I agree with the people from Lee. I spent two years down there and used the south library off…read moreGladiolus (I believe it was on Bass.) and the north Fort Myers just over the Edison bridge. Unlike what is left of the Charlotte libraries, I never left a Lee county library empty handed. Unfortunately, I believe the reason for that is the difference in the size of the population. I'm sure Lee gets a much larger amount of funding. So much so that they have enough books to actually seperate them by type, making it easier to find what you're looking for. There is no excuse I can think of to not have a complete set of a series though. Has happened to me enough times that I no longer take out any part of a series. I tend to just be glad we have a library at all considering the state of things today. Overall I believe these people are doing the best they can with what they have to work with.

We recently moved to Charlotte County from Lee and we're disappointed in the limited selection of…read moreBOOKS at the Punta Gorda Library. Just about anything I'm interested in reading is only available electronically. The Biographies and History sections are minimal. Fiction is no better - as an example, they'll have one book from a series of seven, maybe 3 books from a series of 15 and a 32-book series has only 10 books - and they're not in series order. Makes it frustrating.

This marker stands on the property of the Punta Gorda City Hall, a couple of blocks from both…read moreGilchrist Park and the Gilchrist Bridge that crosses the Peace River and connects the city with Port Charlotte. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "A founder of Punta Gorda, he was a resident until his death. Served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1893, 1895, 1903 and was House Speaker in 1905. He resigned as Brig. Gen. of the Florida Militia and enlisted as a Private in the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish-American War. He was discharged a captain. He served as Governor 1909-1913. Was noted for rugged honesty, good humor, and concern for others. Gilchrist County was named for him." It is marker number F-109 and was erected in 1963 by the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials. Gilchrist was born into a family that had been wealthy, but the Civil War and his father's early death left him in what one biography calls relative poverty. He was selling firewood at nine and working as a store clerk for fifteen dollars a month before he ever set foot in Florida. He first came as a civil engineer and surveyor for the Florida Southern Railroad in 1885-1886, saw potential in the young town, and quit the railroad to stake his future there. He wasn't just a founder in the ceremonial sense. He was one of the men who voted to incorporate the town, and he ran for mayor in the very first election, losing by only two votes. [Review 1588 of 2025 - 2169 in Florida - 25138 overall]

Is closed! I think this should be noted on their site! Hope it reopens soon!…read moreI like that it is in a central location and easy to find what I am looking for when it's open! Does anyone have any idea when it will be open for business?

While the entrance is less than desirable- a lot of homeless people in this location - the library…read moreitself is excellent. It's large with a great selection of books. I like how the children's area is separate so the kids can be more playful without disrupting the other areas in the library.

Staff was very helpful and got the job done! The building was very clean and neat. Thank you all…read morefor your help

Excellent efficient service!! All done by a phone call, and honestly I was expecting the opposite…read morefrom experiences long in the past. I was amazed!!

2100th Review The…read moreCircus Bridge is no ordinary bridge although one wouldn't know it's historic significance by merely looking at it or even driving over it, it's played a huge part in the celebration each and every year in Venice for more than three decades as the animals from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey were unloaded from the circus train each winter and marched across this bridge, the crowds that gathered to watch cheered celebrating the end of a long season entertaining the masses with countless performances. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey wintered at the circus arena near the Venice airport which was finally demolished after years of attempts to preserve it in some way; the building's skeleton had remained in place long after the circus left the site behind in the early 1990s. But in its heyday, in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, the arena welcomed thousands of spectators as well as top circus performers, who rehearsed their new shows here. For residents and visitors, the arrival of the circus train was a memorable highlight of each winter season. On January 14, 2017, it was announced that the circus will be closed forever in May 2017 after 146 years of bringing smiles to millions and will lay off more than 462 employees between March and May 2017. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs and loss of the elephants are among the reasons for closing. On May 7, 2017, its "Circus Extreme" tour will be shown for the last time in Providence, Rhode Island. The circus's last performance will be its "Out of This World" tour at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on May 21, 2017 and that my friend will be the end to maybe the grandest entertainment icon ever, but this bridge will remain and continue to be ghostly reminder of the past for those that witnessed it's grandeur at the end of each circus season that's until it too will become obsolete and replaced with a concrete span named after some politician who's grand kids will only read about "The Greatest Show on Earth" but never witness it's magic...

This marker sits quietly at the edge of the Isles Yacht Club parking lot, tucked between the modern…read moremarina and the curve of the Peace River, and it does a good job of reminding you that Punta Gorda's waterfront once looked very different. Before the canals, before the yacht slips, and long before the city became a boating community, this shoreline was the terminus of a railroad that pushed as far south as any tracks in the United States at the time. The Florida Southern Railway chose this spot because deep water came close to shore, making it one of the few places on the lower Gulf Coast where railcars and steamships could meet without elaborate dredging. The marker reads, "On this site, in 1887, ended the southernmost railroad trackage in the U.S. Florida Southern Railway's narrow-gauge tracks ran out on a 4,000 foot "Long Dock," where connections were made to New Orleans, Key West, and Havana steamers of the Morgan Line. Sailing schooners and paddle wheelers were a common sight. Governor Albert Waller Gilchrist, then a young civil engineer, was in charge of construction. The railroad was extended South in 1904." It is marker number F-114 and it was erected in 1964 by the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in cooperation with Punta Gorda Isles, Inc. Today the dock is long gone, but standing by the sign you can still imagine the clatter of railcars rolling out over the water and the steamers waiting to carry Punta Gorda's cargoes across the Gulf. [Review 111 of 2026 - 2232 in Florida - 25301 overall]

Lovely library near downtown Venice. There is also a library out on Jacaranda I haven't been to…read more Theu have events for kids, teens, crafters, adult learners, and book lovers. They habe a nice Friends of Lubrary bookstore. You can reserve the books you want online and then pixk them up from the reserve shelf. Movies too. Audio books. They habe computers. Printing and copying. Not a research library and the Sarasota area library offerings don't match up with Tampa but lots on offer. Well staffed. Comfy and spacious. Newspapers and pamphlets too on the local area and sights. Senior living and shows. I read a book a day. Sometimes two.

Beautiful library in downtown Venice. Very clean and new looking inside and out. The toddler/kid…read moreroom was wonderful, very large with plenty of different books/toys/tables for all. Very kind employees willing to help. We took our 8 month old here for a "Partners in Play" baby group in their community room and it was awesome. Our baby enjoyed it so much.

Anthony gives himself smiley face reviews by reaching over the desk and selecting it for himself…read more He's done it more than once for me and does it for others all the time. I have a problem with a man or anyone taking my voice without my consent. Beware. He tried to gaslight me and claimed that it was because the line would get backed up. There was no one behind me. So he lies, too. I talked to a patient Manager about it... she just told me to not go to him anymore, when I come in. I hope he's being watched and has been reprimanded because his positive reviews are likely self appointed.

Thank you Brian for helping me over the phone despite my confusion about which mail was which, you…read morewere a great help, thank you again!