Community Corner
New Evening Hours At Dunedin Library; Here's What You Need To Know
The oldest library in Pinellas County, the Dunedin Public Library offers an extensive list of adult and children's programs.
DUNEDIN, FL — Now residents can enjoy time leisurely reading in the evenings at the Dunedin Library, 223 Douglas Ave.
The library is now offering evening hours on weekdays.
The new hours are:
Find out what's happening in Dunedinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Monday to Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Closed on Sunday.
A History Lesson
The Dunedin Public Library is the oldest public library in Pinellas County. Its origin dates back to 1895 when Christopher B. Bouton, a winter resident from Cleveland, presented 200 books to Dunedin "for public use."
His brother owned the town's meeting hall and conveyed ownership to the Dunedin Library Association for a public library and free reading room. The building from that time forward became known as Library Hall, and was located on the waterfront in what is now Edgewater Park.
Find out what's happening in Dunedinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The city took over the library in 1935 when the collection had grown to 7,000 volumes. The steady growth of Dunedin and the corresponding increase in library usage and size of the book collection demanded more space.
Thus, with community support, new libraries were built in 1956 on Louden Avenue and again in 1964 on Main Street, the latter currently housing Dunedin's City Hall. The Dunedin Friends of the Library was founded on Aug. 10, 1962, and continue to support the library and its services today.
In 1976, the library moved into leased space vacated by the W.T. Grant Company in the Douglas Plaza Shopping Center, increasing its size from 5,000 to 22,325 square feet. In 1986, the city of Dunedin purchased the Plaza to provide a home for the library.
The Dunedin Library became a member of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative when it began operations on Oct. 1, 1990.
In 1989, the entire estate of retired attorney Franklin Chase Milliken was left to the city of Dunedin for the benefit of the Dunedin Public Library. His bequest made it possible to build the current library on Douglas Avenue.
Library Director Julia Noah submitted a study of the library facility to the Library Advisory Committee in 1990. In 1993, the consulting firm of Design Matrix completed a space needs assessment for a new facility and, in 1994, the City Commission approved funding for a 38,000-square-foot building at a cost of $3.5 million.
The library celebrated its 100th anniversary in April 1995. Shortly after the centennial celebration, the old building was torn down and a new building was built where the old building once stood, officially opening to the public on Sept. 3, 1996.
Since the opening of the new building, the Dunedin Public Library has continued to grow in services and collections.
Electronic technology and new material formats have expanded the dimensions of the library's collections and services. For a detailed account of the library's past, view A History of the Dunedin Public Library.
There's A Lot More Than Books
Adult services include:
- Online career high school
- Adult classes including yoga, book clubs, meditation classes
- Dunedin Writer's Group
- Tampa Bay Ukulele Society workshops
- Daughters of the America Revolution
- Technology classes
- Socrates Cafe for philosophical discussions
- Information programs for seniors
Programs for kids and teens:
- Children's book clubs
- Children's writers group
- Tuesday movies
- Lego Club
- Video games
- Creative writing club for teens
- Teen Book Club
- Homework help
- One-on-one computer tutoring
- Teen calligraphy
- Story times for all ages
- Star parties with the outdoor Webb telescope
- Baby and Me Story Time
- Toddler Time
- Preschool Story Time
- Teen Book Club
- Teen Creative Writing Club
- Preschool Movies
- Teen Arts & Crafts
- Teen Calligraphy
- Teen Book Club
- Baby and Me Story Time
- Toddler Time
- Preschool Story Time
- Afternoon Stories
- Cup Stacking
- Saturday Stories
- Teen Music Club
- Farmer Minor & Daisy the Pig
- Teen Arts & Crafts
- Teen Photography Club
- Programs for Kids & Families
- Homework Help
- Minecraft Among Us
- Preschool Movies
Click here for more information.
