At the Lakeland Public Libraries

Our Story Begins With You...

Our Mission

Engaging Community. Exploring Knowledge. Enriching Lives.

Our Vision

The Lakeland Public Library will serve our community as inviting spaces for learning and personal enrichment.

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  Lakeland Public Library

   100 Lake Morton Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801

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  The Lakeland Public Library is a member of the Polk County Library Cooperative, an interlocal agreement between 13 municipalities with public libraries and the Board of County Commissioners, enabling all residents of the county, including those in the unincorporated area, to have library services.

  The Lakeland Public Library opened in January 1927 on the shores of Lake Morton. Prior to that time the Woman's Club, organized in 1912, maintained a library city residents could use.  On September 21, 1965, construction for a new building began and formal opening for the new library was on April 20, 1966.  Through the decades, this building has been renovated and expanded to better serve the citizens of Lakeland. 

   

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  Larry R. Jackson Branch Library

  1700 N. Florida Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33805

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  The Larry R. Jackson Branch Library opened in 1995, replacing a small reading room in the City owned Coleman-Bush building. This provided much needed library services for the residents of North Lakeland.

  Originally known as the Lakeland Branch Library, it was renamed the Larry R. Jackson Branch library in 1998 in honor of a local lawyer and civil rights activist who had worked tirelessly for years to bring a branch library to North Lakeland.

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  Kelly Branch Library

  404 Imperial Boulevard, Lakeland, FL 33803

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  Conveniently located inside the Kelly Recreation Complex, the Kelly Branch Library opened in September 2023. 

  The Kelly Branch gives the opportunity for patrons to browse and borrow materials for adults and children, access the Internet, and use Chromebooks available in the facility.  As technology continues to advance, the Lakeland Public Library and Branches continues to evolve and adapt to serve the needs of the citizens of Lakeland and Polk County.