Library cards are provided at no charge to those who reside, own property, attend school, or work in Manatee County.

[2] In 1963, a plan was approved for a countywide system which allowed the cities of Bradenton and Palmetto to join with Manatee County.

OCLC has become a vital part of the information infrastructure that supports research, scholarship, and learning around the world.

[citation needed] In 1992, a text-only computer was added to the libraries that was connected to the Bradenton Herald newspaper and had access to the index software.

In 2000, the Central Library gained twelve Windows-based PCs in the second-floor computer lab, thanks to a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Throughout the 2010s, other technology was brought to the library, such as iPads, PCs, laptops, e-readers, and Wifi systems to enhance patrons' experience.

The Eaton Room is a collection of local and state historic materials housed in the Manatee Library System's Central Branch.

Yearbooks from local schools, telephone books, city directories, oral interviews, and archival negatives from the Manatee County Historical Society were later added.