SARASOTA COUNTY – Sarasota County is inviting the community to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the new William H. Jervey Jr., Venice Public Library at 9 a.m., Monday, Oct. 30.The ceremony marks the next phase in the new library’s construction process and will feature speakers including elected officials, county staff, volunteers and Dr. Jervey, who recently donated $1 million for an endowment fund to support the library in perpetuity.
Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Director Sarabeth Kalajian, who once served at the youth services librarian in Venice, said the Venice community has a special connection to their library, which serves as one of the most popular in the entire library system.
Kalajian added, “Dr. Jervey’s endowment is a testament to the hard-working library staff, the engaged citizenry and the potential impacts that libraries can have on an individual’s life.”
Community meetings, focus groups and workshops have been held throughout the year to collect public input on the library’s design. When completed, the new 24,000 square foot library will feature a cafe, Creation Station, 135-seat-meeting-room, outdoor reading garden, Walter Farley Literary Landmark exhibit, Friends of the Venice Library bookstore, and more.
According to County Administrator Tom Harmer, the new library project demonstrates the Board of County Commissioners ongoing commitment to promoting quality of life, enhancing infrastructure and providing excellent customer service.
“We’re looking forward to starting construction on this new facility, and then later opening the doors and sharing it with the community,” Harmer added.
A retired professor of political science at the University of Central Florida, Dr. Jervey first visited the City of Venice on a family vacation as a child and has been a Venice resident since 2009. As a member of both the Venice Area Historical Society and the Historic Preservation Board, Dr. Jervey has a long history of philanthropy and civic involvement. He viewed his donation as an opportunity to give back to the community he loves and calls home.
“For as long as I can remember, libraries have played an important role in my life,” said Dr. Jervey. “Hopefully, this endowment fund will keep our new library state-of-the-art for many years to come and relieve some of the burden on the good tax-payers of Sarasota County.”
The groundbreaking ceremony is located at 300 Nokomis Ave., Venice.
For more information, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000 or visit scgov.net.
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