Pasco County Library Cooperative
The Pasco County Library Cooperative (PCLC) is the public library system that serves all residents of Pasco County, Florida, and is a member of the Tampa Bay Library Consortium.[1] The Pasco County Library System, as it was originally known, was established by county ordinance in 1980. In 1999, the Pasco County Public Library Cooperative was established as a result of an Interlocal Agreement between the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners and the Zephyrhills City Council.[2] It consists of eight branch libraries and operates on a budget of $5,730,843, a decrease of $1,723,227 since 2007. The library circulated 2,400,192 items from 2011 to 2012. During that time span, the library had 906,142 people visit its eight branches, a decrease of 23 percent. This decrease is attributed to the 16 percent reduction of the libraries hours of operation. The head of library services reports to the Assistant County Administrator for Public Services.
Branches
The Pasco County Public Library Cooperative consists of eight branches, with the administrative offices for the system located at the Hudson Regional Library.[3]
- Centennial Park Branch Library
- Hudson Regional Library/Administration and Support Services
- Hugh Embry Branch Library
- Land O' Lakes Branch Library
- New River Branch Library
- Regency Park Branch Library
- South Holiday Branch Library
- Zephyrhills Public Library
Awards
2010
- John Cotton Dana Award for excellence in public relations
2008
- "I Love my Librarian!" award given to director Linda Allen by The New York Times Company[4]
- Future of the Region Certificate of Excellence and Commemorative program for Public Education in Catastrophe Readiness and Response: Proactive Roles for Public Libraries awarded by Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council[5]
Pasco Libraries website
The Pasco Libraries website is an integrated website that allows patrons to search the library catalog, check out e-books, search fee-based databases, and access language-learning resources. It also allows patrons to post book reviews, access RSS feeds, create lists, and tag materials. The website has links to the library’s social media content, library videos, and e-government sources. It was recognized by the Florida Library Association as the best library website in 2010. Visits to the library's website increased by 28 percent within its first year of being redesigned.[6]
Friends of the Pasco County Library System
Friends of the Pasco County Library System, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization that works closely with the libraries within the cooperative to enrich the library experience of patrons through fundraising, volunteering, and advocacy efforts. In October 2013, the Friends of the Pasco County Library System was dissolved and merged with the Pasco Library Foundation. Individual libraries still retain their own Friends of the Library groups, which either fall into their own not-for-profit or the Pasco Library Foundation's not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status.
Land O' Lakes Foundry
The Foundry at the Land O' Lakes Branch Library is the first dedicated makerspace in Pasco Libraries, and was officially opened on December 17, 2015. The Foundry is equipped with two 3-D printers, as well as computer-aided-design (CAD) equipment, an Oculus Rift virtual reality system, and an audio recording studio. Other makerspace materials include various hand tools, power tools, and crafting equipment and supplies like yarn and thread. The room serves as the primary meeting space for the Edgar Allan Ohms, the Land O' Lakes High School robotics team sponsored by the library.[7][8]
References
- ↑ "Pasco County Library Cooperative 2012-2015 Strategic Vision" (PDF). Pasco County. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
- ↑ "Pasco County Library Foundation". Pasco Library Foundation. Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
- ↑ "Locations and Hours | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
- ↑ Orth, Carl (January 29, 2011). "Linda Allen is turning the page". Suncoastnews.com. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
- ↑ "16th Annual Future of the Region Awards" (PDF). Tbrpc.org. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
- ↑ "FLA Awards Recipients 2010" (PDF). Florida Library Association. 2010-04-09. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
- ↑ "Land O' Lakes library opens makerspace". The Laker/Lutz News. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
- ↑ "Land O'Lakes Foundry | Pasco Libraries". www.pascolibraries.org. Retrieved 2016-03-18.