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SAFETY HARBOR - Carol Weimer remembers wheeling the book carts from the small house to the brand new building.
The house on Fifth Avenue N had been serving as the Safety Harbor library since 1938. It had one main room and two back rooms. And there were only two full-time employees.
Ten years ago, the city dedicated a new library at 101 Second St. N: a 15,000 square foot building nearly five times the size of the old one. Today, Safety Harbor is celebrating the library's 10th anniversary.
"Every year, it grows and grows," said Weimer, a part-time library aide. "I think the library has managed to keep that small-town feel."
The new library cost about $1.2-million. It suffered more than a year of delays because of mistakes made by the original contractor, Pilot Construction Services. The city ended up firing Pilot in March 1994 and hiring another.
Staff and patrons have been enjoying the new, airy building, but library officials now say they need more space.
Safety Harbor has several additional benefits, such as deaf services and free American sign language classes. The library was also the first in the Pinellas County public library system to have a computer center.
Mary Ann De Meo, a technical services librarian, said both of those show that libraries respond to the public's needs.
Megan Scott can be reached at 445-4167 or mscott@sptimes.com
IF YOU GOThe Safety Harbor Public library's 10th anniversary celebration is 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., today, 101 Second St. N. Library director Lana Bullian and other invited guests will be making special announcements at 6 p.m. Call 724-1525. Scheduled events:
10 a.m.-noon: children's programs
1-2 p.m.: Visit from Ronald McDonald
2-3 p.m.: Teen event
4-7 p.m.: Clowns Dipsy and Doodle
6-7 p.m.: Birthday ceremony