In 2013, the State of Florida celebrated “Viva 500,” the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Florida by Juan Ponce de Leon. The statewide initiative included events, programs and exhibits at museums, libraries, schools and other organizations. Broward County Library participated by presenting The Great Days of Rail Travel on the Florida East Coast, a museum-quality exhibit and event series that took visitors on a historic journey through the early days of the state’s railway system, which held build South Florida. The challenge was to present an exhibit and event series that captured the history of Florida while delving into future issues, such as how rail transportation fits into the state’s tourism and economy. The Great Days of Rail Travel on the Florida East Coast was a unique opportunity to showcase images, memorabilia, brochures and booklets from the historic railway and present them along with a series of informative, entertaining programs for both youth and adults. The Great Days of Rail Travel on the Florida East Coast also presented an opportunity for interaction and engagement between students and youth, rail professionals, rail hobbyist enthusiasts, local history buffs and library staff. It was a many-faceted exhibit and event series that included hands-on demonstrations of model railways, discussions, lectures and youth-oriented programs.

The Great Days of Rail Travel on the Florida East Coast opened October 2013. It was curated in-house by librarian Lillian Perricone, who partnered with author/Florida East Coast Railway Company Historian Seth Bramson, who has written numerous books on Florida trains, to present a series of events including a workshop for children on rail safety, a history of dining on the Florida East Coast Railway, and the future of rail travel in Florida. The exhibit featured model trains, vintage menus, silver- and serving ware and other memorabilia from local collectors and the Florida Citrus Model Train Society. In order to ensure maximum attendance, promotional efforts were engaged. A bright, colorful poste, flyer and postcards featuring a vintage train were designed and printed. A Twitter/Facebook campaign page kept information about upcoming events in the series current and updated. The Library’s online newsletter eConnections featured the exhibit/event series in a weekly issue, which is distributed to 10,000 subscribers. A YouTube video was created in-house and the Florida Citrus Model Train Society featured the exhibit on their homepage, while cross-promotion was also executed with the Museum of Science and Discovery, who were featuring a film on rail travel. The exhibit was also digitalized so that online visitors to the Library’s website could browse it. In addition, a virtual book display of circulating materials on the topic was featured in the library’s online catalog. Broward County Library also Broward County included information about The Great Days of Rail Travel on the Florida East Coast in online and print publications that were distributed to residents and employees of Broward County.

The Great Days of Rail Travel on the Florida East Coast exhibit and accompanying series of events have resulted in recognition for the library system and contact from customers beyond Broward County. In addition, The Great Days of Rail Travel on the Florida East Coast helped to promote understanding and awareness of local and state history as part of the Viva Florida statewide celebration of Florida’s 500th anniversary. Attendance was the most measurable outcome. From October-December 2013, 450 people attended three events held. The YouTube video, published December 6, 2013, has been viewed 493 times. This online exposure, combined with the digitalization of the exhibit, and virtual book display of circulating materials on the topic in the online catalog, is a unique and innovative method of ensuring that the resources and information gathered for The Great Days of Rail Travel on the Florida East Coast is readily accessible to future generations.