Rotary Club members explore Longboat Library — some for first time

No matter how long you’ve lived on Longboat Key, chances are there are a few corners of the island you have yet to explore.

Several members of the Rotary Club of Longboat Key discovered this Feb. 25 while attending the organization’s social gathering at the Longboat Library. Members ate, drank and learned about the library’s services and history.

Gayle Pfirrmann has lived on Longboat Key for 30 years without stepping into Longboat Library — until last week. She’s very active at her condo association, the Islander Club, which has a library of its own. However, she also pointed out that the Islander Club holds about 800 or 900 books. Longboat Library has a circulation of around 10,000 titles, with another 1,000 that can be bought, often for as little as 50 cents.

She also enjoyed the quaintness and friendliness she discovered at Longboat Library.

“I came tonight and I fell in love with this little beautiful place,” Pfirrmann said. “The more we tell [people about this], the more they’ll come.”

Susan Veshosky agreed that many people don’t know about the library; the building is somewhat tucked away on Bay Isles Road, and the sign announcing its presence is small and blends into its surroundings. However, some Rotary Club members had already joined the library, and others decided to become members at the event (membership costs $25 for a year or $350 for life).

Pfirrmann thinks the library holds a Longboat-esque spirit, meaning it’s a place where friends can meet. She heard from many at the event that it is not simply a place to find your next book, but to lounge and read that book.

Longboat Library president Mary Baker kicked off the event by giving a short speech about the library and its history. If you’re curious, the library began as a women’s book club in 1957. But the women wanted to house their collection somewhere other Longboaters could have access to it, and by 1962, they’d raised enough money to construct the building that still stands today.

More important, Baker urged people to stop by and visit, even if it’s just to use the computers or wifi signal. She also answered questions from Rotary Club members.

“One of our focuses in Rotary is education,” Rotary Club of Longboat Key president-elect Brad Marner said. “Generally it’s for children, but all people [need it]. Books, libraries — keeping people active, their minds active, their imaginations active — is important.”