Background

     The Marion County Public Library System provides public library services to the residents of Marion County, Florida. The Library System is comprised of interdependent libraries and collections designed to make its total resources readily available and accessible to the community.

     In 1961 the City of Ocala, Citrus County and Levy County formed the Central Florida Regional Library. The City of Ocala operated and funded virtually all library service in Marion County until 1964, when Marion County, with existing libraries in Belleview and Dunnellon, joined the Library System. Citrus County left the Library System in 1987. On Oct. 1, 1997, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners became the governing body of the Marion County Public Library System. By an interlocal agreement, library personnel continued to be administrated by the City of Ocala until October 1999, when they became Marion County employees. Also in October 1999, the Levy County Board of Commissioners created the independent Levy County Public Library System.

     Operations for the Marion County Public Library System are funded by Marion County ad valorem taxes. The Library System also receives funds from various grants, miscellaneous fines and fees and an annual State Aid to Libraries grant from the State of Florida.

Services

     The residents of Marion County are served by the Headquarters-Ocala location and Sankofa branch in Ocala and branches in Belleview, Dunnellon, Forest Corners, Fort McCoy, Marion Oaks, Reddick and southwest Marion County, where Freedom Public Library is located. (Click here for library hours and locations.)

     The Library System offers a collection of more than half-a-million volumes in nine library locations. A broad-based print and non-print collection makes the Marion County Public Library, Headquarters-Ocala the major public library resource in the Library System. The smaller collections of the community branch libraries are planned to satisfy the most general and frequent needs of the residents. Public access computers and Wi-Fi are available at each public library branch.

     The Library System is bordered by Alachua, Levy, Citrus, Sumter, Lake, Putnam and Volusia counties. Of these, the Library System has reciprocal borrowing agreements with Alachua, Lake, Levy and Citrus counties which allow citizens from Marion County to obtain a free library card in the respective counties and vice versa.