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Meeting Date: _February 10.2016_ Department: Library
Bulk Item: Yes No X Staff Contact /Phone #: Anne Rice 305-292-3594
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Presentation to Tom Hambright, Senior Librarian — Local History for his thirty years of service to
Monroe County.
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BUDGETED:
COST 1 1 OF F41IDS:
NEVENUE PRODUCING:!MONTH. Year
APPROVED BY: County Attorney _ OMB/Purchasing — Risk Management _
DOCUMENTATION: Included Not Required__
iSOSITIO: AGENDAITEM#
Revised 6/15
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Tom Hambright has served the Monroe County Public Library and the entire
Florida Keys community as Local Historian at the Key West Library for the past 30
years. He is acclaimed for his extensive knowledge of the history of Key West and
the Florida Keys, not just throughout Monroe County but throughout the entire
State of Florida.
Before joining the Library staff, Tom served 21 years with the Navy, retiring
with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Following that retirementhe worke4f
as Curator for the Lighthouse Museum and East Martello for three years, where
he expanded his interest in Keys lore and legend.
In his 30 years of Library service, Tom has given presentations on Keys history to
most of the non-profit organizations in the County, from Key Largo to Key West
and is known far beyond this community as the "Keys Historian." In this capaci
he has worked with authors, students, journalists, film producers, and scholars,
sharing his wealth of knowledge, and has appeared on television himself a
number of times. During this time he assisted in the planning for and
construction of a new wing and special vault for the urdque Florida History
collection that he has helped to develop and now carefully oversees, while still
adding new and old items of interest to enhance what has already been gathered.
He was honored as Monroe County Employee of the Year in 1999.
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Salvation Army, and the Key West Art and Historical Society. He has also serves on
the board of the Key West Maritime Historical Society and has published articles in
the Florida Keys Sea Heritage lozirnal and The Florida Genealogist. He has produced the
daily colurnn "Today in Keys History" for the Key West Citizen withhis wife, Lynda,
since 1998, and is a regular contributor to numerous other historical publications.
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Although the Florida History archival collection, under Tom's guidance, has grown
to be an extensive collection of unique materials, Tom's own memory is the real
treasure of the collection. Tom Hambright is an extraordinary ambassador for
Monroe County, a valued colleague to his fellow employees, and a historic treasure
to the community. We are extremely grateful for his 30 years of extraordinary
service on behalf of the Monroe County Library, and look forward to many more.