Nancy Klingener, Community Affairs Manager for Monroe County Public Library, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s been going on in the libraries.
The summer continues to be pretty busy at Monroe County Public Libraries.
Klingener said, “Yes it does, and especially with our summer reading, which started this month in June and continues through July at all of our branches. So we’re really excited about that. We have Windell Campbell, who’s a storyteller and puppeteer, coming to all of our branches in the next week. And Farmer Jeanne is going to be at Big Pine on Thursday, July 3, and Key Largo on Wednesday, July 9. She always brings along a couple of her pals. That’s always a real highlight of our summer reading program. We’re very excited.”
Libby provides ebooks and e-audiobooks.
Klingener said, “If you’re paying for Audible and it’s getting a little pricey for you, come on over, get a library card and sign up for Libby, because we have an incredible selection there. The other thing on Libby is digital magazines. There’s more than 5,000 titles, including back lists for magazines and there’s no waiting or holds for those. You can just download any one of your choice right there. It’s pretty cool. I mean, there’s a magazine for just about every interest you could think of, and probably a few that you couldn’t.”
The history of the Keys is also included on the library’s website.
Klingener said, “If you go to the History Center site, there’s a block right there on our homepage, you’ll see a link right there that says, Keys archival images and that’s our online archive on Flickr, and we have images there from photographers who documented Key West in the 60s, 70s and 80s. It’s quite a little time travel opportunity.”
Getting a library card will give you access to just about everything at the library.
Klingener said, “You can find out how to get a card right there on the on the home page, there’s a block that says, get a card. You can sign up online and get started right away with our digital operating offerings like Libby and Canopy. I will say those online registrations are only for 90 days, because they’re intended to just get you started. So it’s really, the best idea to come into a branch when you can to either sign up or convert that online registration. All of our programs, by the way, are free and open to the public, so there’s no charge. You don’t have to have a library card to attend one of these programs, although we would, of course, be delighted if you registered while you’re here. The summer reading really is the main thing keeping us busy, but we also have lots of our regular programs for adults going on, games and crafts and other programs. So the other thing to do right now, actually, is to go down to the bottom of the website, and there’s a sign up for email newsletters option, and you can get an email newsletter from us for each branch and from the Florida Keys History Center.”
For more information, click here: https://www.keyslibraries.org/