Department of State
Library and Information Services
What is the purpose of the division?
The Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services is the designated information resource provider for Florida government and all state agencies. The division coordinates and helps to fund the activities of public libraries; provides a framework for statewide library initiatives; provides archival and records management services; and preserves, collects, and makes available the published and unpublished documentary history of the state.
How does the Division provide its major services?
The division provides resources and services at the R.A. Gray Building in Tallahassee, the Capitol Branch located in the Capitol, and online.
- State Library of Florida provides reference and research services. Services provided specifically for state employees include interlibrary loans with desktop delivery and remote access to resources that allow access to professional journals, online newspapers, and a variety of other information.
- State Archives of Florida provides on-site public access to its collections and via the Florida Memory website. An online catalog indexes and describes the materials in the many public records series, manuscript collections, and the genealogical collection.
- Library Development provides support to libraries throughout Florida and administers state and federal grants to support and improve their services. The libraries and grants web-based system provides grants management, electronic submission of grant applications, and information for and about Florida libraries.
- Records Management provides professional assistance to state and local government agencies in managing government records and information. The program establishes general records schedules, which set a minimum retention period for public agency records. The program also provides individual and group training sessions on a variety of public records management topics. The program also operates the State Records Center, which offers public agencies low-cost storage, next-day reference service deliveries for paper records, disposal of inactive paper records, and security microfilm and electronic records storage. In addition, the program administers the Capital Post-Conviction Records Repository, which receives, maintains, and indexes copies of public records submitted by law enforcement, investigative or other agencies with custody of records related to capital cases.
What is the difference between the Capitol Branch Library, the State Library, and the State Archives?
- Capitol Branch Library is located on the seventh floor of the Capitol. It provides information and research services to Legislative staff and elected officials. Comprehensive legislative and legal materials are held the State Library.
- State Library is open to the public and its collections include more than one million items in a variety of formats. The circulating book collection covers a wide range of subjects, with areas of concentration in public administration and government, social sciences, education, library and information science, business, and computer applications. The reference collection includes directories, statistical data books, almanacs, encyclopedias, and other standard reference tools. In addition, the Florida publications collection comprises publications from Florida's territorial period to the present, and the federal publications collection has federal publications that relate to interests and concerns of Floridians. The State Library also houses the Florida collection, which is one of the most comprehensive collections of Floridiana that includes books, manuscripts, maps, memorabilia, periodicals, and other items.
- State Archives of Florida collects, preserves, and makes available for research the historically significant records of the state, as well as private manuscripts, local government records, photographs, and other materials that compliment the official state record.
What is the Florida Electronic Library?
Florida Electronic Library (FEL) is a gateway to electronic resources that offer access to comprehensive, accurate, and reliable information. The FEL is available to all Florida residents including students in Florida's K-12 schools, universities, and colleges. The FEL can be accessed 24 hours a day from any location with internet access. There were over 28 million searches and information retrievals within FEL during Fiscal Year 2019-20.
How satisfied are users of the division's services?
In Fiscal Year 2019-20, 98.64% of division customers responding to a survey were satisfied with division services.
How are these activities funded?
The division is funded through general revenue and two trust funds-the Federal Grants Trust Fund and the Records Management Trust Fund. The Federal Grants Trust Fund is authorized by s. 20.105, Florida Statutes, and includes restrictive federal grants used to fund activities within the program. The Records Management Trust Fund is authorized by s. 257.375 Florida Statutes, and is composed of fees collected for the division's records management and archival services.
Fiscal Year: 2021-22
| Title | Fund | Dollars | Positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROGRAM: LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES | |||
| LIBRARY, ARCHIVES AND INFORMATION SERVICES |
42,724,003
|
69.00 |
|
TOTAL |
42,724,003 |
69.00 |
Source: www.transparencyflorida.gov
Updates
Grants to local libraries. In Fiscal Year 2020-21, the total available funding for State Aid to Libraries grants was $17,304,072, which is 10.7% of what would be required for full funding of all eligible libraries. The available funding in Fiscal Year 2020-21 was 26% less than the funding received in the previous fiscal year.
Where can I find related OPPAGA reports?
A complete list of related OPPAGA reports is available on our website.
Where can I get more information?
Other Reports
Multitype Library Cooperative Statistics 2019-2020, Division of Library and Information Services.
Internet Policies & Filtering in Florida's Public Libraries, Division of Library and Information Services, April 2021.
Florida Statewide Digital Initiative Implementation Plan 2018-2020, Division of Library and Information Services, July 2018.
Internet Policies & Filtering in Florida's Public Libraries, Division of Library and Information Services, January 2017.
2018-2019 Public Library Statistics & Ranked Data Tables, Division of Library and Information Services.
Websites of Interest
Florida Library Data and Statistics
Florida Library Association
American Library Association
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey
Society of Florida Archivists
Florida Records Management Association
Society of American Archivists
National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators
ARMA International
Performance Information
Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.
What are the applicable statutes?
Whom do I contact for help?
State Library, 850-245-6600; Capitol Branch Library, 850-245-6612; State Archives, 850-245-6700; Library Development 850-245-6600; Records Management 850-245-6750
