On Friday, March 14, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to cut funding across several federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which assists each state library system through grants that are distributed by the state to each county library system. On average, Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources receives $300,000 per year from IMLS grants. The library receives county funding, as well, accounting for about $20.2 million in 2025, or 1 percent of Sarasota County’s overall budget.

Sarasota County Libraries uses these funds to serve more than 290,000 library cardholders and maintain its 2.8 million books across 10 community branches, a history center and a mobile library. The library system also employs 160 people, including customer service representative Patricia Pete, who works at the Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library.

Born in Sarasota, Pete, 37, attended Ringling College to study film before moving to South Korea for three years and Japan for one year to teach English. Now she’s back, and though she’s been with Sarasota County Library for just one year, she says working at a library was a childhood dream.

Pete recently spoke with Sarasota Magazine about the Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library and the value it brings to the community. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Why have you always wanted to work for the library?

“Since elementary school, I wanted to be surrounded by books and unique people because that’s where I feel like I fit in. The other day, I looked up my own library card to see when I got it. I’ve had it since 1999. I have memories of getting on the bus every Saturday to go to the library, even when school was out for the summer.”

How do you and other staff feel about potential funding cuts?

“We haven’t discussed potential funding cuts at my customer service level. My hope is that the community will support and advocate for all libraries. People use our many services each day, and to lose even a piece of that would have a big impact.

“The worry is there, but we have been focusing on supporting our community and their needs, instead of focusing on the larger Florida conversation. A lot of our patrons have expressed their worries, as well.

“We manage what we have control over, and that is this library. We always encourage our patrons to speak with our librarians, manager, director or even fill out anonymous comment cards if there is a concern at our branch.”

Besides books, what are the benefits of having a library card?

“There are so many resources. We have language learning, homework help, tutoring, research and small business research assistance. We have a lot of patrons who come here who are running their own businesses, or hoping to open one. If they need grant help, or they don’t know where to start, we can help them use our database; you can search for grants and business plans.

“We have fun stuff, too. We offer Hoopla, a streaming service where you can watch movies and television shows, listen to music or audiobooks and download ebooks. We even have a new app called Comics Plus with thousands of comics—just about anything you can think of. I’ve tried to come up with the most obscure comics to see what the collection is like. All of them were there.

“Because we are nestled between three schools, we have a busy Kid Zone, where we offer activities for the kids to play with their friends while they’re here. We want them to know that this is a safe place for them to come.”

What is most unique to North Sarasota Library?

“Our African American Cultural Resource Center, which is filled with local history about Newtown. It’s run by volunteers and Friends of the Library to encourage the community to learn about this neighborhood, about Sarasota, and its segregation and integration. We currently have an exhibit of the ashes of those who were lynched at different times and in different parts of Florida. It’s powerful. We’re the only county library with this cultural resource.”

Now that you’ve fulfilled your goal of working at the library, what comes next?

“I am on the fence about librarianship. While I decide, though, I want to focus on the best ways I can support my community, especially teens. The teen years are rough and tumble, and I talk to young people who walk through our doors about books, school or just yap about whatever they want.

“I’d like to develop programming that will support them through difficulties, like teaching them what to do with the resources we have. There are books you can read, but how about forming a teen book club? How can we make books enjoyable?

“I think about these kids’ futures, especially how they’re treating one another and strangers. I can figure that out sometimes based on how they might treat a book, or DVD or an animal. We talk about how, if they continue with certain behaviors, they will find the success they want in the future. I want to provide resources for them to learn how to interact with and lean on their community. They’re kids. They can make mistakes. Learn from those mistakes. Have fun. But know that you’re in a safe place.”

What are you reading right now?

“I’m reading The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson. It conveys today’s modern world meeting with a fantastical world, shrouded in a bit of mystery. I have my predictions about the plot, but we shall see.”

Our interview series “In Their Own Words” highlights Sarasota’s diverse population and is brought to you by  Gulf Coast Community Foundation.