Sunset Beach Concert Series

Looking for something to do this summer that is fun and free? Some Tarpon Springs residents say there is nothing better than listening to live music on the beach, watching the sun set and the moon rise, while couples stroll, children play, families enjoy picnics and the stars come out.

Concerts at Sunset Beach are scheduled once a month around the full moon, making for beautiful night skies. All concert times are 7:00 to 9:00 pm on Thursdays, unless rescheduled due to inclement weather. [map/directions]

A free shuttle bus is available for transportation between Tarpon Springs High School and Sunset Beach. Pets and alcoholic beverages are not allowed. A variety of concession items are available for sale at each concert. Here's the best part...admission is FREE! Special thanks to sponsor Sun Toyota!

• Feb 28 - Southland (Classic Rock) and Bonfire
• March 21 - Straight Up Blues Band (Rock/Blues)
• April 18 - Tarpon Springs High School Jazz Band
• May 23 - De Lei'ed Parrots (Parrot Head Music)
• June 20 - Crystal Beach String Band (Bluegrass/Folk)

Concerts at Sunset Beach are presented by the Tarpon Springs Recreation Department. Please call Daniela Smyth at (727) 942-5628 for further information.

Changes in Library Fines

Effective January 2, 2013, the Tarpon Springs Public Library's daily overdue fine for library materials (except DVDs) will be 20 cents per item.

The daily overdue fine for DVDs will be reduced to 50 cents per item.

For all library materials including DVDs, the maximum overdue fine for Tarpon Springs Public Library will remain at $5.00 per item.

Please note that these changes apply to new fines that accrue beginning January 2, 2013, and do not apply retroactively to existing fines on patron accounts.

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.

OverDrive E-Books Now on Kindle!

The Tarpon Springs Public Library is excited to announce that its eBook collection is now compatible with the world’s bestselling eBook reader, the Amazon® Kindle. Patrons can now download popular and classic eBooks to a Kindle device or any mobile device running the free Kindle app, such as iPhone®, iPad®, Android™, and more.

The library also offers eBooks and audiobooks for use on a PC or Mac computer and popular mobile devices such as a Smartphone, MP3 player, and eBook reader like the Barnes & Noble® Nook™ and Sony® Reader.

Kindle users can browse our collection of bestselling and classic eBooks from a PC or Mac computer, check out titles using a library card, and select “Get for Kindle” to deliver eBooks to their Kindle device or any device running the free Kindle app. Users who enjoy eBooks on Kindle will benefit from Amazon’s Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps.

To get started, visit http://pplc.lib.overdrive.com

Download songs that are yours to keep!

The Tarpon Springs Public Library is now offering free downloadable music provided through the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative (PPLC). This new service is available countywide to PPLC library card holders.

Visit Freegal for thousands of recordings from the Sony Music Entertainment catalog. Log in to Freegal Music with your valid PPLC library card number and PIN (usually the last 4 digits of your phone number) and begin downloading. You can download up to three songs a week to your iPod, MP3Player, iPad and more. Your counter will set back to zero each Monday morning. Then, you can download three more tunes during the new week.

Click here to get started

Click here for Freegal Helpful Hints and FAQs

State Aid to Public Libraries Funded at $21.3 Million – Library Supporters Did It Again!!!

The Florida Senate and House Budget Chairs approved funding State Aid to Public Libraries at $21.3 million, which is actually an increase of $100,000 over the current year!

Thank you very much to all of you who contacted state legislators and leaders in support of State Aid! The thousands of e-mails, phone calls, and letters they received from library supporters across Florida really made a difference. This is the third year in a row that library supporters have helped to maintain funding for State Aid to Public Libraries.

An easy way to thank legislators for including this funding in their budget and Governor Scott, who supported State Aid in his budget earlier this year, is through the Florida Library Association's CapWiz service at http://capwiz.com/ala/fl using the “Take Action” button.

Thank you once again!

Trauma-Informed Care Resources Available

The City of Tarpon Springs has begun an initiative called Peace4Tarpon to address trauma and reduce its impact on the community.

Trauma can result from experiences of violence; physical, sexual, and institutional abuse; neglect; and disasters that induce powerlessness, fear, recurrent hopelessness, and a constant state of alertness. Unresolved trauma becomes a societal issue when victims' lives spiral into situations of substance abuse, incarceration, or homelessness.

Trauma-Informed care is based on the understanding that the impact of violent experiences and damaging relationships affects the survivor's physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and economic well-being.

Trauma-Informed resources are now available to the community:

• The Behavioral Health Education and Training Academy has prepared an extensive webliography of online resources.
• The Tarpon Springs Library has prepared a brochure containing an annotated bibliography of recommended books in the library and selected websites on preventing or helping children with difficult or traumatic experiences.

Enhance Your Web Surfing

PC Magazine has released its special report on their Top 100 Web Sites of 2010. The sites are divided into several areas of interest: Apps, Fun, Info, News, Shopping, Social, and Tech. They list both the classic sites that many of us already use, as well as some undiscovered gems.

Audré Mossberg Honored

Mrs. Audré Mossberg was honored on February 3, 2011, for her contributions through more than 30 years of outstanding volunteer service and dedication to the community of Tarpon Springs.

A plaque which recognizes Mrs. Mossberg now hangs in the Friends of the Library Room in the Tarpon Springs Public Library.

Snapshot: A Day in the Life of Florida Libraries

On Tuesday, January 25, 2011, Tarpon Springs Public Library and the other Pinellas Public Library Cooperative libraries participated in Snapshot: A Day in the Life of Florida Libraries. This statewide project illustrated the importance of libraries for Florida's citizens through the collection of stories, statistics and photographs. We joined libraries across the state in conducting special events, collecting statistics and comments, and taking pictures showing how Floridians are utilizing their libraries that day. The information and photos will soon be posted online where everyone can see and share the joy and fun of libraries throughout Florida. Stay tuned!