Tampa Bay Library Consortium

The Tampa Bay Library Consortium, Inc. (TBLC), with headquarters in Tampa, Florida, is a nonprofit library cooperative that assists hundreds of libraries in the Central and West Florida regions. TBLC serves public libraries, academic libraries, school libraries and special libraries. The TBLC membership serves 6.3 million people in the State of Florida.

The TBLC was created in 1979. There are currently five multi-type library cooperatives in Florida which are organizations that serve libraries in addition to public library systems. The other cooperatives are NEFLIN, PLAN, SEFLIN, and SWFLN.

The TBLC is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It operates with 11 full-time and part-time staff members. TBLC is administered by an executive director and an executive board with 13 members. Board members are elected from member libraries.

TBLC serves its 123 members in 18 Florida counties. These counties include: Citrus, Desoto, Glades, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and Saint Lucie. TBLC membership includes "seven state colleges, three state university system libraries, 35 private academic schools, colleges and universities, four public school systems, and 41 public and 16 special libraries."

The TBLC does not serve patrons directly. Instead, it provides services to member libraries that help them serve their patrons in a manner that is more creative, efficient, and economically cheaper than if the members were to operate individually. In 2005, TBLC offered a group purchase opportunity for member libraries and these libraries became some of the first in Florida to offer downloadable audio books to users. TBLC operates the Ask-A-Libraian program which answered over 83,000 requests last year. Other services include cataloging services, continuing education, interlibrary loan material delivery, the Florida Navigator Program, and e-book purchasing.

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