Lakeland History Room

Formerly Special Collections

Our Collection

The collection features a variety of materials—documents, photographs, maps, building plans, audio/visual media, and scrapbooks with specialty items like citrus crate labels, artwork, yearbooks, posters, and postcards.

View over 7,000 images online via our DIGITAL COLLECTION.

Origins of Lakeland Series

Black and white aerial view of Lake Mirror

Fort Meade native and Lakeland resident Dr. Canter Brown, Jr., is an award-winning historian of Polk County, Florida, and the South. View his eight-part "Origins of Lakeland" series through the links below.

Origins of Lakeland Series Pages:

Part I	Part II	Part III	Part IV
Part V	Part VI	Part VII	Part VIII

Hours:

Mon - Fri 9 am - 5 pm

Saturdays: 10 am - 2 pm

Sun: Closed

**Access to the Lakeland History Room, outside of the current schedule, is coordinated by Librarian LuAnn Mims.**

Lakeland History Room Librarian: LuAnn Mims
Ph: 863.834.4269
Email: luann.mims@lakelandgov.net

D.I.Y. Digitize

Create your own Personal Family Archive and digitize your old home movies, photos, cassettes, slides & negatives so you can easily share them with family and friends.

For information about how to use the lab, please fill out our interest form or contact LuAnn Mims 863.834.4269.

Interest Form

Name *

Email or Phone *

Have you used our equipment before?

Yes
No

What materials would you like to digitize?

Photographs
VHS home movies
Personal Audio Recordings
Other

Popular at the Lakeland History Room

Ancestry.com
Start your family history search here at the library! Ancestry.com offers free access to all library patrons. (In library only)

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Signs of the Time
Our story begins with you...what better way to tell the many stories of Lakeland and its history, than visually by showcasing highlights from our Digital Collection through Flickr.

Check out our featured album:

Signs of the Time

Browse billboards, marquees, and signs across the Lakeland that got your attention and provided information. Enjoy this photographic stroll through some Lakeland signs of the time.

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History Pin - Vanished Lakeland
The Lakeland History Room at the Lakeland Public Library has developed a wonderful collection of photographs, documents, books and artifacts that depict the history of Lakeland and surrounding areas.

View the changes that have been made to Lakeland and many of its buildings using History Pin.

Use the slide bar to unveil what these past Lakeland pictures look like today.

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CONTENTdm

Can't make it to the Lakeland History Room? No problem, we offer over 6,000 images accessible for viewing online via our digital collection provided through CONTENTdm.

This platform allows you to quickly access to a variety of content including photographs, maps, and scrapbooks with specialty items like citrus crate labels, artwork, yearbooks, posters, and post cards.

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