Sarasota County officials hosted a groundbreaking Monday for a significant expansion of the Fruitville Library, which will feature a new history center.
Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources’ new center will open up residents and visitors to the county’s extensive collection of local and regional history materials and genealogy.
The center will also feature a do-it-yourself digitization lab, public meeting spaces for classes and workshops and a local history exhibit gallery.
Its vast archives, including photos, maps, film, personal records and more, will be stored in an area designed to archival and museum-quality standards.
“As a librarian, it is rewarding to see our Fruitville Library integrated into this project,” said Dr. Renee DiPilato, the county’s director of libraries and historical resources. “The library will be refreshed, expanded and modernized to include a makerspace, a dedicated area for teens and several additional meeting spaces.”
The new center is slated to be complete in the fall of 2026.