Sarasota County Library Building Fund, Inc. Records

In the 1970s, Sarasota County was in desperate need of a new library facility due to operations being conducted in the original 31-year-old Chidsey building. Following several failed attempts to fundraise for a new library building, a group of local citizens formed the Sarasota County Library Building Fund (SCLBF) in 1972. The Board of Directors experienced changes throughout the organization's operation, but Harlow J. Heneman served as President for all four years. After the SCLBF was established, the City of Sarasota donated property on the Sarasota Bayfront, directly across from the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N Tamiami Trail. With the land secured, the SCLBF immediately began the process of grant application and fundraising. Throughout the four-year effort, they received considerable donations from the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, Sarasota County, City of Sarasota, Cordelia Lee Beattie Foundation, Rotary Club and Marguerite Anderson Estate. The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation provided the largest donation, at $550,000, resulting in the building being named in its honor. With these contributions, they were able to secure Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill Architectural Firm and Sainer Constructors as the contractors. The board hired Jack West, a local architect associated with the Sarasota School of Architecture, to oversee construction operations at the site. The design was completed in October 1974 and construction began on May 29th, 1975. During construction, residents became concerned with the future of the boat ramp next to the site, and the City of Sarasota agreed to maintain its location. Originally located on Sixth Street, the city and the board decided to change the name of the road West of Tamiami Trail. "Avenue of the Arts" was the first name pitched, but it was ultimately changed to "Boulevard of the Arts" in March of 1975. Although the SCLBF board experienced some controversy and multiple resignations, they managed to raise over two million dollars and construct a new library for the community. The Selby Public Library was dedicated and opened to the public on August 26th, 1976. The library operated out of that building until 1998 when it moved to its current location at 1331 1st Street. Since then, the building has been occupied by the Gulfcoast Wonder and Imagination Zone (GWIZ) but was demolished by the city in 2019 to initiate The Bay Master Plan. During the SCLBF's operation, they collected articles and photographs pertaining to the new building. Along with the meeting minutes, this collection contains a scrapbook with these collected articles and photographs. Within the pages, the articles appear in chronological order with various photos of important milestones such as the groundbreaking and dedication.