Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library

The Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library is a member of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL) and the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC).

Located on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa, Florida, the 26,244 square foot library is one of only two African-American research libraries in the entire state of Florida.[1]

History

In 1933, the Ybor City Branch Library opened in a storefront, donated by the local Italian American Club, at 1729 East Broadway. The library's collection featured materials in Spanish, Italian and English to accommodate the diverse population of Ybor City.[2]

Construction of a new building at 1505 North Nebraska Avenue, in an area once known as "the Scrub", was planned as part of the 1968 Model Cities Maryland Avenue Urban Renewal project.[3] The new library, designed by Architect Russell Minardi, was dedicated in January 1969. It featured a stone mural along the entrance wall entitled "Symbols of Mankind" by local artist and former professor Joe Testa-Secca. The mural reflects the great knowledge available at a library.

On November 5, 2003, the Ybor City Branch Library was renamed to honor Robert W. Saunders Sr., a former Field Secretary of the NAACP. Saunders guided the state through challenging years as the South struggled for civil rights.[4]

In May 2009, groundbreaking was held for a walkway to connect the library with Booker T. Washington Elementary School. It was open for use by the students in September of the same year.[5]

Demolition of the old building and groundbreaking to replace the nearly 45-year-old building currently located at 1505 N. Nebraska Ave. was held March 7, 2014.[6] The new $7 million, two-story building was designed by the Harvard Jolly architecture firm.[7]

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on August 12, 2015 to celebrate the grand opening of the new Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library. Two pieces from the old library were incorporated into the new building: a bronze bust of Robert W. Saunders Sr., and the exterior stone mural called "Symbols of Mankind." The new library features a bookstore, a recording room for visitors to record their oral histories and stories, a children's room with movable furniture, and a 350-seat community room equipped with a full-size commercial kitchen. The new two-story library has a historical corridor dedicated to the history of African Americans in the area. It features exhibits showcasing the athletes, entertainers, churches and schools that were part of Tampa’s past. The second floor houses a special collections resource center for African-American history and genealogy. It contains hundreds of digitalized oral histories and databases for research.[8]

The Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library is supported by Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System, the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Libraries, and the Robert W. Saunders Foundation. The library also has a partnership with Booker T. Washington Elementary School, and a physical walkway connects the two buildings.[9]

Special collections

  • African-American History and Genealogy

References

  1. ↑ Jeffery, Ashley "New Tampa library branch is unique African-American history research facility", Bay News 9,August 30 2015
  2. ↑ "Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library", Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative
  3. ↑ Leto, Manny "Urban Renewal in Ybor City", TAMPA HISTORY, 2008
  4. ↑ "A Guiding Force In Civil Rights", Robert W. Saunders Sr. Library Foundation, 2015
  5. ↑ "Robert Saunders Library History", Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library
  6. ↑ "Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library", Hillsborough County Government
  7. ↑ "Architecture Construction Design". Architecture Construction Design. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  8. ↑ Quinn, Alexis "New Saunders Library To Be Built In Tampa In 2014", 83 Degrees, October 15, 2013
  9. ↑ Lake, Lenora (9 September 2015). "Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library celebrates the rich history of Tampa Central Avenue district". The Tampa Tribune. TBO. Retrieved 28 October 2015.

Coordinates: 27°57′29″N 82°27′03″W / 27.95814°N 82.45078°W / 27.95814; -82.45078

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