Overdue in Paradise: The Library History of Palm Beach County

by Janet DeVries Naughton, Graham Brunk, Ginger L. Pedersen

For more than a century, Palm Beach County’s libraries have nurtured and shaped Florida’s unique history. From early residents’ efforts to bring literacy and a love of reading to the vast tropical wilderness of the nineteenth century, to modern-day book festivals celebrating the written word, Overdue in Paradise honors Palm Beach County’s individuals, social institutions, and municipal governments that created a culture of literacy in one of Florida’s largest and most prominent regions. Public, academic, and a variety of specialized libraries developed their own distinctive collections, enriching the lives of residents since Florida’s earliest pioneer days. Palm Beach County’s vast collections of books, media, and reference materials are both a cause and result of its cultural diversity, and have left an enduring legacy on residents and visitors alike. Overdue in The Library History of Palm Beach County recounts the beginnings of many of South Florida’s earliest libraries. This legacy would not have been possible were it not for the valiant efforts of volunteers, professional librarians, and other community-minded Floridians who relentlessly sought out and obtained the resources needed to create collections that would serve their local communities.

277 pages, Paperback

Published November 13, 2017

About the author

Chicago native Janet M. Naughton has been on the LAM in coastal South Florida for three decades, working in libraries, archives, and museums.

She is the author of Sport Fishing in Palm Beach County (under the name Janet DeVries) and has written over a dozen books and articles on Florida topics.

Naughton is an academic librarian, history professor, and historic researcher who consults with newspaper, television, and film outlets to bring historic subjects to life.

The lifelong Nancy Drew fan is a charter member of the Nancy Drew Sleuths. She’s never without her flashlight and magnifying glass, ready to explore overgrown historic cemeteries and spooky old attics.

The Crystal Ball Chronicles is Naughton’s leap into fiction with a true crime thriller sure to please any crime novel and mystery reader.

Reviews

[Josh Liller]

"Overdue in Paradise" is a remarkable creation. In the span of less than a year, a history of libraries in Palm Beach County, Florida went from creation of concept to published work. It was also a collaborative effort, with 28 main contributors (and various smaller ones, including myself). Overdue encompasses not only the Palm Beach County Public Library System, but the municipal libraries, academic libraries, special libraries, and library consortiums and festivals.

The writing is all decent to good. The many chapters - one on each library - make for easy reading. This topic interested me as a former library employee (albeit in another county) and lifelong public library user. I was surprised with just how many libraries there are in the county and the varied histories, from the straightforward to the long and winding. Libraries are not a facet of history that gets much attention, especially as a book-length work.

While I suspect this will mostly appeal to a local audience, I think there is some appeal for non-local librarians (current or former), library lovers, bibliophiles, and those who are intrigued by the exploration of an unusual aspect of history.

[Marilyn]

While I lived in Boynton Beach, FL I was a regular patron of the Boynton Beach City Library. My love of that library prompted me to read this book on the history of libraries in Palm Beach County. It was very interesting and informative. I was fascinated by the fact that many original libraries were small collections kept by lighthouse keepers! I also really liked the section on little free libraries. The format of the book with many chapters or essays written by various authors kept my interest and made it a fun read.

[Carolyn]

For library lovers. South Florida libraries may not have long histories going back to the 19th century, but they are charmingly diverse in their origins and development.