It’s National Library Week! Dorothy Dodd served as State Librarian from 1952 until 1965. She was also Florida’s first State Archivist.

Throughout her tenure at the State Library of Florida, Dr. Dodd actively preserved valuable Florida records and documents. With her foresight and knowledge of the state and its history, she built a collection of outstanding scope and depth. She is credited with assembling more than 15,000 cataloged items in the Florida Collection of the State Library of Florida.

Dr. Dorothy Dodd and student flattening documents (1953)

Although there was no money for the archives, she managed to rescue from destruction and organize 260 linear feet of territorial and state records and manuscript collections.

These records included negatives from a Tallahassee photographer’s attic and original reports of Florida’s role in the state and federal vote-fraud investigations surrounding the contested 1876 Hayes-Tilden presidential election.

Dorothy Dodd long jumping during field day in Tallahassee, Florida (1920)

Nominated by former Governor LeRoy Collins, she was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame in 1986.

It’s National Library Week, so don’t injure that book!

These rules and regulations come from the Library of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Dunedin, Florida circa 1915.

Broadside from the Library of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Dunedin, Florida

1st. Any person may become entitled to the privileges of this Library on payment of twenty-five cents, quarterly, in advance.

2nd. No person shall be allowed to keep a book over two weeks without paying a fine of five cents for each additional week.

3rd. No person will be allowed to draw a book until the one previously drawn has been returned.

4th. Any person injuring, or failing to return a book will be held responsible for the same.