| John F. Germany Public Library | |
| Location: | Tampa, Florida |
| Address: | 900 N. Ashley Drive |
| Coordinates: | 27.9525°N -82.4645°W |
| Opened Date: | 1968 |
| Building Type: | Library |
| Architectural Style: | Modernist |
| Architecture Firm: | McLane, Ranon, McIntosh & Bernardo and McElvy & Jennewein |
| Website: | http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/locations/jfg/ |
John F. Germany Public Library is the flagship library of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL). It is part of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative and the Tampa Bay Library Consortium.
Located in Downtown Tampa, Florida, the 140,000 sq. ft. library acts as the central reference and resource center for THPL and its local library branch. John F. Germany Library is the largest in the THPL System and features a creative space known as the HIVE, which houses several special exhibits on history, genealogy, and more than 20,000 photographs.[1] The library also features a children's play area and a station with more than 470 models, tools, and learning aids available for checkout.
In 1912, the City of Tampa received a grant from the Carnegie Foundation to start development on a building for a main Tampa library on Seventh Avenue. Architect Fred J. James designed the building, and the physical work was completed on the facility on June 30, 1915. However, the opening of the facility was delayed for two years due to funding constraints. On April 17, 1917, the Tampa Public Library opened to the public with a collection of 3,800 books.[2]
The Carnegie building on Seventh Avenue served as the main library's building until the need for a larger building became a necessity with the increase of population in Tampa to 400,000 people. The Tampa City Council, along with community aid, began plans for a new building.[2] The new building, located less than one mile away from the original Carnegie building, began in 1965 and is still in use today.
The new Tampa Public Library opened to the public on April 21, 1968. Designed by architectural firms McLane, Ranon, McIntosh & Bernardo, and McElvy & Jennewein, the new facility was 100,000 sq. ft. and held more than 500,000 books.[2] Nine years later, a new 50,000 sq. ft addition was made to the original building. Designed by architectural firm McElvy, Jennewein, Stefany & Howard, the new addition was connected to the original building by an elevated glass walkway. This addition was dedicated on May 23, 1976.[2]
The Tampa Public Library was renamed on November 1, 1999, to the John F. Germany Public Library in honor of library supporter, civic leader, and former judge, John F. Germany.[2] In the 1960s, Germany was chairman of the Friends of the Library Organization while a sitting Hillsborough County circuit judge. After looking over the city budget he goes to the mayor to use funds from cigarette taxes to pay for the expansion plan. He once called the downtown library on Ashley Street his most significant accomplishment.[3] It was there in February 2015, former John F. Germany Public Library Chief Director Andrew S. Breidenbaugh was named director of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System.[4]
Opened to the public on November 15, 2014,[5] The HIVE was a 10,000 sq. ft. public community Makerspace originally located on the third floor of the West Building of the John F. Germany Public Library. In 2018, this building was closed and given back to the city of Tampa. The HIVE makerspace was moved inside the Germany Library and is now located on the second floor of the library.