Our libraries are general in nature but also include collections of Seminole and Florida material. Collections include 23,000+titles, numerous periodicals, DVDs, photo collections, and 40 years’ worth of various news articles on the Seminole Tribe, including an archive of the Seminole Tribune.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida provides Community Libraries on four of the six Seminole Reservations. These are Billy Osceola Memorial Library in Brighton, Willie Frank Memorial Library in Big Cypress, Dorothy Scott Osceola Memorial Library in Hollywood, and Diane Yzaguirre Memorial Library in Immokalee.Library services include adult and children’s computers for educational and recreational needs, including Internet service at all Tribal Libraries.
The concept of library services to Tribal members was first introduced at the Brighton Day School in the 1940s. Mr. and Mrs. William Boehmer, employees of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, established the first book collection at the Day School.
In 1985, under the leadership of Winifred Tiger, director of Education, and her assistant, Patricia Jagiel, great strides were taken to improve library services to the Reservations. A professional librarian, Norman H. Tribbett, was hired. Collections were updated, libraries were furnished in an attractive manner and additional Staff were hired.
In recent years the library program has undertaken the task of updating and automating its collection. In addition to a completely electronic catalog, the libraries also offer access to the Florida Electronic Library, a database with access to which thousands of full text articles in magazines, books, radio and television transcription form. Computers for word processing and Internet services and fax services are also available.
The Seminole Tribal Library System is a member of the American Library Association, the American Indian Library Association and a member of the Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN).
Our libraries see over 28,500 patron visits yearly. We take pride in our summer library programs for children, and our libraries serve as research centers for both Tribal and non-tribal individuals.
For a bibliography on books about the Seminole Tribe go to the bibliography page.
BILLY OSCEOLA MEMORIAL LIBRARY
5658 EAST VILLAGE STREET, OKEECHOBEE, FL 34974
PHONE: (863) 763-4236 FAX: (863) 763-0679
CONTACT: Dinorah Marie Johns – e-mail: [email protected]
HOURS: 8AM -5PM MONDAY –FRIDAY (closed noon -1PM)
DOROTHY SCOTT OSCEOLA MEMORIAL LIBRARY
3100 NW 63RD AVENUE, HOLLWOOD, FL 33024
PHONE: (954) 989-6840 FAX: (954) 233-9536
CONTACT: Cecelia Vickers – e-mail: [email protected]
HOURS: 8AM -5PM MONDAY –FRIDAY (closed noon -1PM)
WILLIE FRANK MEMORIAL LIBRARY
30901 JOSIE BILLIE HIGHWAY
CLEWISTON, FL 33440
PHONE: (863) 902-3200 FAX: (863) 902-3223
CONTACT: Claudia Doctor – e-mail: [email protected]
HOURS: 8AM -5PM MONDAY –FRIDAY (closed noon -1PM)
DIANE YZAGUIRRE MEMORIAL LIBRARY
295 STOCKADE ROAD, IMMOKALEE, FL 34142
PHONE: (239) 867-5305 FAX: (239) 658-1163
CONTACT: Dolores Lopez – e-mail:[email protected]
HOURS: 8AM -5PM MONDAY –FRIDAY (closed noon -1PM)