Riverview, Florida  - After nearly a year of preparation, the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will launch a new online library catalog, Polaris, on April 29.

Officials say the system will enhance the Cooperative's management of library resources, reduce costs, boost productivity, and is expected to improve customer satisfaction.

The migration to the new system begins today, April 8 and is expected to last through April 29.

Polaris will offer the following enhancements and tools for library customers:

Hillsborough County, Florida-- The first Hillsborough Hack-A-Thon  is set for next month, and county reps say they're seeking businesses with an interest in "becoming champions for innovation" to sponsor the event. 

The Hack-A-Thon will take place at the HCC Campus in Brandon on the weekend of April 12 - 14. Sponsorships will cover the necessary costs of advertisement, event space, prizes, food for the participants and other event-related expenses. 

Florida-- Trees, lakes, trails, wildlife- they're all things that come to mind when thinking about Florida's parks. Techonology, smartphones and applications, howeverm are probably the last things to come to mind- until now!

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Park Services department has announced the launch of their new, free mobile application, which will serve as an interactive guide for users on the go at any of Florida's 171 parks, trails and historic sites.