Some Libraries Friendless

Some of our libraries don't have friends. I don't know which Hillsborough county libraries don't have active "Friends of the Library" groups but Port Tampa City is not one of them. Other news from the last Friends meeting on April 26th:

The purchase and placement of an identifying sign was discussed at the March meeting. Next year's library system budget includes a sign for the Port Tampa library so we will not be using Friends funds.

More information on digitizing the old city records will be forthcoming in the next couple months.

The library staff asked for support from the Friends to buy a table, some bulletin board materials, mouse pads and headphones for the computer lab. The membership immediately voted to authorize purchase of the table and bulletin board items. Four dozen mouse pads were donated to the library on May 4th, and headphone discussions were tabled pending further direction from library HQ. Sanitation and petty theft were sited as concerns with headphones.

Supporting documentation to name the meeting room after James G. Yeats is being assembled. The administrative labyrinth has prompted some (ok me) to call for pulling a "Port Tampa City permit," painting the name on the door, then letting the library system figure out what paperwork is needed to have it removed.

Here's a little info on Yeats, and the building that would become the library, from Port Tampa City, A History of Change published by the Port Tampa City Woman's Club, Inc.

"The First Bank of Port Tampa City was organized on September 30, 1924, on Ingraham Street, west of Davis' Corner, with Mr. James G. Yeats as president. Mr. Yeats was a prominent citizen, newspaper publisher, had served as mayor from 1915 to 1921, and had contracted to pave the City streets the year before. He also served as Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners and was responsible for building paved roads in Hillsborough County, Tampa, and throughout the state of Florida.
In 1926 Mr. Yeats, at a cost of $125,000 constructed a large building of imported Italian marble on Plant Avenue (now Commerce St.) at Mascotte Street and moved the bank there."

I'll have more on the building and it's revival as a library in future Friends posts.