โI have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of a library.โ
โ Jorge Luis Borges
Why Libraries Matter
Libraries are a place for people to fall in love with books and the ideas held within them. They serve as community gathering places, social support centers and creativity labs, where education is accessible for every member of our community.
The Need for Support
Libraries are more important than ever.
Since 2020, our libraries have seen a dramatic increase in the number of residents borrowing digital resources, while the borrowing of print resources has remained at pre-pandemic levels. Electronic items like eBooks often cost 4 โ 5 times more than a print book, making this an extremely expensive collection to maintain and expand. The current collection budget for our libraries is 11.5% of the total budget. The American Library Association standard for adequate collection funding is 15%.
To support student success, the libraries partnered with Sarasota County Schools to provide students and staff with unlimited access to free online library resources with their ID number. This partnership is critical to all students, especially those learning from home.
Libraries Offer So Much
More Than Books.
Provide free high-speed internet
access to the approximate 20% of households that donโt have it, as well as technology help and instruction
Support innovation with resources for small businesses, nonprofits and organizations
Inspire new ideas and products by encouraging people of all ages to imagine, design and create in the Creation Stations
Foster learning with free online homework resources for Sarasota County students and staff, accessible via their school ID numbers
Engage children, families, singles and seniors in hundreds of programs, creating essential social connections for a strong and diverse community
Provide open access to thousands of digital resources and databanks, available 24/7
Nurture civic engagement by providing free use of meeting spaces, hosting early voting, presenting free lectures and performances both in person and virtually
Connect people in need of services, including providing assistance to navigate everything from tax forms to job searches
