Broward County Library

Broward County Library System
Country United States
Type Public Library
Established 1974
Location Broward County, Florida
Branches 38
Collection
Size 3 million combined catalog
Access and use
Circulation 10.5 million
Population served 1,784,715
Other information
Director Kelvin Watson
Website Official Site

The Broward County Library is a public library system in Broward County, Florida, in the United States. The system contains 38 branch locations and circulates over 10.5 million items annually.[1] There is a Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale, five regional libraries (two are located on Broward College campuses), and branches and reading centers throughout the county.[1] The Broward County Library has more than one million library card holders who can choose from over three million library materials for public use, and card holders have access to the library's entire collection.[1]

History

From 1963-1972 library activists Barbara Cooper, Joyce Gardner, Dr. Clint Hamilton, Robbie Kuland along with the support of the League of Women Voters, who were led by Mary Rose Lawson, worked together to establish a library subcommittee to improve library service in the county. The report generated by the committee received wide media attention and was supported by County Commissioner Robert Hubener. As a result of the committee's work, on January 9, 1973 the Broward County Commission approved the establishment of a county library system and County Administrator, Robert Kauth was put in charge of hiring a County Library Director. It was recommended by consultant F. William Summers to establish a large central library facility with smaller neighborhood branches.[2] Stephen Whitney was appointed as the first Library Director. The system began issuing borrower cards on June 17 of 1974 for 270,000 items. There were initially only four library branches located in Fort Lauderdale, Riverland, Mizell, and Hollywood. During the first year, the city libraries in Lauderdale Lakes, Coral Springs, and Miramar joined the county system. Also that year the Friends of the Broward County Library were formed to create public interest in the new library system. Over the following three decades, many of the municipalities in Broward County elected to join the county library system. These included Lauderhill, Hallandale, Dania Beach, Margate, Sunrise, Deerfield Beach, North Lauderdale, and Pompano Beach.

In 1982 the Broward Public Library Foundation was established as a way to enhance the library system's collections, programs, and services. This Broward Public Library Foundation is a non-profit foundation that utilizes private funding to ensure that the county's growing libraries have access to anything they need to continue to serve their communities.

In 1983 the South Regional Library located on the South Campus of Broward Community College became the first joint-use public-college library in the State of Florida.

In April 1984 the new 260,000 square foot $49 million Main Library Branch in Fort Lauderdale, Florida opened. The Main Branch was located in a multi-purposes building and was considered to be a symbol of the resurgence of business, government, and cultural activity in the downtown Fort Lauderdale area.[3]

The Broward County Library was named "Library of the Year" in 1996 by Library Journal and Gale Research. Upon this event, the library operates on a budget in excess of $60 million, holds more than three million items, and has over 10 million visitors a year.

Ongoing construction, including that funded by a $139.9 million bond issue approved by voters in 1999, has yielded the current total of 38 branch libraries and the eight-story Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The Main Library houses a Patent and Trademark Depository, the Florida Center for the Book, the Bienes Museum of the Modern Book, and Gallery Six, and a public fine arts exhibition center.

On February 1, 2007, Broward County Library opened the first green building in Broward County, the South Regional/BC Library.An innovative library building, "the structure’s engineers adhered to a rigorous set of environmental standards which include energy efficiency and water conservation".[4] A unique feature of the library is that it "serves as Broward Colleges' principal research facility, while also meeting the specific needs of Broward County's local seniors, adults, teens and children."[5] "When opened, the library became one of the first joint-use facilities in Florida and the nation".[5]

In mid-2010, the library upgraded its library automated system to new software and hardware platforms, a system that handles over fifty million transactions annually. The system manages and controls the 3.5 million item database, over 1 million library card accounts and millions of circulation transactions, including capturing reserves and automated communication with patrons. The library also migrated its web page software to a new platform with a new format in early 2011. With over 3,000 desk top computers for public and staff already in use, the library has completed the installation of wireless capabilities in all libraries. Through grant funding, laptops for customer use were acquired; a commitment from the Broward Public Library Foundation purchased e-book units for public use. Since 2011 Broward County Library has significantly expanded its offering of digital books with nearly 13,000 volumes and 9,800 unique titles currently available, including juvenile and young adult in all genres. Downloadable digital offerings books are compatible with most computers and portable devices with the exception of the Kindle, which is proprietary to Amazon.[6]

Skye Patrick served as the Director of the Broward County Libraries Division from April 29, 2013 to February 9, 2016. She previously served as Assistant Director at the Queens Public Library, where she managed 20 branch locations in that system.[1] She also previously worked as a youth services librarian, a branch manager and a web services designer for San Francisco Public Library as well as her work as Assistant Director of Queens Public Library. She is a member of the American Library Association and the Public Library Association. She earned her bachelor's degree in fine arts from Northern Michigan University and her master's degree in library and information science from the University of Pittsburgh. Under her leadership, Broward County Libraries Division won three 2015 Florida Library Association Awards for: Library of the Year, the Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award for Teen Programming, and the Libraries Mean Business Award. Skye Patrick resigned as Director of the Broward County Public Library System on December 28, 2015 in order to take the position as the top librarian for the Los Angeles County Library. When she resigned, Laura Connors, who had served as Assistant Director under Ms. Patrick, served as Acting Director until Kelvin Watson was appointed as Director on February 26, 2017.

The Broward County Library won the Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award for Teen Programming because of their "Show Us Your Bookface" program. The "Show Us Your Bookface" program gave teens an opportunity to be creative and use hide or change any part of their bodies with a book cover. Teenagers were able to create the illusion that they "merged" themselves with their favorite book. The teens then submitted their photos to the library as contest entries. This program was spearheaded by a team of dedicated teen librarians. This program gained recognition by the Florida Library Association because it engaged teenagers by encouraging and recognizing their creativity in regards to books and literacy, allowed teens to become stakeholders in the library as a whole, raised community awareness of the library's services to teens, and involved teens in one of the division's largest celebrations of the year. This program resulted in a generation of library users with a new perspective on the power of books, libraries, creativity, and the role these elements play in the present and the future.

The year 2014 commemorated the Broward County Library's 40th year of operation. The library continued to pursue its mission to " provide convenient access to a full range of innovative and cost-effective services that satisfy the changing needs of the people of Broward County for information, education and recreation".[1] During 2014, Broward County Libraries coordinated and produced a system-wide campaign, "Broward County Libraries Mean Business!" The purpose was to create programming to assist small business and entrepreneurial enterprises as well as raise awareness of the many business-related resources offered by the library. It was launched in conjunction with Broward County Mayor Barara Sharief's 2014 leadership theme, "Broward Means Business."[7]

At the 2015 annual Florida Library Association Awards, the Broward County Library was awarded the Library of the Year award. The Broward County Library emphasized innovation, creation, and dedication. With programs, events and services geared specifically towards today's library customers the Broward County Library had programs such as S.T.E.M. (science/technology/engineering/math) literacy programs and also a Maker's Movement and Do It Yourself (DIY) programs. The Broward County Library gets members of the community involved by providing top-notch services that address the changing needs of a tech-savvy society.

In 2015, Broward County Libraries Division received eight national Awards of Excellence from the National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO) for information projects that exhibit expertise in communications. The competition honors a variety of projects that include public relations campaigns, brochures and publications, articles and press releases, videos and internet/electronic innovations. In 2015 Broward County has won a total of 28 awards, more than any other locality in the country.[8]

On February 26, 2017, Kelvin Watson was appointed as Director of the Broward County Libraries. He previously worked as the Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President for Queens Library in New York City. Watson has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a minor in Military Science from Lincoln University. He earned his Master's degree in Library Science from North Carolina Central University.

African-American Research Library and Cultural Center

African-American Research Library and Cultural Center

On October 26, 2002, Broward County Library opened the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) facility has a 300-seat auditorium, 5,000-square-foot art gallery, and Small Business Resource Center.[9] Since its opening, the Center has become an integral part of the community, displaying over 38 major exhibits and offering 184 cultural programs to over 895,000 customers.[10] It is the sixth largest library in the Broward County Library System and only the third of its kind in the nation.[11]

In 2012, the African American Research Library and Cultural Center commemorated 10 years of the Ashley Bryan Art series.[12] Dr.Henrietta M. Smith, Professor Emerita at the University of South Florida, School of Information, worked with Bryan to establish a children’s book author and illustrator art series. "The series began with Ashley Bryan submitting eight original art pieces to the library to serve as core of the art collection."[12] It became "a children's book author and illustrator series which has brought Coretta Scott King Award winning authors and illustrators whose work reflected African culture to the library".[12] "The Ashley Bryan Art series has had a long-lasting cultural effect upon the community, bringing children and families into the library and engaging youth with children’s book art and illustrations."[12]

One of the hugely successful programs offered at this branch includes the Destination Friday events to celebrate different cultures through dance, music, and traditional foods. Previous destination themes have included Jamaica, Hawaii, Argentina, Bahamas, etc. Destination Friday events are after-hours events, and have seen over 300 participants at a single event.

History

Samuel F. Morrison, a former director of the Broward County Library was inspired to build this library after a visit to the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History (a special library of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library)."[10] At that time, the Auburn Avenue Research Library and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, were the only two research libraries in African-American culture in the nation. Morrison, however, was determined to “build a library in the African-American area, with county funds.”[13]

Funding

Between 1990 and 1995, Morrison engaged in numerous conversations and negotiations with county officials on the construction of the library.[13] Funds had already been saved to replace the smaller Von D. Mizell Branch Library in Fort Lauderdale. The Broward County Commission had provided the land and $5 million towards the new library. Morrison, however, had plans for a much larger library and research facility and needed and additional $7 million to complete his vision.[10]

The remaining funds were received largely through fundraising. A $600,000 grant was issued by the National Endowment for the Humanities and was matched by other organizations and philanthropists, such as the Sun-Sentinel, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, and Dianne and Michael Bienes. $50,000 was donated by The Links and $250,000 donated by Publix Charities. Businessman, Wayne Huizenga donated $1 million towards the library. Additional funds were raised from the church community, fraternities, sororities, and service clubs.[13]

Construction

The groundbreaking ceremony occurred on October 23, 1999. After additional fundraising, construction of the building began in April 2001.[10] PAWA Complex International – the largest African-American owned architectural company in Florida – created the architectural design of the facility. Cecil Hayes – the first African American listed in Architectural Digest’s top 100 – created the building’s interior design and the artistic designer was Gary Moore. According to Morrison, over 50 percent of the construction contracts were done by African-American corporations.[13] On October 26, 2002, construction of the AARLCC was complete and finally opened to the public.

Collections

The African American Research Library's Special Collections houses over one million items, including rare books, artifacts, artwork, manuscripts, and reference materials focusing on the history and culture of people of African, African-American and Caribbean descent.[9]

Alex Haley Collection - Contains the works of Alex Haley, photos from the Roots television show, photos of West Africa, and eight unfinished manuscripts by Haley.[14]

Daniel Johnson Collection - Contains over 5,000 items pertaining to “African-American, Caribbean, Oceania and African Books and Ephemera.” These include writings in a variety of topics such as, slavery, civil rights, sports, politics, and the arts.[14][15]

Dorothy Porter Wesley Collection - Contains items pertaining to art, history, women’s studies and other materials related to Africans in the United States.[13][14]

Sixto Compano Collection - Contains 1,000 pieces of sheet music dating from the mid nineteenth century to World War II documenting the history of African-Americans in theatre.[13][14]

Kitty Oliver Oral Histories - Contains printed transcripts, photographs and videos of over 100 interviews from individuals discussing race relations in Broward and Palm Beach Counties during the 1960s and 1970s.[15]

Hewitt Haitian Art Collection - One of the largest collections in the AARLCC, it contains numerous pieces of art. It is recognized as one of the most significant collections of Haitian art in the nation.[15]

Dania Beach Branch Library

The Dania Beach Branch Library opened on Saturday, April 9, 2011. Named for long-time library advocate Paul DeMaio, the new Dania Beach Paul DeMaio Branch Library is located at 1 Park Avenue East, in Dania Beach next to City Hall. The library is 10,000 square feet in size and houses a collection of over 40,000 library materials for public use. Along with a Group Study Room and space for the local chapter of the Friends of the Library, the building has a multi-purpose room that can seat 75 people. There are 24 public Internet access computers for adults and children and the entire facility has wireless access to the Internet. The building was funded by the City of Dania Beach and Broward County. An adjacent parking garage was funded by the City. The new library is visited by approximately 2,400 library customers weekly. Broward County is responsible for the operational costs of the building. The City is responsible for the exterior of the building including the maintenance of the parking facility. The building is LEED certified for energy efficiency.[16]

Broward County Library Without Walls

On November 8, 2011, Broward County Library became "BCL WoW," which stands for "Broward County Library Without Walls".[17] The Library re-branded itself to include the use of technology to promote library services.[17] The library's objective is to "lead the way, telling their customers what's new and what's coming, and not the other way around."[17] Among other features, the WoW mobile app offers a virtual library card.

Digital Services

The Broward County Library system offers multiple digital services for its patrons. Along with the traditional paper copies of books and magazines, Broward County also offers access to eBooks and Audio books suitable for download to patrons’ electronic devices. The library also offers a BCL Wow (Broward County Library Without Walls) Mobile App for Apple and Android devices, which allows patrons to search the catalog, place holds, and renew items on their phones. The app also includes features such as linked branch locations, reader's advisory lists based on individual preferences, and links to the library's Facebook and Twitter pages. Digital download classes are offered continuously to encourage use.

Broward County Library system's large and varied collection of music CDs is supplemented with free music downloads. Unlike the eBooks, which revert to the library, music downloads are available to the patrons permanently with a limit of six songs per week. This music program also has a downloadable app administered by the Freegal Music Service and not the Broward County Library system itself.

Creation Station

The Creation Station at the Main Library represents the democratization of design, engineering, fabrication and education for all residents of Broward County.The Main Library Creation Station makerspace is a community center with tools that enable individuals to design, prototype and make 3D items.[18] Activities at the flag ship Creation Station at Main Library also include digital design with Adobe Creative Cloud, other specialized computer programs, audio/video production, electronic kits, arts and crafts, open work spaces and more. The Creation Station offers the public to try out Virtual Reality gear such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and the Microsoft Hololens. Currently the Creation Station is at the Main Library, Northwest Regional Library and the Collier City Library. There are Creation Station Portals at the West Regional, North Regional, South Regional and Southwest Regional libraries. Each Creation Station provides their own unique inventive opportunities.[19] Typical Creation Station facilities include access to video and photography gear as well as a selection of musical instruments.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "About Us". Broward County Library.
  2. ↑ "Our History". Broward County Library.
  3. ↑ "Our History". www.broward.org. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  4. ↑ "BCC South Regional Library". DeRose Design Consultants. 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Broward County South Regional/Broward College Library". Harvard Jolly Architecture. 2013.
  6. ↑ Broward County Library. "Our History". www.broward.org/library. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-30. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
  8. ↑ "Broward County Leads the Nation Again". broward.org. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  9. 1 2 "About the Special Collections". Broward County Library.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Story of AARLCC". Broward County Library.
  11. ↑ "Self-Guided Tour". Broward County Library.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Gómez, E. (2012). "Broward County Library Celebrates Ten Years of the Ashley Bryan Art Series". Children & Libraries. 10 (1): 18–19.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Smith, H. M. (2002). "The African-American Research Library and Cultural Center of the Broward County Library: Building Bridges and Beyond". Reference & User Services Quarterly. 42 (1): 21–25.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Williams, Doris (2002). "Special Collections at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center Broward County Libraries". Public Library Quarterly. 21 (3): 47-51. doi:10.1300/J118v21n03_07.
  15. 1 2 3 "AARLCC Special Collections". Broward County Library.
  16. ↑ Broward County Library. "Our History". www.broward.org/library. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  17. 1 2 3 Grubb, S. (March 15, 2014). "Change Agents: Librarian Without Walls". Library Journal. 139 (5): 31.
  18. ↑ truex. "The Creation Station "Sneak Peek" 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM - Broward County, Florida, USA". broward.us. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  19. ↑ "Creation Station". broward.org. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
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