Tampa Free Library facts for kids
For other Carnegie Libraries, see Carnegie library (disambiguation)
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Tampa Free Public Library
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | 102 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa, Florida |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | Fred J. James; Aulick, Bates & Hundall |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000618 |
| Added to NRHP | May 16, 1991 |
The Old Tampa Free Public Library is a special historic building in Tampa, Florida. It is also known as the Exceptional Children Education Center. This library was one of 10 in Florida that received money from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
A very rich man named Andrew Carnegie gave money to build libraries all over the world. He helped build over 3,000 libraries in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Old Tampa Free Public Library received a grant of $50,000 from Carnegie. It was designed by architect Fred J. James and built between 1915 and 1917.
This building was Tampa's main library until 1968. It has a unique design with brown and yellow bricks. In 1991, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historical site in the United States. Today, it is used by the administrative staff of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. It also houses the Hillsborough Literacy Council.
Contents
How the Library Was Used
This library was very popular with people all over Tampa. Many university and high school students came here to do research. They used the large collection of books and materials.
Children also loved visiting the library. They enjoyed special storytelling times in the afternoon. The children's library was located on the west side of the basement level. It was a fun place to choose new books.
Inside the Library
A worker named Bernadette Storck remembered how the library was set up. The main desk was on the first floor. This is where people checked out books. Reference books were on one side, and popular books were on the other.
Downstairs, the children's area was on the west side. This is where storytime happened. On the east side of the basement, workers prepared new books. They would hand-letter labels for the book spines. The library's first bookmobile collection was also kept here.
Why the Library Moved
The Tampa Free Library was built in 1915 to be the main library. It was designed for about 50,000 people. However, Tampa grew very quickly over the years. By the early 1960s, the city had over 274,000 people.
The old library building became too small. It did not have enough space for all the books or for all the people. There was also not enough parking. People wondered if newer, bigger libraries were needed.
Trying to Serve More People
To help with the growing number of visitors, the library tried to stay open longer. In April 1960, the library expanded its hours. It was open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. This increased the open hours from 66 to 72 hours per week. The goal was to make it easier for people working downtown to visit.
However, even with longer hours, the library was still too small. A former worker remembered that books and magazines were "falling off the shelves." People had to travel long distances to reach the library.
A New Main Library
Because of the need for more space, a new main library was built. This new library is called the John F. Germany Public Library. It opened on April 21, 1968, at 900 N Ashley Drive. The John F. Germany Public Library is still the main library in Tampa today.
Gallery
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The Tampa Free Library on the roadside on March 18, 1919
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Front of Tampa Free Library
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The Tampa Free Library on the roadside in the 2000s
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Detail of Tampa Free Library building
