Disaster Recovery Center Now Open

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the state of Florida have opened a local disaster recovery center to help Pinellas County residents who have claims for damages due to Tropical Storm Debby. The center is located in the Park Station business complex, 5851 Park Boulevard in Pinellas Park. The office will be opened from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm seven days a week.

Representatives from FEMA, the state's Emergency Management team, Access Florida, the U.S. Small Business Administration, American Red Cross, Area Agency on Aging, Workforce Pinellas, and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay will be on hand to provide assistance. No appointment is necessary, but claimants are urged to pre-register their claims with FEMA by calling the FEMA toll-free number at (800) 621-FEMA or TTY (800) 462-7585. Telephone lines are answered from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm seven days a week.

Claimants may also register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone or tablet using the FEMA app or by going to m.fema.gov 

Disaster relief is available through FEMA grants for residential or business damages, large or small, sustained during Tropical Storm Debby not covered by insurance, including money for home repairs, rental assistance, medical expenses, unemployment assistance, transportation or other disaster-related expenses, and serious needs. 

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are also available to help with residential and business losses not covered by insurance. Information on SBA disaster loans may be obtained by calling (800) 659-2955 or TTY (800) 877-8339, or by going online to www.sba.gov  

Help in applying for low interest SBA disaster loans or a Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan can be also be found through Pinellas County Economic Development's Small Business Development Center, 13805  58th St. N., Suite 1-200, in Clearwater. Please visit www.pced.org/entrepreneurs or contact Dr. Cynthia Johnson by phone at (727) 464-7445 or email at cyjohnson [AT] pinellascounty.org.

Our DVD Collection Is Growing!

Have you noticed that we have been adding a lot of new DVDs to our collection? That's because the Tarpon Springs Library Foundation has generously provided $10,000 to the Library toward the conversion of the VHS videotape collection to DVDs, beginning with non-fiction.

Don't worry, we're not throwing away the old video tapes! The Friends of the Tarpon Springs Library will be holding a big sale at the end of the summer; the proceeds of which will go toward the purchase of additional DVDs.

New Book Club

Mystery, Murder and Mayhem
is the newest book club at the Tarpon Springs Library.

The group meets on the third Wednesday of every month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Dessert, coffee, and tea are served.

Subgenres the group is interested in include: true crime; women detectives; hard (or soft) boiled PIs; black ops/military murders; mysteries set in Florida; heroes.heroines who solve mysteries; police procedurals; and spies, assassins and terrorists. Bring your ideas for future books for the group to read and discuss.

Celebrating 30 Years of Citizens Alliance for Progress (CAP)

On February 15th, the Tarpon Springs Public Library celebrated the 30th anniversary of Citizens Alliance for Progress (CAP) with a presentation by David Archie, Tarpon Springs Mayor and CAP Executive Director.

Mayor Archie gave a multimedia presentation on CAP's history in Tarpon Springs and discussed the variety of services that Citizens Alliance for Progress provides to the community.

Happy 15th Birthday To Us!

The Tarpon Springs Public Library opened its doors at its current Lemon Street location on January 13, 1997.

Even though there has been a library in Tarpon Springs for about 100 years, we still think this milestone is a cause for celebration.

We are planning some fun activities in the near future to honor this event. Come celebrate with us!

Lower Your Energy Costs

UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension has teamed up with Pinellas County libraries to offer a new energy conservation program called the Kill-a-Watt campaign. The goal is to help residents lower their home energy use -- and save money on electric bills -- by being more aware of energy consumption. Kill-a-Watt EZ Power Meters are now available for 14-day check-out at all Pinellas County public libraries. These devices monitor how much energy is used by the electronic devices in your home, allowing you to know which appliances are costing the most to operate or keep plugged in.