By Ray Reyes
The Tampa Tribune

PLANT CITY - When Bruton Memorial Library closes its doors May 7 for an interior makeover that will take two weeks, something else will open in the building’s community meeting room: a sale.

Shelves from the original library, outdated but still functional audio-visual equipment, end tables, sofas and other pieces of furniture will be available for purchase, said Library Director Anne Haywood.

A card catalog from the late 1960s or early 1970s will be sold in a silent auction. If it was new, it would sell for between $3,000 and $5,000, Haywood said.
“It’s a gem,” Haywood said. “It’s a special piece.”

Library staff and volunteers will move sections, shelves and about 110,000 materials to maximize space and streamline operations for checking out materials in the 19,800-square-foot building.

Haywood said the $90,000 makeover is a temporary solution to the library’s space squeeze. The city is in the planning stages of doubling the library’s size to about 40,000 square feet within the next five years.

During the makeover, a limited check out of materials will be available and patrons will be able to place items on hold. The library reopens May 21.

The sale will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 7 to 11, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 12 in the library’s Mary Noel Moody Community Room. For information, call (813) 757-9215.

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