Item B3
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
MEETING DATE: 1/17-18/01
DIVISION: COMMUNITY SERVICES
BULK ITEM: NO
DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Presentation of Years of Service Award to Thomas Hambright, Local Historian Librarian,
Public Library - Key West, Community Services Division.
ITEM BACKGROUND: See attached.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: None
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Present award.
TOTAL COST: N/A
BUDGETED: N/A
COST TO COUNTY: N/A
REVENUE PRODUCING: N/A
AMOUNT PER MONTH NEAR:
APPROVED BY: County Attorney N/A
OMB/Purchasing N/A Risk Management N/A
J
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL
DOCUMENTATION: Included XXX
To Follow
Not Required
AGENDA ITEM #
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DISPOSITION:
Since 1985, Tom Hambright has been serving Monroe County Public Library and the
community as our Local Historian. He is acclaimed for his extensive knowledge of
Key West, the Florida Keys and beyond.
Much like a treasure hunter, Mr. Hambright guides library patrons searching for the
arcane, the archaic, and the factual. When helping a patron, Tom never leaves a
stone unturned. He entertains and enlightens local civic groups including the Key
West Women's Club, Zonta International, Rotary Club, and the Maritime Society. He
has assisted local writers, graduate students, tour guides, HBO and Discovery
Channel researchers, set designers, and movie crews, all seeking accurate detail
pertaining to Key West and the Florida Keys. Tom answers hundreds of phone calls
and letters each month from national magazines, businesses and curious minds.
Tom is a regular columnist for the Key West Citizen, Friends of the Library Newsletter
and the Maritime Historical Journal. Nearly every author writing about the Keys
thanks Tom for his assistance on their acknowledgment page. He meticulously
preserves and protects one-of-a-kind photos from the library's collection of over
10,000 images, yet makes them available to everyone to view and reproduce.
Mr. Hambright has also worked with the public school system, encouraging our
young people to take pride and interest in their local history. He patiently serves
Elderhostel, and other visiting groups, as they arrive to the library in busloads, many
of them coming back to visit him each year. A private citizen recently donated
$5,000.00 to the Library in gratitude for Tom's assistance with a research project.
Tom Hambright is an extraordinary ambassador for Monroe County, a wonderful
colleague, and a local treasure.