Lutz is a geographical area in northern Hillsborough County. The name Lutz comes from W.P. Lutz, a young engineer from West Virginia, who built a saw mill in the area and later connected two railroad lines at what became known as "Lutz Junction." Because Lutz is located in the unincorporated area of Hillsborough County, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners is the legal and political authority. The commercial heart of Lutz lies at the intersection of U.S. Highway 41 and Sunset Lane. The library is approximately .4 miles north.

Lutz has a strong and active citizenry which has striven to maintain those qualities that make Lutz a community of tradition and friendliness The community has organized to express its views on such issues as the Old Lutz School, the east-west expressway, the widening of U.S. Highway 41, the construction of powerlines, the building of a mall, and water pumping.

Lutz boasts the Oscar Cooler Youth Complex, the Nye Park Recreation Center, a community center, a senior citizens center, a volunteer fire department, a very active women's club, 2 war memorials, a United States Post Office, a private cemetary that dates from 1911, and 50 years of Fourth of July celebrations with the best open-grill barbecued chicken for miles around. Lakes, citrus groves, abundant trees, and suburban housing dot the landscape.

The Lutz Branch Library is a medium-size branch in the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. Library service began with a bookmobile stop at the community center in 1961. In the late 1960s the library guild of the Lutz-Land O'Lakes Women's Club set up a temporary library in a wood frame building on U.S. Highway 41. One thousand volumes on home-made bookcases were available to the public. Volunteers staffed the building twenty hours per week.

The present building opened in April of 1970. It accomodates about 50,000 volumes, a meeting room, a public reading room, work area and office in 7,000 square feet. Materials include books, videocassettes, books on tape, music cassettes, magazines, and music CDs. The library offers adult, young adult, and children's programming through two professional librarians.

On June 1, 2004, The Lutz Branch library re-opened with an additional 5,000 square feet. With 12,000 square feet of floor space, the library can grow it's materials collection. Sunday hours wiil begin July 11, 2004. Services include reference, reader advisory, an online catalog & databases as well as general Internet access and word processing. There is a bookdrop near the entrance walkway.

A small but dynamic Lutz History Collection reflects the community's history and pride. The library has three histories of Lutz and a collection of the Lutz "Fourth of July Celebration and Field Day" booklets from 1947.1969. The Land O'Lakes Public Library, the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, the North Tampa Branch Library, and the Austin Davis Public Library are all within eight miles of the Lutz Branch Library.

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