County Celebrates Opening of Arthenia L. Joyner Library

TAMPA, FL -- A library means much more to a community than a place to borrow books. The University Area Community, the Tampa-Hillsborough County Library and Hillsborough County Public Schools will celebrate that on Monday, March 26, with the grand opening of the Arthenia L. Joyner University Area Community Library, 13619 22nd St. in Tampa.

The event is scheduled at 10 a.m. Attendees will be able to meet the new library’s namesake. Joyner, a longtime Hillsborough County resident who served as a Florida state senator and been a lifelong advocate for service, equality and civil rights.

The new, 15,000-square-foot library is the 27th in the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library system. A partnership with the public schools systems, a portion of the building doubles as the media senter for the adjacent Muller Elementary Magnet School and the library’s children’s room.

The $9.3-million project was funded by revenues from the Community Investment Tax and Special Library District ad valorem tax, as well as a $500,000 grant from the Florida Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services.

The library features:

• A bright, welcoming interior with colorful panes of glass that denote various sections of the building
• A collection of popular materials - numbering nearly 14,000 books, audiobooks, magazines, music CDs and DVDs - for customers of all ages
• A variety of meeting spaces, including a community room, study rooms and makerspace
• Public computers and wireless Internet
• Many free services and programs, including early literacy assistance, resources for job-seekers, family events and more
• A photo gallery of members of the Hillsborough County Commission on the Status of Women Hall of Fame
• “Bright Spot,” an attention-getting ceramic tile public art installation by a local artist
• The WEDU PBS Phyllis L. Ensign Library Corner. PBS-costumed character Curious George will be at the March 26 ceremony to help open the collection.

County commissioners voted to name the library in honor of Joyner, a political trailblazer who has broken many racial and gender barriers throughout her career. Among her lengthy list of accomplishments, she was the first black woman to practice law in both Hillsborough and Polk counties, and the first black board member of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. She served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006, and the Florida Senate from 2006 to 2016. She has held many significant local, state, and national posts and appointments. She remains the longest practicing black female attorney in the history of Florida.

For more information about the Arthenia L. Joyner University Area Community Library and the programs offered, visit HCPLC.org.
Image via Hillsborough County