In the mid-80s, the community foresaw the need to establish a new library in east Venice. Sarasota County voters approved a one-cent optional sales tax levy in 1989. Penny tax revenues resulted in a ten year capital improvement program, which included plans for a library to be built in 1994/5. The county already owned appropriate acreage on Jacaranda Blvd. north of US Highway 41. Frances Bourne persuaded the Board of County Commissioners to prioritize library construction vis-à-vis other projects and to build a larger structure than was first proposed. Construction stayed on schedule and the 12,500 sq. ft. Jacaranda Public Library was dedicated and opened on January 25, 1994. In October 1995, the library added Frances T. Bourne to its name in honor of Ms. Bourne’s passionate advocacy and support. After several years, growth and development in the service area surpassed the library’s ability to keep pace with demand. A capital improvement project that merged state and county funds, private donations, grants, and other funding streams supported an ambitious goal of doubling the library’s size*. Renowned Sarasota architect Carl Abbott drafted the building plan for a 25,000 sq. ft. facility. With renovation and expansion complete the library reopened to the public in August 2004. The Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library employs 14 full-time equivalent staff members and maintains a dedicated volunteer corps of approximately 80 year round and seasonal residents. Frances T. Bourne is remembered for selfless devotion, a keen intellect, and a caring manner. An abbreviated list of her volunteer efforts includes the following:  Community champion of and key fundraiser for original library building project.  Founding mother and president of the Friends of the Jacaranda Public Library, Inc.  Delegate to the Florida Governor's Conference on Library and Information Services in 1990 and only representative from this area at the subsequent White House Conference in 1991.  Member of the Sarasota County Library Advisory Board, and other local committees too numerous to mention.  *Contributors to the library renovation and expansion project include the following:  Sarasota County  State of Florida  Friends of the Jacaranda Public Library, Inc.  Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice  Plantation Community Foundation  Lions Club of Venice Private donors throughout the community