The Brevard County Library System is a public library system in Brevard County, Florida that coordinates activities between its member public libraries, which collectively serve Brevard County. It is composed of 17 distinct branches stemming all the way from Mims to Micco, with the central administrative and largest of these libraries being the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library in Cocoa, Florida. It is governed by a board of trustees appointed and funded by the Brevard County Board of Commissioners. Its missions statement is "Brevard County Libraries enables people of all ages to improve their quality of life by providing information and enrichment through traditional resources and new technology." Its vision statement is "We will be recognized as a Library System that excels in providing efficient, modern, accessible and customer oriented services."
History
The first library in Brevard County was founded in 1895 in Cocoa, FL. One room was rented for five dollars a month, and women in the community would take turns volunteering to run it. The books and supplies were donated by local citizens. By 1959, four other libraries were established in the county, and Florida Statute 150 gave funding to these libraries in agreement that they would serve all residents. With the Space Program boom in the 1960s, Brevard County's population grew, and the five libraries were expanded to nine. By November 1972, it was necessary for voters to approve a tax referendum that would establish a Library Tax District to fund the growing library system's budget. Currently, there are seventeen libraries within the Brevard County Library System. In 1989, the Central Brevard Library moved to a building contributed by Florida Today. It was the first library in the county to discard the print card catalog and move to an electronic card catalog. In 2017, the Central Brevard Library, in Cocoa, FL, was renamed the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library, in honor of Catherine Schweinsberg Rood. Rood was a former county library director with a 32-year career in the Brevard County Library System, who dedicated her life to improving the community libraries. She passed away in September 2016.
Programs and Services
Each library has meeting rooms which are available for library programming, and community meetings. These rooms are vital to the community, as they offer space for free programs for all patrons. Youth programs are an important part of each library and a variety of programs are offered, including summer reading programs, story hour programs, toddler times and bedtime story programs. Each library branch has a different set of programs for children ages infant to young adult. Talking Books/Homebound Services provides library materials to residents with visual and physical impairments and to those with limitations associated with age. A special collection of Talking Books is provided by the National Library for the Blind to serve the visually impaired and physically disabled population. Homebound patrons are served by a mail service which provides standard library materials to patrons through a mail order catalog. DVDs and Blu-ray discs are also popular items available for loan. Downloadable audio books and ebooks are available through Brevard County Libraries in a program called OverDrive with online instructions and selections for compatible audio and eBook devices. Books are now also offered in a MP3 format as well, compatible only on MP3 enabled devices. In a more modern effort to reach patrons, some libraries in Brevard have created Instagram accounts, including the Eau Gallie Public Library, the Titusville Public Library, and the Satellite Beach Public Library. These social media accounts market library programs online, reaching younger patrons especially. In addition, the official website for the county system includes an extensive array of free online resources for patron use. This includes access to investment research databases such as Morningstar, digital microfilms of the Florida Today newspaper, and access to the complete language learning software, Rosetta Stone.
Genealogy Collections
Three of the seventeen library branches within the Brevard County Public Library System have special genealogy collections available to the public for use within the library during regular hours. The Central Brevard Library in Cocoa, FL has the largest collection, staffed full-time and employing a certified genealogist. It began in 1989 and contains genealogical records, early Brevard County Courthouse records, and the entirety of a collection of documents formerly held by Brevard Community College. The Titusville Public Library and the Melbourne Public Library also have collections, and are staffed by volunteers.
Creative Lab
Beginning in 2014, the Brevard Library Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to supporting the library system, began fundraising for a Creative Lab. The lab, which is in the Central Brevard Library in Cocoa, encourages STEM subject education by providing a space and the technology for creative engineering, electronics, music, video, and computer projects. A music recording studio, sound engineering station, and 3D printer is housed in the Creative Lab, and local experts teach classes for residents. The lab opened to the public in August 2016.
