Submit your Recipes, Oldsmar!

     In anticipation of the City of Oldsmar's Centennial in 2016, the Friends of the Oldsmar Library are preparing a cookbook of recipes from current & former Oldsmar residents! Entries can be submitted now through June 1, 2015.
     You can submit a recipe through this online form, or by picking up a paper form from the Circulation Desk at the Oldsmar Library.

• You must be a current or past resident of the City of Oldsmar to submit a recipe
• Paper entries are to be dropped off at the Oldsmar Library
• All recipes will be given to the Friends of the Library who will decide which recipes will be included in the Centennial Cookbook
• There is no limit to the number of recipes that each person can submit
• Final selections will be notified by phone or e-mail
• The Oldsmar Centennial Cookbook will be available for purchase beginning in January 2016.

Little Free Library

We're pleased to announce that our first Little Free Library has been installed in front of Cypress Forest Recreation Center on Pine Avenue!

A Little Free Library is a free book exchange where users are encouraged to "take a book, leave a book". Library staff will fill the library initially & check it periodically, but all are welcome to help make sure it's stocked.

Little Free Library & entrance of Cypress Forest Rec Center

The box was paid for by the Friends of the Oldsmar Library, and we were lucky enough to have talented local artist Chelsea Cadwallader volunteer her time to paint it.  We are thrilled with the colorful and whimsical design!  You can see more pictures of the Little Library and of Chelsea's other work on her Facebook page. Chelsea is the daughter of Library Circulation Coordinator Darlene Cadwallader.

Artist Chelsea Cadwallader (L) with Bert Weber, Library Director

The Friends plan to purchase a second Little Free Library, and Library Director Bert Weber will soon be searching for another local artist who would be willing to donate their time to paint it.

February Pet Food for Fines

During the month of February, the Oldsmar Library will accept pet food (bags or cans), pet toys & blankets for late item fines.

Each item = $1 applied to overdue fines only, not to fees for lost or damaged items.

Please bring your pet items to the Library's Circulation desk.  You can call them with any questions at 813-749-1173

Items will go to the Pinellas County Humane Society.

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Also as part of our Love Your Pet month, we'll be hosting the Mobile Pet Vaccination Bus on Saturday, February 28 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM in our parking lot.

We are happy to be hosting the Affordable National Mobile Pet Vaccination clinic services for the first time! National Pet Vax mobile facilities visit many convenient locations throughout the west coast of Florida, offering you competitive pricing and quality vaccination services from a professional, courteous and highly experienced staff. They offer a full range of vaccinations, heartworm medications, and flea control products. They can accommodate that adorable new puppy or kitten as well as your beloved senior dog or cat.

Literary Classics Online Book Club from Recorded Books/One Click Digital

Recorded Books, the largest independent publisher of unabridged audiobooks and provider of digital content to the library market, announces the launch of a new online book club, The Literary Classics.

The book club launches in January with Hamlet.

This online book club is tailored for people who enjoy reading and talking about classic literature. Six books are selected each year for reading and discussion. Although all of the titles chosen for The Literary Classics are available to libraries free of charge through the OneClickdigital platform, patrons can participate in the online discussion regardless of where they sourced their reading materials.  (*Note, Oldsmar Library only subscribes to the digital audiobook service from OneClickDigital, but the books they are selecting are in the public domain & free ebooks are available elsewhere, such as from OverDrive or Project Gutenberg)

Each book is featured for a two  month period. During the first month, participants read the book while checking out fun facts about the title on the club’s social - media outlets. The second month is prime time for discussion, discourse, and debate with questions on Facebook, Twitter, and the blog.

For assistance with using OneClickDigital, please call us at 813-749-1181.

New Clubs forming @ Oldsmar Library

We have two new groups looking for members!  

The first is a new Writers Group.  An informational meeting will be held on Saturday, October 4 from 10 am to noon in the Rotary Literacy/Conference Room inside the Library.

The second is a Spanish Language Learning Conversation Group, a place for people at all levels of learning Spanish to practice their conversation skills They are hoping to meet twice monthly on the first & third Mondays beginning October 6 at 6:30 pm in the Rotary Literacy/Conference Room.

No registration is needed for either group, but please call 813-855-5006 with any questions.

The Art of Being Floridian exhibit

We are happy to be hosting the Art of Being Floridian exhibit throughout August, a traveling exhibit of artist-painted plastic flamingos courtesy of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

The flamingos support their Be Floridian campaign which promotes Gardening Like A Floridian - including reducing the use of summer fertilizers, to protect our bays, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico.

The exhibit features 25 plastic flamingos, vibrantly and inventively painted by 20 artists from throughout the Tampa Bay region.  The painted birds, nestled in their environmental planters, are accompanied by a poster to acknowledge the artists who donated their talents and time.

To see the Fabulous Flamingos, please stop by our Childrens Department!

For more photos and information on the exhibit, visit the Be Floridian Facebook page or their Pinterest board.

Don't forget to visit the Be Floridian website for ideas on how to skip the fertilizer and have a great, Florida-friendly yard this summer!

Small Business Counseling with SCORE

SCORE business counselors provide experienced, unbiased, face to face business mentoring to small business owners & new entrepreneurs. Whether you're looking to fine-tune an existing business or achieve that new business start-up you've been dreaming about - SCORE is willing to help.


A business counselor from the Pinellas county chapter of SCORE is at the Oldsmar Library on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 10am to Noon & 1:00-3:00pm. To schedule a free 1 hour appointment call the Library's Reference desk at (813) 749-1181 or sign-up in person.


Pinellas County SCORE is a non-profit association & resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)


For more information about SCORE see http://www.pinellascounty.score.org