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57-558: The first library in Brevard County was founded in 1895 in Cocoa, FL . One room was rented for five dollars a month, and women in the community would take turns volunteering to run it. The books and supplies were donated by local citizens. By 1959, four other libraries were established in the county, and Florida Statute 150 gave funding to these libraries in agreement that they would serve all residents. The first five public libraries in

114-766: A Creative Lab. The lab, which is in the Central Brevard Library in Cocoa, encourages STEM subject education by providing a space and the technology for creative engineering, electronics, music, video, and computer projects. A music recording studio, sound engineering station, and 3D printer is housed in the Creative Lab, and local experts teach classes for residents. Resources include two 3-D printers; Adobe Creative Cloud; maker kits that include littleBits electronic building blocks and Raspberry Pi boards, or small computers often used in do-it-yourself projects;

171-515: A budget of over $ 100,000 per year, which is used to care for the building and supplement the county budget. The F. T. DeGroodt Public Library was completed in June 1992 and is a 22,300 square foot facility which was built in the western area west of 1–95 in Palm Bay. The original Palm Bay Public Library was then renovated and remained open to serve the residents in the northeast area of Palm Bay. With

228-645: A high school education or higher. Tourism is high in the downtown historic business district. Cruise passenger tourists come from Port Canaveral on excursions or day trips. In addition, tourists are attracted to the historic sites and local attractions such as the Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science , the Eastern Florida State College Planetarium and Observatory , Historic Cocoa Village, Indian River Queen (excursion boat), Indian River Drive scenic by-pass,

285-589: A library. It was first housed in a trailer within a parking lot with books donated through a community book drive. To raise funds, the legislature asked for a tax district, and a referendum was held, leading to the establishment of the Merritt Island Library Tax District. The first tax district board was appointed by Gov. Hayden Burns on December 30, 1965. The library moved to the Civil Defense Building in 1966, which

342-680: A mail service which provides standard library materials to patrons through a mail order catalog. The Books by Mail program of the Brevard County Library System started in November 1983 and is still popular today, mailing over 5,000 books a month. This program is second in the State of Florida with only Orange County besting them. DVDs and Blu-ray discs are also popular items available for loan. Downloadable audio books and ebooks are available through Brevard County Libraries in

399-595: A partnership with LexisNexis to provide the LexisNexis Digital Library, a customized eLending platform for the legal library market. Nokia partnered with OverDrive to launch Nokia Reading, an eReading app and service for Nokia's Lumia 900, 800, 710, and 610 Windows Phone devices. In 2014, OverDrive completed its headquarters in the Cleveland suburb of Garfield Heights, Ohio . In April 2015, Rakuten bought OverDrive for $ 410 million, with

456-825: A program called OverDrive with online instructions and selections for compatible audio and eBook devices. Books are now also offered in a MP3 format as well, compatible only on MP3 enabled devices. In a more modern effort to reach patrons, some libraries in Brevard have created Instagram accounts, including the Eau Gallie Public Library, the Titusville Public Library, and the Satellite Beach Public Library. These social media accounts market library programs online, reaching younger patrons especially. In addition,

513-410: A reasonable length of time or who cannot hold a book, turn pages, or focus due to muscle or nerve deterioration or paralysis. The library offers a variety of titles, including best sellers, Westerns, mysteries, romances, classic novels, juvenile books, biographies, and other non-fiction titles. Patrons also receive a local newsletter with items of interest and/or service. Homebound patrons are served by

570-530: A sewing machine; a workstation for grinding, engraving, sanding and polishing; and a podcasting station where you can “become a blogger, vlogger, or create your own podcast.” The Creative Lab opened to the public in August 2016. Right now, there are two employees working in the Creative Lab. The lab has the same hours as the library and only slightly differs occasionally. Access to the Lab is free of charge, however, there

627-809: A variety of programs are offered, including summer reading programs, story hour programs, toddler times and bedtime story programs. Each library branch has a different set of programs for children ages infant to young adult. During the COVID-19 pandemic, youth services adapted their programs to better service patrons from home. Most library branches offered take home crafts that could be picked up curbside. Adult programs are offered at every library as well, ranging in activities from painting classes, to book clubs, ukulele groups, quilting and yarn crafting groups, chess instructional groups, gardening and sustainable living classes, basic cooking lessons, gaming groups, movie nights, and yoga classes with new ideas forming new groups as

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684-428: Is a charge for the materials used with the 3D printers. The Creative Lab also provides STEM crafts, with the option to take them home as COVID-19 continues. These crafts include light-up flowers and purses, poseable papercraft figures, robots, custom devices, science-based recipes and more. Former Creative Lab employee Ellery Cason says "They call makerspaces part of a movement for a very good reason,” Ms. Cason said. “This

741-527: Is noted for overseeing a number of impactful projects, including the implementation of the first online card catalog system in 1990, as well as the construction of four new libraries. She retired in 2012 and passed away from a battle with an undisclosed illness in 2016. Each library has meeting rooms which are available for library programming, and community meetings. These rooms are vital to the community, as they offer space for free programs for all patrons. Youth programs are an important part of each library and

798-575: Is provided by the National Library for the Blind to serve the visually impaired and physically disabled population. The Talking Books service was originally established by an act of Congress in 1931. The Talking Books Library of the Brevard County Library System was established in 1988 as the ninth Sub-regional library in the Florida network for the blind and physically handicapped. Funded by

855-745: Is surrounded by historic buildings and the Cocoa Riverfront Park. The Florida Historical Society is headquartered in the historic Cocoa Post Office, originally built in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration . The area was revitalized by funding for public infrastructure through the Cocoa Redevelopment Agency, City and private investment. Cocoa Village is also home to the Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse which

912-644: Is the first makerspace in Brevard County, and it has opened the door for people not just to read about the amazing things they can do, but also to actually make them." Branches include: Cocoa, Florida Cocoa is a city in Brevard County , Florida . The population was 19,041 at the 2020 United States Census , up from 17,140 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area . Several stories circulate among Cocoa old timers as to how

969-743: The South Wind (both via Birmingham ) and the New York -bound East Coast Champion , Havana Special, and Miamian from the Florida East Coast Railway's Cocoa-Rockledge station. Into the latter 1950s, passengers could take the Dixie Flagler to Chicago via Atlanta from the station. All passenger trains along the FEC were suspended in 1963 due to a strike. The FEC resumed local passenger service between Jacksonville and

1026-543: The Aladdin Theater , Historic Porcher House, and Riverfront Park. Historic Cocoa Village has shopping and two Golden Spoon award-winning restaurants, and boutiques. The city sponsors more than 50 special events each year. The historic downtown area is called Cocoa Village, situated along Florida Avenue to Stone Street, and stretching to Riverfront Park along the Indian River . It has shops and restaurants, and

1083-607: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km ). 13.3 square miles (34.5 km ) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km ) of it (13.46%) is water. Cocoa is home to the highest point in Brevard County , listed by the USGS as being 83 feet (25 m) above sea level at its apex . The Cocoa Bird Count has annually counted species of birds in or near Cocoa since 1950. In 2010, it counted 150 species. There

1140-458: The Brevard County Library System. In 1989, the Central Brevard Library moved to a building contributed by Florida Today. It was the first library in the county to discard the print card catalog and move to an electronic card catalog. The Merritt Island Library was established in 1965 by a group of residents who formed a "Friends of the Library" group to support the creation and construction of

1197-719: The Cocoa High School football team was ranked 13th in the State of Florida and 1st in the county and had a 35-game winning streak against other Brevard County schools. OverDrive, Inc. OverDrive, Inc. is a worldwide digital distributor of ebooks , audiobooks , online magazines and streaming video titles. The company provides digital rights management and download fulfillment services for publishers, public libraries , K–12 schools, colleges, universities, corporations, legal industries, and formerly retailers. The largest commercial provider of ebooks, audiobooks, and other digital content such as streaming videos in

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1254-662: The County and in cooperation with the National Library Service of the Library of Congress and the Regional Library in Daytona Beach, the service provides books and magazines on cassette tapes and records, as well as the necessary equipment. Braille is also available to readers from the Regional Library. The service is available to anyone who cannot see conventional print clearly and comfortably for

1311-787: The EFSC collection are available for Inter Library Loan within Brevard County. The Titusville Public Library and the Melbourne Public Library also have collections, and are staffed by volunteers. Michael Boonstra, the youngest certified genealogist in Florida, is the head of the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library where the largest genealogy department for all of Brevard County is kept. He first became interested in history because of his grandparents: "I have been interested in history ever since I can remember. I attribute my interest to

1368-589: The Indian River. It was said, the sailors approaching her house would yell out "Cocoa! Cocoa!" alerting the woman that they were present and wanted the beverage. In 1885, the S. F. Travis Hardware store opened. As of 2023, the business remains open. Cocoa's business district was mostly destroyed by fire in 1890. But soon, significant development was stimulated by the extension of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Indian River Railway to Cocoa. The city

1425-602: The Mayor as chairman. The City Manager serves as the Chief Executive. The City Council for the City of Cocoa is made up of five members; the Mayor is elected at large and the four council members are elected by each of their districts. In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $ 1.18 billion. Cocoa has its own police and fire department. The Cocoa Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency within

1482-589: The Miami area from 1965 until July 31, 1968. Brightline is an inter-city rail route that currently runs between Miami and Orlando . On March 12, 2024, Brightline officials confirmed that an infill station on the Space Coast would be built in Cocoa . Space Coast Area Transit operates a public bus service in Cocoa and vicinity. Since 1957, Cocoa has supplied the communities of central Brevard County with potable water. Cocoa made major investments in

1539-472: The addition of this second library in Palm Bay the total number of libraries rose to fourteen (14) in the Brevard County Library System. During a ceremony held on May 26, 2017, the Central Brevard Library, in Cocoa, FL, was officially renamed the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library, in honor of former Library Services Director Catherine Schweinsberg Rood. Rood worked in the country library system for 32 years, and spent 14 years serving as its director. She

1596-534: The city. It is aided by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, for court and civil process. The Cocoa Fire Department has three stations. Brevard County Fire Rescue also has a station within the city limits. In 2021, the city had an authorized police force of 72 police officers and 44 firefighters. Cocoa is located at 28°22′10″N 80°44′38″W  /  28.369334°N 80.743779°W  / 28.369334; -80.743779 . According to

1653-447: The city. The population density was 2,200.3 inhabitants per square mile (849.5/km ). There were 8,064 housing units at an average density of 1,081.1 units per square mile (417.4 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 62.47% White , 32.28% African American , 0.63% Native American , 0.94% Asian , 0.23% Pacific Islander , 1.58% from other races , and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.93% of

1710-481: The community needs or wants. Internet navigation assistance may also be provided upon request. This would be for those not well adjusted to largely technological functions necessary to achieve certain tasks such as printing, document scanning, or harmless information retrieval. Talking Books/Homebound Services provides library materials to residents with visual and physical impairments and to those with limitations associated with age. A special collection of Talking Books

1767-489: The company announced a series of service upgrades, including a browser-based eReader , and audiobook streaming , which enabled access to audiobooks via the company’s OverDrive Media Console app. The company also developed a media station, which allows users to browse their library's digital collection on touchscreen monitors and internet workstations. An API is available which allows developers to integrate OverDrive content into various apps and platforms. The company announced

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1824-471: The county government. Clearlake Middle School was closed in 2013. Students were moved to Cocoa High School , which was converted to a junior and senior high school. Cocoa first approved the Council-Manager form of government in 1959, and subsequent changes to the state statutes mirrored the City of Cocoa's Council-Manager Plan. The City Council serves as the board of directors for the city, with

1881-560: The county were Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Eau Gallie, Melbourne, and one servicing North Brevard in Titusville. With the Space Program boom in the 1960s, Brevard County's population grew, and the five libraries were expanded to nine. By November 1972, it was necessary for voters to approve a tax referendum that would establish a Library Tax District to fund the growing library system's budget. Currently, there are seventeen libraries within

1938-502: The databases and streaming media services that public, corporate and academic libraries have to offer to their users. The 2023 American Library Association report on the Digital Public Library Ecosystem found that younger users of the apps largely did not realize that local libraries paid for the services they received through apps like OverDrive's Libby. The 2023 American Library Association report on

1995-522: The deal set to close in April 2015. OverDrive CEO Steve Potash remained in his position and OverDrive kept its name while operating under Rakuten USA. In 2019, it was reported that private equity firm KKR would be purchasing OverDrive from Rakuten . The estimate market value was $ 775 million in 2019. The acquisition was finalized in June 2020. In June 2020, RBMedia sold its library assets to OverDrive; this includes RBDigital, an app and service for

2052-422: The distribution of digital content. RBMedia and OverDrive are both owned by KKR, with KKR's OverDrive purchase concluded in June 2020. The sale of RBMedia's library division to OverDrive represents a merger of KKR's related assets. On June 9, 2021, it was announced that OverDrive had reached a deal to acquire Kanopy , a leading on-demand streaming video platform for public and academic libraries. The acquisition

2109-800: The iconic American flags. The Houston Astros held spring training in Cocoa from 1964 through 1984, and the Florida Marlins trained in Cocoa in 1993. Cocoa Stadium was also the long-time home of the Florida State League Cocoa Astros . In 2009, the Space Coast Surge, a member of the Florida Winter Baseball League , had Cocoa Stadium as its home stadium. The league suspended operations in November 2009. Cocoa High School has numerous state champion athletic teams. In 2015,

2166-489: The influence of my maternal grandparents who loved history and lived in a home built in the 1790s that had been in the family for many generations in upstate New York. I spent most of my summers at their “farm,” learning and hearing about house and family history first hand." Beginning in 2014, the Brevard Library Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to supporting the library system, began fundraising for

2223-509: The library market, OverDrive distributed eBooks to online stores. In 2002, OverDrive was selected as the distributor of HarperCollins ’ eBooks to the publisher's online retail stores. OverDrive launched web stores for Harlequin Enterprises in 2005. In 2008, OverDrive announced that it would provide download services for Borders Books . On September 21, 2011, OverDrive began supporting Kindle public library book borrowing. In 2012,

2280-538: The mayor of Cocoa proclaimed that all places of assembly, including schools, churches, and movies be closed to avoid spreading the Spanish flu . By 1925, the population was estimated at 1,800. By 1930, despite the Great Depression , the population had risen to 2,200. The population rose dramatically following the development of the space industry, quadrupling from 3,098 in 1940 to 12,244 in 1960. Cocoa and

2337-603: The official website for the county system includes an extensive array of free online resources for patron use. This includes access to investment research databases such as Morningstar, digital microfilms of the Florida Today newspaper, and access to the complete language learning software, Rosetta Stone. Three of the seventeen library branches within the Brevard County Public Library System have special genealogy collections available to

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2394-405: The population. In 2000, there were 6,939 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples living together, 19.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

2451-424: The public for use within the library during regular hours. The Central Brevard Library in Cocoa, FL has the largest collection, staffed full-time and employing a certified genealogist. It began in 1989 and contains genealogical records, early Brevard County Courthouse records, and the entirety of a collection of documents originally held by Eastern Florida State College (formerly Brevard Community College). Items from

2508-478: The summer. Daily flows average 25 mgd. The Dyal WTP is unusual for Central Florida because it is capable of treating both ground and surface water. The flag was originally painted on the water tower free of charge by a Greek immigrant. He wanted to decorate the tower in time for the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976. In 2014, the City re-furbished and re-painted the tower with

2565-481: The surrounding area also became integrated with the tourist industry for the first time, as thousands visited the area to witness the launches from Cape Canaveral . By 1980, the population had grown to 16,096. Education was segregated until the 1960s, at which time Monroe High School and elementary schools for black students were closed. In 1964, the Cocoa Expo Sports Center (Cocoa Stadium)

2622-451: The town got its name. One story says that the mail used to come by river boat and was placed in an empty tin box labeled Baker's Cocoa. The box was nailed to a piling in the river next to downtown. Additionally, an early hotel in the area, located on the Indian River lagoon, was named Cocoa House. Another story speaks of an elderly African American woman who lived on the banks of the Indian River. She would supply hot cocoa to sailors traversing

2679-498: The two largest industries by employment in Cocoa as of 2017. In 2008, Kel-Tec CNC Industries, located in Cocoa, was the third-largest manufacturer of pistols in the United States. Cocoa has 1,381 registered businesses that include light manufacturing and industrial, retail and office businesses as of 2017. Cocoa hosts one of the facilities building SpaceX Starship . In 2017, 9,633 persons were employed, with 84% having

2736-452: The water supply and treatment facilities needed to produce a sub-regional water system. In 2017, Cocoa provided an average of 23,000,000 US gallons (87,000,000 L; 19,000,000 imp gal) of water daily to over 80,000 customers (250,000 people) in Cocoa, Rockledge, Port St. John, Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Suntree/Viera, Patrick Air Force Base, Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral. Cocoa's water system includes

2793-714: The wellfield and raw water collection system, Wewahootee Water Treatment Plant, transmission mains, and the Dyal Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Cocoa's drinking water sources include the Floridian Aquifer, Intermediate Aquifer, Taylor Creek Reservoir, and Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells. All of these facilities are located in east Orange County. A distribution system and storage pumping facilities are located in Brevard County. The Dyal WTP processes about nine billion gallons per year, with peak flows reaching 38 million gallons per day (mgd) during

2850-572: The world, a 2023 report estimated its market share as perhaps being upwards of 90%. OverDrive operates the ebook and audiobook app Libby , the Video streaming app Kanopy and the educational app Sora. OverDrive was founded in 1986 and originally converted analog media to digital formats , such as interactive diskettes and CD-ROMs . In 2000, the company opened Content Reserve , an online eBook and downloadable audiobook repository from which its distribution business developed. Before entering

2907-470: Was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.97. In 2000, in the city, the population was distributed as follows: 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males. According to 2020 United States Census data: Construction and retail trade are

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2964-429: Was an annual "Christmas Bird Count" before this, starting in 1900. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 19,041 people, 8,062 households, and 4,550, families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 17,140 people, 7,429 households, and 4,480 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, there were 16,412 people, 6,939 households, and 4,232 families residing in

3021-649: Was built for the Colt 45s spring baseball training and Grapefruit League games. The team later became the Houston Astros . In the early 1980s, the city attempted to upgrade the stadium by asking the Astros to pay for needed repairs. In 1985, the team responded by moving its training to Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee . As a result, it was decided that future negotiations with major league teams would be done by

3078-476: Was built with a federal grant of $ 200,000 in 1969. In 1972, the library was incorporated into the County Library System, and the first contract was signed in 1976. The tax district still owns the building and maintains the grounds. The library circulates over 200,000 items per year, has a collection of around 80,000 items, and provides meeting rooms for over 700 meetings per year. The board oversees

3135-399: Was chartered on October 1, 1895. In the winter of 1894–1895, Cocoa had an economic setback when the " Great Freeze " destroyed the citrus crop and forced many citrus workers to seek new jobs. By 1903, the population of Cocoa had declined to 382. In the 1910s, population growth in Cocoa accelerated. The state business directory of 1911–1912 stated the population was 550. In October 1918,

3192-457: Was completed on July 15, 2021. In March of 2023, the company announced plans to sunset its flagship OverDrive app on May 1, 2023. OverDrive's new business model is to transition users to the newer Libby reading app, which allows public, corporate and academic library systems to provide digital content to members of their respective library's network. The content consists of digital books, audiobooks, magazines and an extras section displaying all

3249-520: Was originally called, The Aladdin Theatre. The city area has the following educational institutions: Higher education: Public school system: Private schools: All are at least four-lane roads, unless otherwise designated. The Florida East Coast Railway runs through Cocoa. Into the early 1960s, passengers could take one of two Chicago -bound trains (on alternating days), the City of Miami or

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