Lee County Library System (Florida)

The Lee County Library System was founded in 1964 and is composed of 13 branches which serve Lee County, Florida, United States.[2] Olive Stout, who arrived in Fort Myers in 1886, started the town's first reading room and was pivotal in founding its first library.[3] Around 1955, the city moved the library into a small one-room building.[4] The Lee County Library System's mission is to strengthen the community by informing and enriching individuals.[2]

Lee County Library System
LocationLee County, Florida
Established1964
Branches13
Collection
Size1.5 million (2016)[1]
Access and use
Circulation6 million (2016)[1]
Population served679,513 (2014)
Members294,000 (2016)[1]
Other information
DirectorMindi Simon
Websitehttp://www.leegov.com/library

Branches
Name[5]Address
Bonita Springs Public Library10560 Reynolds St. Bonita Springs, FL 34135
Cape Coral Lee County Public Library921 S.W. 39th Terrace Cape Coral, FL 33914
Captiva Memorial Library11506 Chapin Lane Captiva, FL 33924
Dunbar Jupiter Hammon Public Library3095 Blout Street Fort Myers, FL
East County Regional Library881 Gunnery Road N Lehigh Acres, FL 33971
Fort Myers Regional Library2450 First Street Fort Myers, FL 33901
Johann Fust Community Library1040 West 10th Street P.O. Box 309 Boca Grande, FL 33921
Lakes Regional Library15290 Bass Road Fort Myers, FL 33919
North Fort Myers Public Library2001 N. Tamiami Trail N.E. North Fort Myers, FL 33903
Northwest Regional Library519 Chiquita Blvd. N. Cape Coral, FL 33993
Pine Island Public Library10701 Russell Road Bokeelia, FL 33922
Riverdale Branch Library2421 Buckingham Road Fort Myers, FL 33905
South County Regional Library21100 Three Oaks Parkway Estero, FL 33928

Services

The library system has over 1.5 million items available for patrons to use or check out, and circulates over 6 million items per year. The system also offers amenities such as meeting rooms, an online catalog and e-sources, as well as DVDs, CDs, and the streaming of movies and video. Each branch provides users with internet access, including wireless access points.[6] The system also provides public access computers, and scanning and printing capabilities.

Library cards

Adult

Library cards are issued free of charge to individuals 18 years or older who:

  • Are residents of Lee County
  • Are employed in Lee County
  • Are property or business owners in Lee County
  • Are students of Lee County
  • Are residents of other Southwest Florida counties with libraries participating in the Reciprocal Borrowing program

Non-residents may obtain a Lee County Library card for a fee by showing photo identification.

Library cards are valid for two years, and renewal must be done in person, with the same documents as required for original card registration. Loss or theft of a card, as well as any account changes, must be reported to the library immediately.

In order to obtain a replacement card, patron must show photo identification and pay a $1 fee.[7]

Child/teen

Library cards with full privileges are free of charge for children and teens under age 18. Requirements include:

  • Name ID, such as birth certificate, insurance card, school ID, official school schedule, report card or letter from school
  • Parent or legal guardian who accompanies the child or teen shows ID for proof of address and owes less than $10 on his/her own library account

The Lee County Library System provides a way to pre-register for a card online. A temporary card grants access to downloadable and streaming materials. A permanent card can be obtained by proving eligibility at any branch.[8]

Reciprocal Borrowing Program

Residents from participating neighboring counties may obtain a Lee County Library card free of charge through the Southwest Florida Library Network's (SWFLN) Reciprocal Borrowing Program. Residents of participating counties must first visit their own community's library and ask for a SWFLN Reciprocal Borrowing sticker, which they may then present to any Lee County Library location, along with photo identification. This must be done every calendar year.[9]

Services

Bookmobile

The Lee County Library System has a mobile book service called the Bookmobile that travels throughout the county to bring materials to those who cannot physically make it to a library branch location, or those in housing projects and low income neighborhoods.[10][11] Patrons of the bookmobile have about 4,000 items to choose from, including books, DVDs, and magazines in both English and Spanish.

Talking Books

The Lee County Library System is a subregional library of the Florida Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library. Recorded books are shipped free of charge to patrons who fill out an application affirming their visual or physical disability that makes traditional reading difficult. In addition to recorded books, the Talking Books Library also provides Braille books and narrated magazines. The Lee County Talking Books Library has thousands of titles in its collection as well as access to 2.5 million titles through the Florida Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library.[12][13]

Books-by-Mail

Books-by-Mail is a service offered by the Lee County Library System, which supplies library materials to individuals who are unable to use the library due to temporary or long-term physical and medical disabilities. Books-by-Mail sends materials, including books, CD books, DVDs, Blu-ray and music CDs through the mail in zippered nylon bags to registered patrons. When the materials are due, the patron attaches postage and mails the bag back to Books-by-Mail, or drops off the bag at any branch of the Lee County Library System.[14]

Online library

The Lee County Library System is partnered with Overdrive, Libby, and hoopla to provide popular digital content. These services allow free access to eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, videos, and music.[15]

Southwest Florida Reading Fest

The Southwest Florida Festival is the second largest reading festival in Florida. It draws thousands of fans to hear and meet best-selling authors, participate in creative contests and activities, and find the latest and greatest in books and information technology. It is a fun, informative and entertaining one-day event that celebrates books and the written word. The festival appeals to all ages, with adult and children's programs. This annual event is usually held in downtown Fort Myers in March. The Lee County Library System produces the festival, which began in 2000.[16]

Fandom Fest

Fandom Fest is a free, annual celebration of geek and pop culture that offers live music, contests, and cosplay. It is hosted by the Lee County Library System. It is located at the Fort Myers Regional Library located at 2450 First Street. It includes live entertainment, a reading challenge, character meet and greets, an all-ages costume contest, and lots of prizes. The festival is divided into fandom themed areas which have included Space, Sword and Sorcery, Superheroes and Villains, and Asian Culture. This event offers a mixture of activities, games, tech demos, and DIY makerspaces. There is a virtual reality hub, as well as Kpop dance tutorials. The Fandom reading challenge allows participants to win prizes through virtual activities using the READsquared app platform. Participants of all ages can win prizes. The Character meet and greets allow participants to take pictures with their favorite characters. The costume contest has categories for birth-age 5, kids ages 6–11, teens ages 12–17, and adults ages 18 and up. The winner is chosen by crowdsourced voting and a judges panel. To ensure everyone's safety and enjoyment of Fandom Fest, attendees must observe the Lee County Library System Patron Code of Conduct on festival day.

In 2020, the Fandom Fest was held exclusively online, and the one-day Fandom Fest was converted into a month-long virtual festival with different themed weeks, costumes, and prizes. It returned to an in-person event in 2021.[17]

Library support

The library receives public support in a variety of ways, including through Friends groups, volunteers, and donations.[18]

Due to inflation and changes in public views towards government spending, library budgets have needed to turn to Friends of the Library groups for fundraising from private sources.[19]

According to the State of Florida's 2017-2018 statistics, Lee County Library System's Friends groups had a total of 1,270 members, raised $152,589 for their library system, and spent $80,829 on projects and programs.[20]

References
  1. "Lee County Library System". Lee County, Southwest Florida. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  2. "About the Lee County Library System".
  3. Reaves, Gerri (2012). Legendary Locals of Fort Myers. Charleston, SC: Legendary Locals. p. 84. ISBN 9781467100182.
  4. "First library building in Fort Myers". Florida Memory. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  5. "Branch Locations and Hours". Lee County Southwest Florida. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  6. "Wireless Access at Lee County Libraries".
  7. "Get a Library Card". Lee County Library System. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  8. "Get a Library Card". leegov.com.
  9. "Reciprocal Borrowing Program".
  10. "Lee County Bookmobile". Archived from the original on 2015-05-20. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  11. "Southwest Florida Resource Link".
  12. "Talking Books". Lee County Library System. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  13. "Braille and Talking Book Library". Florida Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  14. "Books-by-Mail". Lee County Library System. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  15. "Lee County Online Library". Leegov.com. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
  16. "More Than 20 Years Celebrating the Power of Reading!". Southwest Florida Reading Festival. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  17. "Fandom Fest". Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  18. "5 Ways to Support the Library". Lee County Library System. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  19. Dolnick, Sandy (1990). Friends of Libraries Source-Book (Second ed.). Chicago: American Library Association. p. 1.
  20. "2017-2018 Public Library Statistics and Ranked Data Tables" (PDF). Retrieved 29 November 2020.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.