Residents gathered at the Alachua County Library District Headquarters to commemorate the district’s 40th anniversary Saturday.
Rewind the clock to 1986.
Janet Jackson and Cyndi Lauper songs were blasting through people’s radios. The first iPhone was still more than 20 years away. But just outside the confines of the University of Florida, the Alachua County Library District was beginning its first year.
Four decades later, Library Director Shaney Livingston put that growth into perspective during the Library District’s 40th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday.
The district served five branches and had 78.25 full-time equivalent employees in 1986. Today, it serves 12 branches and has 204 employees. The libraries were open a combined 192 hours a week 40 years ago. Today, that number has climbed to 584.
“The best part of our 40-year journey is that we are debt-free,” Livingston told the audience. “Every bill has been paid off, and we were able to complete projects under budget.”
Before the district existed, libraries in Alachua County operated as part of the Santa Fe Regional Library system, and local governments funded them.
State Rep. Sidney Martin, former Library Director Ann Williams and other advocates pushed for an independently funded countywide library system.
On Oct. 15, 1985, more than 60% of county voters approved the creation of an independent special taxing district that began its first fiscal year Oct. 1, 1986.
Governing Board Chair Ken Cornell said that while technology has changed in the last 40 years, the library’s goal of providing access has remained.
“It’s a library card that costs nothing but opens up the world for our kids,” Cornell said.
Former Public Services Division Director Linda Boyles experienced the technological shift firsthand as the district switched from card catalogs to automated systems.
She was also instrumental in planning the creation of the current headquarters, which opened in 1991.
“We determined that it needed to be accessible and attractive so that people would feel comfortable coming in,” Boyles told WUFT.
But Boyles said her fondest memories did not come from her time in management.
They came from witnessing a child’s curiosity while she was a children’s librarian.
“The most wonderful thing was watching a child get so caught up in a story that it just enthralled them,” Boyles said.
Chuck Clemons, the University of Florida vice president for government and community relations, offered the audience an anecdote about the impact library access can have.
The High Springs native grew up on a chicken farm and became the first person in his family to graduate from college.
Clemons credited his childhood librarian, who helped cultivate his interest in reading.
“I would get on my bicycle after school, and Mrs. Roberts would walk me in the direction of the books,” Clemons said.
He recalled once returning a Daniel Boone book late and owing a fine, which he couldn’t pay. Roberts allowed him to pay 25 cents a week, and Clemons said the experience taught him responsibility.
However, the way current patrons use the Alachua County Library District extends beyond reading.
Brad McClenny, the district’s public relations manager, said technology has become increasingly vital.
Perhaps the MakerSpace is its most prized recent innovation. It allows residents to use high-quality tools, such as 3D printers, laser cutters and sewing machines, they may not have access to.
“My favorite thing the Headquarters Library has is the sewing machines,” McClenny told WUFT. “I love to do leather work on it.”
McClenny said one of the district’s biggest challenges is making residents aware of all the resources.
“A lot of people still think the library is just books,” McClenny said. “They are surprised by how much we have to offer, so they end up coming back.”
More than 1,000 people signed up for or renewed library cards in September.
The Micanopy Branch will be transitioning from Micanopy Town Hall to a standalone building, which is currently under construction.
Livingston said the district’s expansion over four decades has depended on employees and the greater community.
“Today, let’s celebrate everything we have accomplished together,” Livingston told the audience. “I look forward to all that is still to come.”