Selby Library
🏢 Sarasota County Libraries · Sarasota, Florida
Selby Library
Selby Library anchors downtown Sarasota at 1331 First Street, a short walk from Sarasota Bay, the Ringling Museum of Art, and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. As the flagship branch of Sarasota County Libraries, it serves a vibrant arts-and-culture city with an extensive physical collection, public computing and meeting capacity for over 100, and free digital access to Libby, hoopla, and the Florida Electronic Library.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1331 First Street, Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: (941) 861-1110
Website: scgov.net
Plus Code: 76VV8FQ4+3P (Sarasota, FL)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📍 Plan your visit
🚉 Getting there
1331 1st St, Sarasota, FL 34236. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Free parking lot, free street parking, paid parking lot nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes assistive hearing loop, wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
🛀 Amenities
Baby changing table.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.6 / 5 from 761 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 2 pm.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Selby Library
Selby Library is the main branch of Sarasota County Libraries, a public library system serving Sarasota County, Florida — a Gulf Coast community of about 450,000 residents known for its arts, culture, and beaches. Located on First Street in the heart of downtown Sarasota, Selby occupies a central civic role alongside the city's theaters, galleries, and the Ringling estate. The library is named for the Selby family, prominent Sarasota philanthropists whose legacy also includes the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. The county library system offers a shared catalog and digital resources across all its branches; cardholders can borrow from Libby (OverDrive) for eBooks and audiobooks, hoopla for films, music, and comics, and the Florida Electronic Library (FEL) for statewide academic and general reference databases. The downtown location gives the library particular reach to Sarasota's new residents, arts visitors, and daytime workforce, with evening hours running until 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Flagship branch of Sarasota County Libraries — located in the heart of downtown Sarasota, steps from Sarasota Bay
- Named for the Selby family, whose philanthropy also endowed the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
- Meeting capacity of 100+ in a central civic building ideal for community gatherings and events
- Access to the full Sarasota County Libraries digital collection: Libby, hoopla, and the Florida Electronic Library
- Open Monday through Thursday until 8:00 p.m. for extended evening access
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Selby Library cardholders can download, stream, and research free through Sarasota County Libraries' digital collection:
📚 Services
- Meeting and event space (capacity 100+)
- Public computers, printing, scanning & free Wi-Fi
- Florida Electronic Library and Sarasota County library databases
- Interlibrary loan through the county-wide shared catalog
- Reference and reader's advisory assistance
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and youth programs
- Adult book discussions and enrichment programs
- Summer reading for all ages
- Author and community events
- Digital literacy workshops and public computer training
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southwest Florida
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Selby Library named after?
Selby Library is named for William G. Selby and his wife Mable, prominent Sarasota philanthropists whose family legacy includes major gifts to the arts and nature in Sarasota. The Selby family is perhaps best known locally for also endowing the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on Sarasota Bay.
Is Selby Library the main branch of the Sarasota County library system?
Yes. Selby Library at 1331 First Street in downtown Sarasota is the flagship branch of Sarasota County Libraries. As the main branch, it holds the largest collection and offers a meeting room with capacity for 100 or more patrons.
What digital resources are available with a Sarasota County library card?
Cardholders access Libby (OverDrive) for eBooks and audiobooks, hoopla for instant streaming of movies, music, comics, and TV, and the Florida Electronic Library (FEL) — a statewide collection of academic and general reference databases funded by the Florida Department of State and free to all Florida residents.
What are Selby Library's evening hours?
Selby Library is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
Explore more at this library
Services & programs
- This branch offers meeting rooms — it has a meeting room with capacity for 100 or more.
- This branch offers story times — it runs children's storytimes and youth programs.
- This branch offers printing, copying & fax — it offers public printing and copying.
Good to know
Is Selby Public Library wheelchair accessible?
Yes. According to its Google Business Profile the library has a wheelchair-accessible entrance and accessible parking, plus an assistive hearing loop.
Can I use the Florida Electronic Library with a Sarasota County card?
Yes. Sarasota County cardholders get free access to the Florida Electronic Library alongside Libby (OverDrive) for ebooks and audiobooks and hoopla for films, music, and comics.