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44-515: The Miami-Dade Public Library System is a county department within Miami-Dade county government . The Board of County Commissioners is the governing body over the library system. The Library Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Board of County Commissioners on public library issues, providing reports, recommendations, and guidance to the government of Miami-Dade County. The service area of

88-641: A building donated by Annie Coleman, president of the Friendship Garden and Civic Club, to serve citizens of Overtown . In 1938, the facility was made part of Miami's library system and renamed the Dunbar Branch Library. This was the first public library serving the Black community. On August 13, 1941, the Dorsey Memorial Library opened on land donated by Black philanthropist Dana A. Dorsey . It

132-615: A city tax, which is used to provide County residents with equivalent city services (police, fire, zoning, water and sewer, etc.). Residents of incorporated areas do not pay UMSA tax. An Executive Mayor and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners (BCC) govern the County. The County's main administrative offices are located in the Stephen P. Clark Center (SPCC) at 111 NW 1ST Street in downtown Miami. The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners

176-495: A two-story library designed by local architect T. Triplett Russell opened and is a designated Florida Heritage Site. In 1913, Henry Morrison Flagler donated land for a Miami Women's Club clubhouse with the provision that it contain a public reading room. In 1915, the Miami City Commission began allocating $ 50 per month to support the club. The Flagler Memorial Library was established at 1737 North Bayshore Drive. By 1925,

220-616: Is a subregional library of the Florida Bureau of Braille and Talking Books Library. In July 2014, a restructuring of the Miami-Dade tax schedule resulted in a $ 22 million increase in the county library budget. In 2014, Miami-Dade County amended the county charter allowing Miami-Dade public libraries to be located in public parks. The Northeast Branch Library in Aventura opened on August 17, 2015. The library system's 50th branch location opened in

264-574: Is defined and authorized under the Constitution of Florida , Florida law , and the Home Rule Charter of Miami-Dade County . Since its formation in 1957, Miami-Dade County, Florida has had a two-tier system of government. Under this system, Miami-Dade comprises a large unincorporated area and 34 incorporated areas or municipalities. Each municipality has its own government and provides such city-type services as police and zoning protection. Of

308-432: Is the governing body of unincorporated Miami-Dade County and has broad regional powers to establish policies for Miami-Dade County services. The government provides major metropolitan services countywide and city-type services for residents of unincorporated areas. One County Commissioner is elected from each of Miami-Dade County's 13 districts to serve a four-year term. Residents choose only from among candidates running in

352-621: The FTAA with a focus on environmental racism , critiques of so-called "free trade" agreements like the FTAA, and positive community solutions such as permaculture . Anti-FTAA protesters at Dr. Dunn's invitation held a workshop on permaculture at the Overtown Community Garden and donated over 100 cherry trees to the Overtown community. In 2015, David Beckham announced that he had secured land in

396-606: The Florida land boom of the 1920s , Overtown was home to one of the first black millionaires in the American South , D. A. Dorsey (who once owned Fisher Island ), and the original Booker T. Washington High School , then the first high school educating black students south of Palm Beach . Community organizing and mobilization during the era, as such in actions of Reverend John Culmer , who advocated for better living conditions for lower class blacks living in abject squalor during

440-621: The Fontainebleau and the Eden Roc , where Overtown hotels like the Mary Elizabeth Hotel furnished to their needs. Further, many prominent black luminaries like W. E. B. Du Bois , Zora Neale Hurston , Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson lodged and entertained in the neighborhood. The area experienced serious economic decline from the late 1950s. Issues ranging from urban renewal to the construction of interstate highways like I-95 (then,

484-509: The Miami River . Owing to a substantive black population, 168 of the 362 men who voted for the creation of the city of Miami were counted as "colored," but the separate but equal segregation laws of the Deep South dictated the city designate the portion of the city, in this case, north and west of FEC railroad tracks, as "Colored Town." The second-oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of

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528-458: The 1920s, led to the completion of Liberty Square in 1937 in what is now-called Liberty City . Northwest Second Avenue and the surrounding neighborhood, once-called the "Little Broadway " of the South, by the 1940s hosted hundreds of mostly black-owned businesses, ranging from libraries and social organizations to a hospital and popular nightclubs . Popular with blacks and whites alike, Overtown

572-693: The 2023 Summer Reading Challenge which encouraged residents of all ages to read for fun and prizes; a Homework Help & Tutoring Program which offered free 60-minute tutoring sessions in reading, math, and science for students in grades K-12; Free Lunch at the Library which provided free nutritious lunches to children; and MDPLS Adult Learning Academy which offered free language courses in English and Spanish, as well as U.S. citizenship classes for adults. On April 7, 2022, MDPLS announced their Mobile Device Lending program. This allowed for patrons to check out mobile devices from

616-615: The Arcola Lakes Branch Library opened in 2011. In 2012, the library system experienced a 30 percent cut in its budget, forcing the elimination of 153 part-time positions and a 25 percent reduction in full-time staff. Following this, the Blue Ribbon Taskforce for the Miami-Dade Public Library System was formed to create a long-term plan for the libraries budget. The Miami-Dade Public Library System

660-470: The Community Gardens to provide affordable fresh produce to low-income families, public school students, community agencies and homeless shelters. and is also organizes an urban farmer's market. These projects and other aspects of Overtown were featured in a short documentary The Ground under Overtown [2] centered on multi-issue multi-racial community organizing created around Florida protests against

704-450: The County charter to establish term limits of two consecutive four-year terms. These were the incoming board members as of December 7, 2022: Overtown (Miami) Overtown is a neighborhood of Miami , Florida , United States, just northwest of Downtown Miami . Originally called Colored Town in the Jim Crow era of the late 19th through the mid-20th century, the area was once

748-449: The County did enter into a reciprocal borrowing agreement. The new facility name Cybranium offers virtual reality, 3D printing, children’s theater, and a brand new collection of library books among other services. Despite the change, both cities continue to work together to encourage residents to take part in the library system. The Hialeah Gardens Branch Library opened on February 11, 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 and changed

792-831: The Miami Public Library System. In 1945 it officially became a department of the City of Miami governed by a board of trustees. When the Miami Memorial Library was constructed at Bayfront Park in 1951, it became the Miami Public Library's Main Library serving as the Department's central library until 1985. A subscription library in Coconut Grove became part of the system in April 1957. Eight branches were constructed in

836-627: The Miami area after Coconut Grove , the area thrived as a center for commerce, primarily along Northwest Second Avenue. Home to the Lyric Theatre (completed in 1913) and other businesses, West Second Avenue served as the main street of the black community during an era which, up until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , barred black residents from entering middle and upper income white areas like Miami Beach and Coral Gables without "passes." During

880-785: The Miami-Dade Public Library System in October 1986. On January 15, 1992, the world's first library on an elevated transit system opened at the Metrorail rapid transit system in the Civic Center Station . In 1997, the Miami-Dade Public Library system launched their website, expanding their catalogue and reach. The Doral Branch Library, the Country Walk Branch Library and the Hialeah Gardens library were opened in

924-546: The Miami-Dade Public Library System is defined by the Miami-Dade Library Taxing District. The district includes the majority of the geographical boundaries of Miami-Dade County , including most of its 35 municipalities and all of unincorporated Miami-Dade County. The Miami-Dade Public Library System includes 50 libraries, two bookmobiles and one technobus. Along with its own branches, the Miami-Dade Public Library System also allows patrons of public libraries in

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968-589: The North-South Expressway), the Dolphin Expressway and the Midtown Interchange in the 1960s, fragmented the once-thriving center with the resident population decimated by nearly 80 percent from roughly 50,000 to just over 10,000. The area became economically destitute and considered a " ghetto " as businesses closed and productivity stagnated in the neighborhood. In 1982, a riot broke out in

1012-694: The Town of Bay Harbor Islands in December 2016. In 2017, the Miami-Dade Public Library was awarded Library Services and Technology Act grants to digitize its archives. In 2024, the Miami-Dade Public Library System was awarded Library of the Year by the Florida Library Association. The City of Homestead constructed a new library facility in Homestead and withdrew from the Miami-Dade Public Library System. The City and

1056-754: The bookmobile makes weekly stops around parts of the city from Hialeah to Cutler Bay. It makes scheduled stops each week at public parks, childcare facilities, condominium complexes, retirement communities, senior centers and recreational facilities where people might not have access to a brick and mortar library. In 2022 the Miami-Dade Public Library System has two Bookmobiles and one Technobus. Along with books, DVDs, CDs and Audiobooks, Bookmobile patrons can now also borrow Chromebook laptops, tablets, and Wi-Fi hotspots. The Technobus offers computers on wheels where patrons can delve into digital photography, music production, graphic design, 3D printing, drone flying and virtual reality. In 1936, Paul Laurence Dunbar Library opened in

1100-555: The cities of Hialeah, Homestead, North Miami, and North Miami Beach to use MDPLS services. The Miami-Dade Public Library System can trace its roots to April 7, 1894 with the opening of a reading room in Lemon City. One library was opened in the Lemon City public school, while in 1902, the Lemon City Library opened at 412 NE 61st Street. The Lemon City Library Association was established on February 4. 1902. The occasion took place at

1144-534: The city of Miami and Miami-Dade County . Dr. Marvin Dunn [1] founded the original Roots in the City Overtown Community Garden, turning an "overgrown, littered lot into a flourishing garden" maintained by Overtown residents and volunteers. Roots in the City, a non-profit "dedicated to community development, jobs training, inner-city beautification, healthy eating initiatives, and community research" used

1188-542: The communities of Coconut Grove and Lemon City had been annexed into the city of Miami. On January 5, 1928, Miami's first bookmobile was pictured in the Miami Herald . The first bookmobiles served rural areas of the city and county where access to library was nonexistent. In 1979, at the height of the program, about 20 bookmobiles were in service with about 293,000 items in circulation, but by 2001 two bookmobiles remained. Due to Covid-19, program has been relived and now

1232-635: The county's 2,751,796 total residents (as of 2017), approximately 44% live in unincorporated areas, the majority of which are heavily urbanized. These residents are part of the Unincorporated Municipal Services Area (UMSA). For these residents, the County fills the role of both lower- and upper-tier government, the County Commission acting as their lower-tier municipal representative body. Residents within UMSA pay an UMSA tax, equivalent to

1276-552: The district in which they live. Commissioners are chosen in non-partisan, single-district elections and can serve two four-year staggered terms, with elections scheduled every two years. The Commissioners elect a Chairperson, and the Chairperson appoints the members, chairperson and vice chairperson of all standing committees. In November 2012, the Miami-Dade County Term Limit Amendment was approved, modifying

1320-729: The early 2000s. In 2003, branches opened in Naranja , Tamiami and Lakes of the Meadow. In 2004, libraries opened in Concord and Palm Springs North. A regional library opened on Miami Beach in 2005, as did branches in Sunny Isles Beach and California Club. The Opa-Locka, Sunset and Golden Glades branches opened in 2007, and branches at International Mall, Kendale Lakes and Virrick Park in Coconut Grove opened in 2008. Pinecrest opened in October 2008 and

1364-478: The east. Local residents often go by the demonym "Towners". A part of the historic heart of Miami, it was designated as a " colored " neighborhood after the creation and incorporation of Miami in 1896. The incorporation of Miami as a city occurred at the insistence of Standard Oil and FEC railroad tycoon Henry Flagler , whose mostly black American railroad construction workers settled near what became Downtown Miami, just north of Flagler's Royal Palm Hotel on

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1408-741: The house of Mrs. Cornelia Keys and was attended by the Village Improvement Association, which was founded in 1896 by the city’s leading ladies, who were instrumental in the development of the Lemon City Library Association. The Lemon City Library, like its counterpart in Coconut Grove, also operated as a circulation or subscription library. On June 15, 1895, the Pine Needles Club opened the Coconut Grove Library. Louise Whitfield Carnegie donated books to help

1452-526: The library after she visited Coconut Grove and attended a Pine Needles Club meeting. In 1897, the library occupied a storeroom called the Exchange Library. In the 1900s, Ralph Munroe , the commodore of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, donated land for the construction of a new library, with the condition that the grave of his wife Mrs. Eva Amelia Hewitt Munroe, who died in 1882 would be maintained on

1496-559: The library as a part of the Community Internet Connectivity Initiative Mobile Device Lending Program. MDPLS also became a fine free library system. These programs highlight MDPLS's commitment to serving diverse needs in the community, from educational support to nutritional well-being, making a significant impact on the lives of Miami-Dade County residents. Government of Miami-Dade County The government of Miami-Dade County

1540-459: The library system in huge ways. New ideas and perspectives on accessibility, health practices and employment services were launched. On July 16, 2021, MDPLS launched their Miami-Dade Public Libraries at Your Door program, allowing patrons to receive books in the mail free of charge. In June 2023, the MDPLS announced summer programming aimed at promoting fun, literacy, education, and nutrition. These include

1584-502: The neighborhood following the police shooting of a man. Development was spurred in the area again in the late 1980s with the construction and completion of the Miami Arena and transit-oriented development surrounding the newly opened Overtown station . Since the 1990s and 2000s, community gardens have been created, in addition to renovations to the historic Lyric Theatre and revitalization and gentrification efforts spurred both by

1628-529: The neighborhood for a future, since-named Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami , although the team has since proposed a stadium at a different site in the city. As of 2000, Overtown had a population of 10,029 residents, with 3,646 households, and 2,128 families residing in the city. The median household income was $ 13,211.99. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 74.77% Black , 19.90% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 3.27% White (non-Hispanic) , and 2.05% Other races (non-Hispanic) . Overtown

1672-608: The next eight years. In December 1965, the city of Miami began providing public library service to unincorporated Dade County and municipalities that did not have a library service. Coral Gables , South Miami and the Miami Springs library were included in the system. Four bookmobiles provided library service to the unincorporated area. In 1961, the Dorsey Library was abandoned for the Dixie Park Branch Library, which

1716-537: The preeminent and is the historic center for commerce in the black community in Miami and South Florida . The Overtown Historic Folklofe Village is in the area. It is bound by NW 20th Street to the north, NW 5th Street to the south, the Miami River , Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) , and I-95 (north of the Midtown Interchange ) to the west, and the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and NW 1st Avenue to

1760-477: The site in perpetuity. The library structure was donated by writer and conservationist Kirk Munroe . On October 26, 1900, the Coconut Grove Library Association was incorporated. By March 6, 1901 Miami-Dade County's first library building had been built in Coconut Grove and was occupied. It remained in service until 1957, when it became part of the Miami Public Library. On November 16, 1963,

1804-404: Was a center for nightly entertainment in Miami, comparable to Miami Beach, at its height post-World War II in the 1940s and 1950s. The area served as a place of rest and refuge for black mainstream entertainers such as Count Basie , Ella Fitzgerald , Cab Calloway , Josephine Baker , Billie Holiday , and Nat King Cole who were not allowed to lodge at prominent venues where they performed like

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1848-413: Was authorized for land acquisition and the construction, renovation, equipment and furnishings of public libraries. 1972 was considered the kick start of the “decade of progress” for the library system. Voters approved a bond of $ 553 million initiative to building projects, branches and other beneficial constructions throughout the city. The Miami Beach Public Library and its two branches became part of

1892-560: Was renamed the Culmer/Overtown Branch Library in 1983. On November 1, 1971, the city of Miami transferred its library system to Metropolitan Dade County, which created a new department of libraries. Homestead 's public library joined the county system on January 1, 1975. The Hispanic Branch, Rama Hispanica, opened August 2, 1976 in Little Havana . On November 7, 1972, 14 new libraries were constructed when $ 34.7 million

1936-492: Was the second library opened to serve the African American community in Overtown. It was also the first library built specifically to be a library, and the first library building owned by the city, serving the public until 1961. The Dorsey Memorial Library was then moved to a new larger facility and renamed the Dixie Park Branch Library. In 1942, there were 7 independent libraries. That year all of them merged into one system,

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