[4] In 1908, the St. Petersburg City Council and concerned citizens began on a journey to get funding for a public library.

Straub (owner of the St. Petersburg Times), and Annie McCrae, (who became the first secretary of the library) in 1913 that the city was awarded a $17,500 grant from the Carnegie Corporation.

Carter, the wife of a pastor, formed an interracial committee, and lobbied the city for funds to open a black library.

William's first act as librarian was to catalog and shelve the 3,000 books brought over from the 4th street reading room.

In one Times article, “Will St. Pete Finish Its Library Undertaking?”[9] McCrae urged the city to use tax dollars to augment the former reading room's meager 3,000 books.

The mission of the library is three-fold, she stated, “It is for information, for recreation, and for inspiration.” Of libraries, she urges, “We cannot accurately trace its influence--it may kindle a train of thought that shall found museums and colleges and hospitals, that shall lead to the production of wonderful inventions that shall inspire noble deed of every kind.

The group was granted a corporate charter in 1949 that allowed them to receive gifts and legacies to be put toward the library.

[15] The restoration was delayed by the discovery of unexpected structural damage and wrangling over the city budget; on January 18, 1994, then-mayor David Fischer cut the ribbon to reopen the refurbished 1915 wing of the library.

The elevator was not yet installed at this point, and handicap access was still an issue because the ground floor entrance and the 1951 wing were closed.

[16] In 1997, the project was completed and library was expanded with an 8,000 square-foot addition designed to blend harmoniously with the historic exterior and an elevator to make all levels handicap accessible.

There are a number of programs offered at the Mirror Lake Community Library and a calendar of events is available on their website.