LibGuides: Special Collections Center: Primary Sources for Artists and Designers

Contact Information

Schedule a Viewing Appointment
specialcollections@c.ringling.edu

Sign-up for a Special Collections Research Consultation
https://calendly.com/goldstein-library/45-minute-appointment-with-special-collections-center

Cheri Marks (she, her) MFA, MSI
Special Collections Curator and Archivist

Cmarks@ringling.edu

941- 359-7583

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Sarasota Resources

The Elling O. Eide Center
Asian Studies collection containing rare books, archives, special collections, manuscripts, maps and prints, decorative arts and artifacts, Chinese and Japanese scrolls and screens.
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8000 South Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL, 34231

Phone: (941) 921-4304
Email: info@ellingoeiede.org or librarian@ellingoeide.org

Hours (Library not open to the public at this time)
Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Mote Marine Laboratory's Arthur Vining Davis Library & Archives
Marine research library with archives containing photos, architecture and schematics of the aquarium and Longboat Key development. An ideal place to conduct marine and ecological research.
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1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL, 34236

The Library and Archives are open to the public for study and exploration Monday through Friday. Appointments are suggested for library visitors and required for archival tours. For further information call (941) 388-4441, extension 333.

The Ringling Museum Library & Archives
Art library with resources from the 16th to the 21st centuries, including fine art, decorative art, art history, architecture, fashion, and theater. Also has an archive with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus collection, the Ringling family papers, museum records, and photographic collections.
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5401 Bay Shore Road
Sarasota, FL, 34243

Phone: (941) 941-5700 ext. 2700

Hours (closed on all state holidays)
Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sarasota County Department of Historical Resources
Repository of all things related to Sarasota county history. The collections include architectural drawings, plans, and blueprints, an aerial photograph collection, and the "Works on Paper" collection of original art, posters, and documents.
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6062 Porter Way
Sarasota, FL 34232

Phone: (941) 861-5000
Fax: 941-861-6893
Contact: Larry Kelleher at lkelleher@scgov.net or call 941-861-5000

Research and Library Hours
Monday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Tuesday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wednesday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday - Closed for Research (or by appointment only)

Sarasota Music Archive at the Selby Library
Collection of music and audio in mixed formats.
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Selby Public Library
1331 First Street
Sarasota, FL, 34236
Second Floor

Phone: (941) 861-1168
Fax: (941) 316-1251

Selby Gardens Research Library
Library with an ecological focus. Contains rare books, a botanical print collection, a photographic slide collection, an illustration file, a map file, a historical archive for the gardens, architectural drawings for the gardens, and a spirit collection of plant specimens.
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Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
900 S. Palm Avenue • Sarasota, FL 34236

The Research Library is open most Monday Mornings from 9 a.m. – Noon and Friday afternoons from 1 – 4 p.m. For further information, call (941) 366-5731 x 248.

Bradenton Resources

Manatee County Historical Records Library
Library with resources related to Manatee county, including aerial maps, historical maps, plat maps, and the Herb Loomis Manatee County Postcard Collection.
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1405 Fourth Avenue West
Bradenton, FL, 34205

Phone: (941) 741-4070
Fax: (941) 708-5926
Email: Cindy.Russell@manateeclerk.com

Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Manatee County Historical Resources Library is closed New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, President’s Day, Memorial Day Weekend, 4th of July Holiday, Labor Day Weekend, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Weekend, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
Museum with a focus on science, nature, and all eras of South Florida history. The collections contains archaeological materials, a Patron's Gallery of Decorative Arts, and a Visible Storage Gallery displaying objects related to paleontology, archaeology, decorative arts, textiles, ethnography, minerals, and shells. The museum also has a life-size interactive backyard for children, a fully digital planetarium, and a manatee rehabilitation center.
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201 10th Street West
Bradenton, FL, 34205

Phone: (941) 746-4131
Fax: (941) 747-2556

Hours (seasonal - paid admission)
Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

The Museum is CLOSED on Mondays and CLOSED the 1st Saturday in November, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day

Venice Resources

Venice Museum & Archives
Collection dedicated to the history of Venice, Laurel, Nokomis, and Osprey. It contains, photographs, library materials, and objects (fossils, clothing and textiles, furniture, ephemera, fine art, and other historical artifacts).
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351 Nassau Street South
Venice, FL, 34285

Phone: (941) 486-2487
Fax: (941) 480-3590
Email: James Hagler, Director of Historical Resources, jhagler@venicegov.com, R. Rogers, Administrative Coordinator, rrogers@venice.gov

Hours (some extended seasonal hours)
Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
1st and 3rd Saturday, October - April 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

St. Petersburg Resources

Dali Museum Library
Museum research collection that around Salvador Dali, Surrealism, and the Avant-garde. Items housed there include exhibition and sale catalogs, video and sound recordings on Dali's life and other artists and genres within the Surrealist and Avant-garde movements. The Special Collections contain rare books, collectible books, photographs, magazines, and clippings.
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One Dali Blvd.
St. Petersburg, FL, 33701

Phone: (727) 823-3767
library@thedali.org

Hours (student discounts offered)
Daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Thursdays until 8 p.m.
Last ticket sold at 5:15 p.m.
7:45 p.m. on Thursdays
Museum Store and Gardens open 30 minutes after closing

The Library is open to scholars and researchers who have a specifically-defined project. To schedule an appointment or for more information, please complete our inquiry form below or contact The Dali Museum’s Librarian, Shaina Buckles Harkness at library@thedali.org. Research questions must fall within the purview of The Dali Museum Library’s collection. Please include detailed information about your inquiry within the form.

Resource Center at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art - St. Petersburg College
Resource center with collections of books, archives, print and AV materials related to LRMA's history and collections. The Center also has a collection of 20-21st century art books, an art library with reference materials, rare antiquarian books, first editions, and signed editions. These resources can be made available to researchers by appointment.
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600 E. Klosterman Road
Tarpon Springs, FL, 34689
Phone: (727) 712-5762
lrma@spcollege.edu

Hours (student discounts offered)
Closed Monday
Tuesday - Wednesday 10:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closed July 4
USF St. Petersburg's Nelson Poynter Memorial Library Special Collections
Library with Special Collections on Florida history, rare books, photographs, cartoons, LGBTQ+ topics, local underground newspapers, and sheet music.
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140 7th Ave. South
St. Petersburg, FL, 33701

General Library Phone: (727) 873-4405
Special Collections: Jim Schnur 727-873-4094, schnur@mail.usf.edu

Hours (vary on holidays and breaks)
Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Tampa Resources

Henry B. Plant Museum
Museum housed within the University of Tampa, contains collections of ephemera from the old Tampa Bay Hotel, Plant railroads and steamships, the Spanish-American War, newspapers, photographs, brochures, postcards, timetables, marketing materials, and books. The permanent exhibits contain sculptures, Gilded age interior design decor and furniture.
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401 W. Kennedy Boulevard
Tampa, FL, 33606

Phone: (813) 254-1891
Contact Susan Carter at (813) 258-7303 or scarter@ut.edu for research inquiries

Museum Hours
Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday Noon - 5 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day and Thanksgiving

Tampa Bay History Center
Museum and research center focusing on Tampa Bay. Contains a collection of Florida history literature, rare books, maps, microfilm, ephemera, prehistoric artifacts, paintings, textiles, utilitarian ceramics, postcards, furniture, cigar ephemera, and the Lamar Sparkman collection (an artist and cartoonist for the Tampa Times and Tampa Tribune).
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801 Old Water Street (formerly St. Pete Times Forum Drive)
Tampa, FL, 33602

Phone: (813) 228-0097
Email: info@tampabayhistorycenter.org

Hours (paid admission to the museum, student discounts offered)
Open Daily from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Holiday Hours: New Years Eve & Christmas Eve 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

To conduct research - Witt Research Center: The Witt Research Center is open by appointment only. Please contact Bill Harris at (813) 204-2630 to schedule your visit. We request that appointments be scheduled at least three days in advance of your visit.

University of Tampa - Macdonald-Kelce Library
Library that houses collections on the history of the university, rare books, manuscripts, photographs, ephemera, and maps.
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401 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL, 33606-1490

Phone: (813) 253-6231
Fax: (813) 258-7426
Contact Art Bagley with any questions about the library: abagley@ut.edu

Library Hours
Monday - Wednesday 8 a.m.-1 a.m.
Thursday 8 a.m. - midnight
Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. - midnight
USF Tampa Special Collections
Special Collections with many subject areas, including the Florida Studies Center collection, the LGBT Collection, a children's and young adult literature collections, science fiction and fantasy collections, the Holocaust and Genocide studies collection, book arts and fine press printing collections, art collections, and digital collections.
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4202 E. Fowler Avenue
LIB 122
Tampa, FL, 33620

Reading room: (813) 974-2731
Library: (813) 974-2729

Reading Room Hours
Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday Closed

Special Collections Center: Primary Sources for Artists and Designers

Local Special Collections & Archives

Contact Information

Sarasota Resources

Bradenton Resources

Venice Resources

St. Petersburg Resources

Tampa Resources