Eastlake Branch Library closes in preparation of relocation to Seffner-Mango.
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June 14 --
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Port Tampa City Libary re-opens in newly renovated Commerce Bank Building.
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November --
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Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners mandates use of Internet filter. Library Board recommends Websense after careful review of available alternatives.
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December 28 --
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Seffner-Mango Branch Library opens.
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1999
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January 19 --
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Websense and Checkpoint Firewall-1 successfully installed to manage content filtering and provide a layered security approach protecting library servers and individual PCs.
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July 1 --
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Electronic Library at Progress Village Receation Center opens.
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July 6 --
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Electronic Library at Bethune Park Receation Center opens.
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2000
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January 1 --
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Centralized telephone, eMail & FAX service begins via Electronic Reference & Information.
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February 14 --
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Electronic Library at Balm Park Receation Center opens.
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February 16 --
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Electronic Library at Keysville Receation Center opens.
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May 5 --
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Groundbreaking for the new Northwest Regional Library begins.
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September 1 --
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Egypt Lake Partnership Library opens.
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November --
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Funding approved for two new libraries in the Westchase area and south Brandon area.
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December 11 --
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Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library opens with library system's first drive-thru window!
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2001
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February 2 --
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The Northwest Regional Library closes.
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February 14 --
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Northwest Regional Library opens at 2902 West Bearss Avenue.
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June 9 --
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Northwest Regional Library renamed Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library in honor of former assistant county administrator.
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October 1 --
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Library automation extended to remote users via RPA (Remote Patron Authentication) allowing remote users to access subscription databases form their home or office.
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November 5 --
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Peninsular Branch Library renamed Charles J. Fendig Public Library in honor of former chairman of the Tampa Public Library Board, Charles J. Fendig.
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2002
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January --
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Websense, library's content filtering solution, certified CIPA compliant.
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June --
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First library café, Bookends Café, opens in June 2002 at the Jan Platt Regional Library.
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August 30 --
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Web access to library catalog for internal and external customers is introduced via platform known as iPAC.
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September 23 --
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West Tampa groundbreaking for 5,000-square-foot addition.
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2003
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July --
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Seminole Heights Branch Library closes for refurbishment.
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August --
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Library catalog automation is further enhanced and upgraded via a system known as HORIZON.
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September --
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West Tampa 5,000-square-foot addition completed. Library is moved from orginal Carnegie space to the addition. Original Carnegie building undergoes refurbishment.
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October 1 --
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Sponsored by the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System, the Suncoast Free-Net recieves significant upgrades and enhancements. The service is re-released providing web-based eMail services, dialup (text-only) access & links to local area information/sites.
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October 13 --
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Seminole Heights Branch Library re-opens with updated AC and decor.
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November 5--
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Hillsborough County's BOCC vote to rename the Ybor City Library as the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library to honor Robert W. Saunders, Sr.
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December 8 --
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Grounbreaking for the South Brandon area library.
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December 12 --
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Grounbreaking for the Weshtchase area library.
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December 13 --
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Lutz Branch Library closes for expansion project. Services provided through "mini-library" in meeting room.
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2004
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March 1 --
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Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library closes for month long refurbishment of facility.
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March 10 --
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Three new eLibraries open: Mort Recreation Center, Palm River Recreation Center & Kenly Park.
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March 17 --
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Two new eLibraries open: Tampa Lakes Center at Roy Haynes Park & Nuccio Park.
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April 1 --
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Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library re-opens in enhanced lighting, new furniture & computer improvements.
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April 29 --
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Refurbishments completed to original West Tampa Branch Library's Carnigie building. West Tampa Branch Library officially re-dedicated.
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May 1 --
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The original Carnegie building re-opens providing community meeting room and wireless computer lab.
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Wi-Fi access is introduced to the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System at the West Tampa Branch Library.
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June 1 --
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Lutz Branch Library re-opens with a 5,000 square foot expansion. The facility now stands at 12,000 square feet.
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June 5 --
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Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library officially re-dedicated.
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August 18 --
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Three new eLibraries open, Brandon Park (Brandon Recreation Center), Mango (Mango Recreation Center), Sterling Heights (Sterling Heights Park).
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October 28 --
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New eLibrary opens, Providence Park (Providence Park West Recreation Center).
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November 1 --
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Library system introduces time management software, PC Reservation, by Envisionware, to cope with increased demand for Internet use at the main library, regional libraries and the North Tampa Branch Library.
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December 1 --
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System begins deployment of mobile training labs (security/charging carts with 8 student laptops, 1 instructor laptop & data projector) to assist in popular technology related programming. Two distributed to West Tampa & John F. Germany libraries.
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2005
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January 8 --
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Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library dedicated.
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February 10 --
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Bloomingdale Regional Public Library dedicated.
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March 1 --
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Library Services Automation Department, eServices, introduces an automated call tracking system, SiteHelpDesk.
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April 7 --
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Groundbreaking South County Regional Library.
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May 17 --
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All full-service library locations offer Wi-Fi (wireless) access.
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June 1 --
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After 10 years & fulfilling it's original mission, the Suncoast Free-Net officially ceases operations.
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August 22 --
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Loretta Ingraham eLibrary opens in the Loretta Ingraham Center continuing partnership with City of Tampa eLibrary initiative.
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September 16 --
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5 additional mobile training labs deployed.
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2006
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May 11 --
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New service to enable better access to Spanish population, Cybermobile, officially dedicated. Bus provides Internet access via satellite with wireless internal capability.
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May 19 --
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Envisionware's time management reservation software, PC Reservation, fully implemented at all 24 library locations.
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May 22 --
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Technical Services Center opens.
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July 28 --
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7 additional mobile training labs deployed with three funded via Gates grant.
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October 12 --
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SouthShore Regional Library opens. Grand opening scheduled for November 10.
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November 27 --
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New Bookmobile is delivered (service begins January 2007). While this vehicle is designed as a replacement to the existing twelve year old bookmobile, it will utilize the same satellite technology the existing Cybermobile employs.
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2007
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March 15 --
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West Gate Regional Library closes in preparation for a new "partnership" building on the exisiting site.
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May 16 --
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The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approves a recommendation to rename the replacement West Gate library as the "Town 'N Country Regional Public Library."
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June 11 --
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The Town 'N Country Regional Public Library reopened at its temporary location in the Thompson Center Waters.
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2008
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February 14 --
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Groundbreaking for the new Seffner-Mango Branch Library to replace 6,000sq ft storefront with a new 15,000sq ft facility. It will house space for meeting rooms, a separate children’s area, study rooms and a science room that will provide a unique learning area for students of all ages.
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April 12 --
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North Tampa Branch library closes in preparation for new facility to be built on existing location. Library re-opens at its temporary location in the Thompson Center Waters (temporarily sharing space with Town 'N Country location.
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April 22 --
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Dedication of the Sandra Raulerson Cameron Boardroom takes place at the John F. Germany Public Library. Ms. Cameron was a member of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Library Board from April 26, 1979 to June 30, 2006. During that time, she held several offices including serving twice as chairman.
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December 3 --
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Town 'N Country Commons Grand Opening. A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opens the doors to the public of this facility, which includes the 30,000 square foot Town 'N Country Regional Public Library.
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December 29 --
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Seffner-Mango Branch Library opens to the public. This 15,000-square-foot library will host 35,000 additional materials for a total collection of 75,000.
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2009
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January 15 --
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Seffner-Mango Branch Library Grand Opening.
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May 29 --
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Groundbreaking for walkway to connect Robert W. Saunders, Jr. Branch Library and Booker T. Washington Elementary School
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July 9 --
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Kids version of the catalog, KidPAC, goes live.
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July 13 --
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HCPLC debuts text messaging service for library programs, events and news.
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September 17 --
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New North Tampa Branch Library opens to the public. This 23,550 square foot library will host 9,000 additional materials for a total collection of 76,000 volumes. In addition, this is the first facility to offer primarily self checkout and self checkin of materials.
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September 18 --
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North Tampa Library Grand Opening includes a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony.
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September 29 --
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New covered walkway connecting Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Library to Booker T. Washington Elementary School opens for use.
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October 1 --
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New library home page at hcplc.org and new library catalog design debuts.
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