The library was originally designed to lessen patron traffic at the Brandon Regional Library, which was the busiest library in the
Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System, at the beginning of the 21st century.In its early stages of development, the Bloomingdale Library was often referred to as the South Brandon Library because it was expected to serve people in the
FishHawk,
Bloomingdale,
Valrico, and
Lithia areas. Though several sites were proposed for the creation of the library, the Hillsborough County Commissioners narrowed down their selection to two locations. One was across the street from Lithia Springs Elementary School on Lithia Pinecrest Road, while the other was next to
Bloomingdale High School on Bloomingdale Avenue. Though there were concerns regarding possible traffic congestion on Bloomingdale Avenue, the commissioners ultimately chose the latter. This site was attractive for cost-saving reasons, as a member of the McLean family offered to discount the acreage with an additional free acre. Proposed blueprints for the library allowed for 15,000 square feet, with the possibility of adding another 10,000 later. The space included a 3,770 square foot reading room, a 1,150 square foot children's room, and a 940 square foot community collaboration room. Additional space was dedicated to meeting rooms and reading areas. With a holding of 53,000 books upon its day of opening, as well as thirty-five internet-accessible computers and the inclusion of free WI-fi, the Bloomingdale Library cost a total $4.5 million. The library had a soft opening on February 7, 2005, and officially started service on February 10. Within a few months of opening, the Bloomingdale Library became the new home of the
Greater Brandon Genealogy Society. The library specifically dedicated a genealogical research room with five computers that were directly linked to the
John F. Germany Public Library's genealogical websites. In return for the genealogical center, the Greater Brandon Genealogy society offered to provide free tutoring for anyone interested in uncovering his or her family background. The genealogical center at Bloomingdale was the second in the county, with the John F. Germany acting as the only other center at the time of the former's creation. The Bloomingdale Library was expanded by an additional 10,000 square feet in 2013, thereby making it a regional library. This additional space was geared towards creating a larger children's room, community rooms, seating for studying, a larger
Friends of the Library bookstore, and areas for technology and teen activities. A new vending cafe for patrons was also part of the $2.1 million expansion. In the year before the expansion, the library circulated over 660,000 books and other multimedia. The library took advantage of federal funding to purchase an electric
charging station for electric cars. Cooking oil recycling stations are available at some library locations countywide. ==Friends of the Library==