Umatilla Public Library History

In 1917 the women of Umatilla began a library in an upstairs room over a department store on the corner of Central Avenue and Orange Lane. The library director was a volunteer and all books were donated in order to start the library collection. During the WPA days, a log cabin was built in the center of town on Central Avenue to house the library, a community room, and city hall. The library remained there until the building was destroyed by fire in January 1959. A modern building, constructed on the same site during 1959-60, became the new home of the library, the community building and city hall. In 1960 the first paid library director was hired; the first five-member Umatilla Library Board was appointed on February 7, 1967.

In 1980 the library extended its hours from 21 to 30 hours a week, with one employee. By 1981, with 1,089 patrons, the library had out grown its one room. The Atlantic Coast Line 1,600 sq. ft. depot, built in 1915, was donated to the city to use for the library. Land was donated for the building and money was raised for its renovation. The railroad theme is carried out in the library, thus making the building quite a conversation piece throughout the community. Patron registration increased to 1,831 by the time Open House was held on April 7, 1983.

On October 1, 1982, the Umatilla Public Library, Eustis Memorial Library, and Cooper Memorial Library in Clermont became charter members of the Lake County Library System. The library system was established to extend free library service to residents throughout the county, share resources, extend borrowing privileges beyond municipal boundaries, and to take advantage of cost savings realized through pooling resources.

A 300 sq. ft. orange caboose was added on the west side in 1986. This additional space was used for literacy and ESL classes, staff and board meetings, youth programs, and as a study room. In October 1991, with 2,465 registered patrons and a staff of 4.15 full time equivalent employees, the city added a 950 sq. ft. addition on the north side of the building. Open House was held in February 1992. This addition, plus the caboose, brought the library to 2,850 sq. ft. In 1995 the library extended its hours to 43 ½ a week with a staff of six. August 1999 the library had seven full time employees and a patron registration of 11,616.

A “Friends of the Library” group was organized in the early part of 1998 and was incorporated in May 1998. This group helped raise the money for the new planned library addition. Open house was held on April 30, 2000 after the 5,770 sq. ft. addition was added to the library, enlarging the building to 8,620 sq. ft. On December 31, 2003 the library had 13,998 patrons, 8 full time employees with the library being open 46 hours a week.

The library offers children, youth and adult regular print books, audio cassettes, books on CDs, videos, DVDs, video games, large print books, magazines, newspapers, computers, a typewriter and a copy machine for public use. A variety of programs and classes are held for children and adults.

As of January 8, 2004, there are six member libraries and six branch libraries in the Lake County Library System. Reciprocal borrowing has been established with Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia Counties.

UPDATED August 19, 2008