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Spruce-Up To Close 78th Street Library Until June

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 21, 2008

PALM RIVER - Children in the Palm River area must go elsewhere for books on their summer reading lists while the county spruces up the 78th Street Community Library at 7625 Palm River Road.

Suzy George, manager of operations for Tampa-Hillsborough County Library Services, said the busy library that serves Palm River, Clair-Mel and Progress Village will be closed while the county does some interior decorating.

But the break won't be long. At 10 a.m. June 12, children and other patrons will be welcomed back to a library with a fresh new look, said branch manager Karen Slaton.

"We're adding a bit of pizazz," she said. "I think the neighborhood will be very pleased with the changes."

The library was built in 1997, and use of the 8,000-square-foot facility rose 16 percent over the past year, George said.

"It's a very well-used library, and it needed modifying to make it easier for patrons to use, and to simply keep up with the wear and tear," she said.

Over the past year, Slaton said, the county has added some lounge furniture to encourage patrons to relax and read.

"It made the library a much more inviting place," she said. "Parents can sit on the couch in the children's room and read books to their children. People can sit back and read the newspaper."

Renovations began May 19 and will include new carpeting in a shade called "crayon."

"The background is black and gray with vibrant colors like purple, orange and teal mixed in," Slaton said.

The renovated library also will have an integrated circulation and reference service desk, a fresh coat of paint and new shelves.

While staff members look forward to the improvements, they don't come without a price tag. Workers are boxing up 43,127 books and will have to return them to their proper places before the reopening.

As for summer reading lists, Slaton doesn't advise schoolchildren to delay getting books elsewhere. She and fellow staff members will work at other nearby libraries while the 78th Street Community Library is closed to help kids get the books they need.

They include the College Hill Branch Library at 2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa; the Brandon Regional Library at 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon; and the Riverview Branch Library at 10509 Riverview Drive, Riverview.

Items checked out at the 78th Street Community Library will not be due during renovations. The library will reopen for business at 10 a.m. June 13.

For information, call (813) 273-3652 or visit hcplc.org.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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