▁the ▁first ▁public ▁library . ▁A ▁special ▁tax ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁site ▁and ▁to ▁fund ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁the ▁building , ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁located ▁on ▁Os ce ola ▁and ▁Sun set . ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁architect ▁F . J . ▁Kenn ard ▁of ▁T ampa , ▁and ▁G . A . ▁Miller ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁contract ▁for ▁construction . ▁Margaret ▁Dun can ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁li br arian ▁( and ▁then ▁Library ▁Director ) ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁Clear water ▁Public ▁Library . ▁When ▁Dun can ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁the ▁position ▁was ▁filled ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁by ▁Grace ▁Me ase . ▁By ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁over ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁population ▁were ▁library ▁card hold ers . ▁A ▁few ▁more ▁staff ▁were ▁h ired ▁to ▁support ▁daily ▁library ▁duties ▁and ▁maintenance . ▁The ▁De pression ▁years ▁hit ▁the ▁library ▁neg atively ▁as ▁it ▁did ▁elsewhere ; ▁the ▁resulting ▁budget ▁cut s ▁were ▁both ▁necessary ▁and ▁dev ast ating . ▁When ▁a ▁$ 4 0 ▁ce iling ▁repair ▁request ▁was ▁denied ▁by ▁the ▁City ▁Manager , ▁the ▁li br arian ▁purchased ▁the ▁supplies ▁and ▁paid ▁someone ▁to ▁repair ▁it ▁for ▁less ▁than ▁$ 1 4 . ▁The ▁li br arian ▁was ▁re imb urs ed ▁by ▁the ▁City ▁Manager ▁for ▁the ▁exp ense . ▁Another ▁extreme ▁budget ▁cut ▁led ▁to ▁Me ase ' s ▁dismiss al , ▁and ▁assistant ▁An nie ▁O w ens ▁was ▁promoted ▁to