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Pasco County Library System

Progress continues on New River Library renovation

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No specific completion date has been set yet, but Pasco County library officials expect the makeover of the New River Branch Library to be wrapped up by the end of this year.

The library, at 34043 State Road 54, sits on the edge of Wesley Chapel — not far from Zephyrhills.

A new room is under construction, at the New River Branch Library. The library is located at the edge of Wesley Chapel, close to Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Pasco County Library System)

Workers are busy on a massive remodeling that began last fall.

The total cost for the project, including design, construction, furnishing, technology and other associated expenses is approximately $2.8 million, said Bob Harrison, program manager for the Pasco County Library System.

All seven county libraries are slated for substantial improvement, using funds generated from General Obligation bonds approved by voters in November 2018.

When the New River renovation is finished, patrons will notice a number of obvious improvements, such as faster Internet speeds, a covered walkway, a makerspace that opens into a shaded “classroom” that opens into a much larger community garden.

Improvements also include an upgraded air-conditioning, heating and ventilation system.

Like just about everything else in life these days, the project has been affected by impacts of COVID-19.

“We had some manufacturers that had shut down for a time,” Harrison said.

That shutdown caused a delay in getting supplies needed for the library project, Harrison explained.

When the library reopens, it will offer much more than books, said Harrison, who is excited about what await patrons when operations resume.

Libraries are literacy centers and social hubs, he said.

Libraries are places where children come for story time, job seekers come to research new opportunities and entrepreneurs come to learn from experienced business mentors who offer free workshops.

A look at the entrance of the New River Branch Library in Wesley Chapel. The library is undergoing renovation and is expected to reopen by the end of the year.

Libraries also offer a host of special events, such as arts and crafts, movies and lectures.

They’re also a popular gathering spot for community organizations to hold meetings.

And, libraries are a common venue, too, for business mentors who offer free workshops to share their business knowledge and expertise with less-experienced entrepreneurs.

Of course, beyond the books and other media that patrons can borrow, visitors also can consult reference materials and use technology to help with research.

The upgrade includes expanding the community garden, which once had about six raised beds, to have more than two dozen.

About half of those will be for workshops and demonstrations. The rest will be open to people who want to grow flowers or vegetables.

A project to plant fruit trees at New River is expected to continue.

And, a new children’s activity, Story Walk, will allow children to follow a winding path where they will stop at stations and read pages from a storybook.

While the New River Branch has been closed, patrons have been frequenting other libraries, Harrison said, noting some have been using the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, while others have used the Hugh Embry Branch in Dade City, or the Zephyrhills Library, operated by the City of Zephyrhills.

For more information on New River and video on renovations, visit Facebook.com/newriverlibrary.

Published August 19, 2020

Library hours restored for patrons

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Pasco County Libraries has restored Monday hours at the Hugh Embry and Hudson branches, as of Oct. 15. Patrons will now have four libraries to choose from to visit on Mondays.

The restoration of hours at more locations was a priority of the Pasco Board of County Commissioners for the fiscal year 2018-2019 budget.

In October 2017, the Regency Park and Land O’ Lakes branches were the first to restore hours, with the addition of Monday hours and some evening hours.

The Pasco County library locations that are now open on Mondays are:

  • Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway
  • Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., Dade City
  • Regency Park Branch Library, 9701 Little Road in New Port Richey
  • Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road

All libraries will remain closed on Sundays.

According to Bob Harrison, libraries public communications specialist, the restored hours give patrons on both the east and west sides of the county more access to everything they love about the libraries.

For information on hours of operation for all seven branches in the Pasco County Library System, visit PascoLibraries.org.

Information on the library catalog, e-content, programs, events and links to all the branches also can be found on the website.

Published October 24, 2018

Sign up for lifelong learning

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September is Library Card Signup Month, a time when the American Library Association and libraries nationwide remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card can be the first step toward academic achievement and lifelong learning.

And, now is an especially good time to get a Pasco County library card as the library launches new services for residents.

The Pasco County Library System now has four new offerings, including two streaming media services, as well as wireless printing and Wi-Fi hotspots.

“We’re excited to continue to offer our patrons these premier streaming media services,” Bob Harrison, public communications specialist for the libraries, said in a news release.

New services include:

  • Freegal: free music service offering access to more than 15 million songs. Users can download up to three songs per week, free of charge, and stream up to three hours of music per day.
  • Kanopy: streaming movie service offering more than 30,000 feature films, independent films, foreign cinema, documentaries and kids’ movies. Movies also can be streamed at no cost.
  • Wireless printing and print-from-anywhere: Print from smartphones and tablets, or from a home computer or laptop. The cost is 10 cents per page for black-and-white, or 25 cents per page for color.
  • Internet-on-the-Go: Borrow a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to three weeks. The 4G LTE device is easy to set up, and can connect multiple devices, including laptops, gaming consoles and more.

All library services are available at no cost with a Pasco County library card, free at any branch.

Published September 5, 2018

Delivering business concepts in ‘bite-sized’ pieces

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A nationwide program for budding entrepreneurs is coming to Zephyrhills.

Co.Starters is a program aimed at teaching entrepreneurs how to start their companies and grow their business.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will begin offering the program next month.

Adopted by more than a dozen entrepreneurial organizations in cities around the country, the 10-week program applies lean business modeling methods popular among high-growth startups and businesses of all kinds.

SMARTstart Business incubator director Krista Covey, who oversees the Co.Starters program in Pasco County, was the featured speaker at The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast on April 6.

In Co.Starters, weekly sessions are led by a trained coach in a small, supportive group setting.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will offer a Co.Starters program in May. The 10-week course is aimed at teaching entrepreneurs how to start their companies and grow their business. It’s been adopted by more than a dozen entrepreneurial organizations in cities around the country.
(File)

And, enterprise-level concepts are introduced in “bite-sized pieces.”

“Each week is a different topic,” she added. “We talk about taxes. We talk about legal entity selection. We talk about everything.”

The program demystifies business concepts.

It uses easy-to-understand language and takes away the feeling of intimidation that some people feel when they’re venturing into the entrepreneurial world, Covey said.

The program largely helps potential entrepreneurs decide whether they want to pursue turning their idea into a business.

That’s critical, considering only about 20 percent of all companies last five years or more, Covey said.

The program also is open to existing business owners, who may look to “rethink” their existing business model.

“Some of the best things you can do to serve entrepreneurs is get them around other entrepreneurs,” Covey explained. “Get them collaborating, working together, sharing ideas.”

In Zephyrhills, the 10-week program runs from May 4 through July 6.

Classes will be each Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce office, 38550 Fifth Ave.

The program costs $295. Registration is due by 4 p.m., on April 28.

Similar programs will be offered later this year in Dade City, Wesley Chapel, Trinity and Land O’ Lakes.

Besides Co.Starters, other countywide resources are available for entrepreneurs and established business owners, Covey said.

One is the Pasco Enterprise Network (PEN), a collaborative effort of nonprofit agencies committed to ensuring the success of small businesses, through consulting, counseling, education, and technical assistance.

Among the partners are local chambers of commerce and colleges — like Saint Leo University and Pasco-Hernando State College.

Those arenas, Covey said, are particularly useful for networking and hiring a workforce.

The Pasco County Library System, another PEN partner, can be a valuable aid for startups, providing a wide variety of market research tools, databases and trade journals.

Meanwhile, the SMARTstart Pasco Business Incubator — managed by Covey since 2013 — remains available for entrepreneurs.

Located at 37837 Meridian Ave., in Dade City, the mixed-use facility offers co-working space, dedicated desk space, meeting space, classrooms and private offices.

Covey stated entrepreneurs typically spend about two years in the incubator program.

The incubator offers microloans for small businesses, too.

Available up to an amount of $35,000 with a fixed interest rate, the term of loans may range from 12 months up to a maximum of 72 months.

Launched in 2012, about 30 borrowers have participated in the microloan program, creating over 170 jobs, Covey said.

“We’re very passionate about job creation and helping our businesses in Pasco be as successful as possible,” she said.

Published April 19, 2017

Pasco libraries to tackle identity theft

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The Pasco County Library System is offering a program to teach residents how to protect themselves from identity theft, and how to catch identity theft early.

The 45-program will be offered throughout November and part of December at library branches around the country.

It’s free, and also will explain what to do if someone feels they have become a victim of identity theft.

Upcoming programs include:

  • Centennial Park Library, 5740 Moog Road in Holiday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m.
  • South Holiday Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Road in Holiday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
  • Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m.
  • Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m.
  • Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road in New Port Richey, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m.
  • Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road in Hudson, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.
  • New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.

For information, visit PascoLibraries.org.

Looking for something to do? Check your local library

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Bands from Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties are tuning up to test their musical chops at the Rockus Maximus XVII Battle of the Bands.

Teens and pre-teens search through Legos during Lego Day at the Land O’ Lakes Branch of the Pasco County Library System. (Photo Courtesy of Pasco County Library System)
Teens and pre-teens search through Legos during Lego Day at the Land O’ Lakes Branch of the Pasco County Library System.
(Photo Courtesy of Pasco County Library System)

The free music festival on March 28 showcases bands vying for cash and other prizes. Besides promoting local music, the family-friendly event offers sideshow acts, including a juggler, martial artists, a dance troupe and other performers.

The event will be at the Rotary Park Pavilion at the Concourse, near the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52.

It’s an event that drew national recognition for the Pasco County Library System, resulting in the prestigious John Cotton Dana Award for excellence in public relations in 2010.

But the Battle of the Bands is just one of many ways the library system seeks to engage the community.

“The idea here is that we are trying to provide experiences and opportunities for everyone, at every stage and need in their life,” said Paul Stonebridge, teen services manager of the Pasco County Library System. “We’re trying to get people as early as we can get them and keep them forever.”

Do you like to play chess? There’s a club for that. Perhaps you’re an avid reader — there’s a book club for that, too.

There are story times geared to different age groups, and activities such as crafts and family nights. There are free movies, too, geared toward different audiences. Free popcorn and drinks accompany all the events.

Periodically, there are special events, such as an American Heritage Tea Party or a Curious George Reading Day.

Often, the library will offer a class or presentation or activity that’s designed to combine fun and learning, Stonebridge said. For instance, kids recently were invited to learn how to take photographs of themselves, known as “selfies.” While they were at it, they also got some advice on staying safe in cyberspace.

The library recognizes that people of different ages have varying needs and desires. So, it customizes its programming.

The pre-teen crowd has a hard time getting to the library because they lack mobility, Stonebridge said. One way to get them there is to encourage parents to bring them. To help make that happen, the library allows parents to drop pre-teens off for a couple of hours.

While they’re having fun at the library, the parents can run errands, shop for grocery, meet a friend for coffee, or have a bit of time to themselves, Stonebridge said. The library does request, however, that the parent remain in the vicinity, in case something comes up and they need to return to the library before the activity is over.

The library works hard to provide interesting programs for teenagers. One way they accomplish that is by involving teens in the planning.

In exchange for serving on the teen advisory board, teens earn community service hours, have first dibs at other library volunteer opportunities, and get to have a say in the activities the library offers.

“Here’s a chance for people to be listened to, to actually have someone want to hear what they have to say,” Stonebridge said. “We’re trying to hit them with the things they need and want at this point in their lives.”

For instance, the library has an Anime Club, gaming nights, a Robotics Club and other activities.

The library also has an on-demand service that provides help with homework and often can arrange for tutoring for students who need more assistance. Sometimes, free tutoring can be provided. At other times, they’ll offer referrals.

The library is geared for people of all ages. For example, it has a teen gaming night and an adult gaming night. Teen gaming nights draw about 200 kids, while adult gaming nights draw about 50 people, Stonebridge said.

The library also hosts senior citizen socials for people 55 and older.

“We’re trying to give people a place they can socialize, make friends, reconnect,” Stonebridge said.

It also offers help for people who are looking for a job, want to start their own business, or need help figuring out forms for government assistance, such as Medicaid, food stamps and unemployment benefits.

People who have trouble reading or lack computer experience should not feel intimidated, Stonebridge said.

“Don’t be hindered by your limitations of education or background or experience,” he said. “If you’re scared of computers, you just haven’t used them or you don’t read well, we’re here to help you with that. We don’t penalize people for that. We want to help you.”

These services are free to anyone who has a library card, Stonebridge said. Library cards are issued for free and are available even to people who live in another county, as long as they have a library card where they live and have identification with their picture on it.

And, on top of all of the activities and services, the library also offers books and DVDs for patrons to borrow.

Anyone who wants to learn more is invited to drop by a library, or visit PascoLibraries.org.

Rockus Maximus XVII
WHAT: Battle of the Bands — Bands from Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties compete for prizes. The family-friendly event also features entertainers and sideshow acts
WHEN: March 28 from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Rotary Pavilion at the Concourse, 15325 Alric Pottberg Road, Shady Hills (Near State Road 52 and the Suncoast Expressway)
COST: Parking and admission is free.
Concessions for purchase will be available, but those attending are welcome to bring a picnic.

Published March 26, 2014

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