BACKGROUND

The Marion County Public Library System provides public library services to the residents of Marion County. The Library System is comprised of interdependent libraries and collections designed to make its total resources readily available and accessible to the community it serves.

In 1961 the City of Ocala, Citrus County and Levy County formed the Central Florida Regional Library. The City of Ocala operated and funded virtually all library service in Marion County until 1964 when Marion County, with existing libraries in Belleview and Dunnellon, joined the Library System. Citrus County left the system in 1987. On October 1, 1997 the Marion County Board of County Commissioners became the governing body of the Marion County Public Library System. By interlocal agreement, library personnel continued to be administrated by the City of Ocala until October 1999, when they became County employees. Also in October 1999, the Levy County Board of Commissioners created the independent Levy County Public Library System.

The Marion County Public Library System is funded by Marion County ad valorem taxes. The Library System also receives funds from miscellaneous fines and fees, various grants, and an annual State Aid to Libraries grant from the State of Florida.

SERVICES

The residents of Marion County are served by the headquarters library in Ocala and branches in Belleview, Dunnellon, Forest Corners, Ft. McCoy, Marion Oaks, Rainbow Lakes Estates, Reddick, and the Freedom Public Library near the State Road 200 corridor. The Marion Bookmobile provides library service to outlying areas of the county. Daycare centers, private schools, retirement complexes, and housing communities in Ocala are served by the Community Bookmobile.

The System offers a collection of over 501,000 volumes in the nine libraries and two bookmobiles. A broad-based print and non-print collection makes the Marion County Public Library, Headquarters-Ocala the major public library resource in the system. The smaller collections of the community branch libraries are planned to satisfy the most general and frequent needs of the residents. The System has over 170,000 registered borrowers. During FY 06-07, over 1,185,000 items were circulated and over 783,000 questions were answered. Also during that same period, those visiting the library used over 800,000 items while in the library. Library facilities are open from five to seven days per week. The Marion County Public Library, Headquarters-Ocala and the Forest Public Library are open seven days per week.

The Library System is bordered by Alachua, Levy, Citrus, Sumter, Lake, Putnam, and Volusia counties. Of these, the Library System has reciprocal borrowing agreements with Alachua, Lake, Levy and Citrus counties.

RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS

The Marion County Public Library System moved into its new 59,700 square foot headquarters building and opened for business on August 2, 2004. The building is located at 2720 East Silver Springs Boulevard.

Construction is underway for two new 16,000 square foot library buildings in Dunnellon and Belleview with completion anticipated in mid-2008. Also planned to start in 2008 is the planning and construction of a 10,000 square foot building to house the Forest Public Library on property immediately adjacent to the current building. For information on future plans, reference the Marion County Public Library’s Long Range Plan which can be accessed on this website (click here).