Week Calendar

For mobile babies to 5 years old. Drop in to enjoy a special uninterrupted playtime with your child in our FREE Partners in Play® (PIP) groups. Meet our friendly Parenting Educators and discover how play and learning go hand-in-hand.

Join us for storytime! Stories, rhymes, songs, and simple crafts for little ones and their special grownup. 

Join us for songs, rhymes, play, and of course great stories! Engage kids in visual literacy, language development, and social skills in a fun class presented by our Youth Services team.

For mobile babies to 5 years old.

For mobile babies to 5 years old. Drop in to enjoy special play time with your child, meet our friendly Parenting Educators and discover how Forty Carrots Family Center can help you enjoy parenting even more.

Join us at the Fruitville Library with your knit/crochet projects. All ages and skills are welcome. Supplies and knowledgeable members are on hand to help anyone interested in learning to knit or crochet. 

Preschoolers, kindergarteners, and their families can enjoy loosely structured play with a variety of rotating toys and activities in our Story Time Room.

Children ages 2-8 and their caregivers are invited for Wednesday morning free-play time, with an assortment of toys and props to inspire the young imagination! Drop-in anytime between 10:30am and 11:30am.

Everyone is welcome to the open-topic discussions of the Socrates Cafe.

Come and get assistance from experienced and knowledgeable volunteers.

Bring your questions!

Stumped by technology? Your technology questions can be answered through an in-person appointment with one of our Tech Navigators. Tech Navigators are library staff members ready to assist you with technology skills.

For mobile babies to 5 years old. Drop in to enjoy a special uninterrupted playtime with your child in our FREE Partners in Play® (PIP) groups. Meet our friendly Parenting Educators and discover how play and learning go hand-in-hand.

The Great Books Discussion Group moderated by Ellen Bilangi, meets the 1st Thursday of each month, December through April. Reading selections will be from the Great Books Foundation's Great Conversations 1.

For infants to five years, attending with caregiver. The storytime includes simple stories, nursery rhymes, songs, fingerplays, and crafts. Space is limited. Free tickets are available at the youth desk beginning at 10 a.m.

For ages 2-5. Join us for story time filled with a variety of early literacy activities that include music, stories, movement, crafts and school readiness. 

Enjoy a cup of tea while discussing British movies and television series with a very welcoming group.

For mobile babies to 5 years old.

Get assistance from experienced and knowledgeable volunteers

Bring your questions

Assistance from experienced and knowledgeable volunteers

Bring your questions

Every third Saturday of the month, children are invited to read with certified pet therapy dogs. This program encourages conversation and develops reading and communication skills.

For mobile babies to 5 years old. Drop in to enjoy a special uninterrupted playtime with your child in our FREE Partners in Play® (PIP) groups. Meet our friendly Parenting Educators and discover how play and learning go hand-in-hand.

Bringing a baby into the world can fill our hearts with joy and love, and our minds with questions and wonder.

For mobile babies to 5 years old. Drop in to enjoy special play time with your child, meet our friendly Parenting Educators and discover how Forty Carrots Family Center can help you enjoy parenting even more.

The Health in Motion Bus offers free and low-cost public health services. A registered nurse is available at all visits. Individuals who need follow-up medical care are referred to a primary health care provider. No appointment needed.

For mobile babies to 5 years old. Drop in to enjoy a special uninterrupted playtime with your child in our FREE Partners in Play® (PIP) groups. Meet our friendly Parenting Educators and discover how play and learning go hand-in-hand.

For mobile babies to 5 years old.

Get assistance from experienced and knowledgeable volunteers

Bring your questions

Bring your projects, patterns, and questions to Elsie Quirk Library and join the Quirky Knitters for an afternoon of knitting and crochet.  All skill levels welcome.  Registration is not required, so come on in to knit and chat!

Join other local knitters and crocheters while working on personal projects and discussing all things knitting/crocheting. All skill levels welcome. Crochet Amigurumi kits will be provided while supplies last.

Sarasota County Extension Services Master Gardeners are here to help folks identify plants, flowers, etc. as well as care for them.

Get expert advice on your landscaping needs.

A Matter of Balance: Jan. 13 - March 17. No classes on Jan. 20 and Feb. 17 due to the holidays. 

Stumped by technology? Your technology questions can be answered through an in-person or distance appointment with one of our Tech Navigators. Tech Navigators are library staff members ready to assist you with technology skills.

This program is a unique and sustainable way to explore your creativity and imagination.

Calling all young book lovers! Come join the book dragons, where we dive into the latest and greatest YA novels, classics, and everything in between.

Our clay modeling program allows participants to explore their creativity and express themselves through the art of shaping and molding clay. 

Learn

LAST Stop is a drop-in program designed for teens in 6th through 12th grade to participate in fun activities, talk with friends, have snacks, and play games.

Drop in to play games on our Nintendo Switch!

Recommended for ages 5 and up.

LAST Stop is a drop-in program designed for teens in 6th through 12th grade to participate in fun activities, talk with friends, have snacks, and play games.

LAST Stop is a drop-in program designed for teens in 6th through 12th grade to participate in fun activities, talk with friends, have snacks, and play games.

LAST Stop is a drop-in program designed for teens in 6th through 12th grade to participate in fun activities, talk with friends, have snacks, and play games.

LAST Stop is a drop-in program designed for teens in 6th through 12th grade to participate in fun activities, talk with friends, have snacks, and play games.

Want to get more involved with the library?

If you like writing your own pieces or would like to branch out and grow your creativity, come join us for our Teen Writers Club! We will be meeting weekly on Mondays @ 4 p.m. 

A bi-monthly open mic jazz jam session for amateur jazz performers and listeners.

Join us for the monthly Creation Station PM Craft Workshop. Each month, attendees will create an item themed for the month. Advance registration is required due to limited seats. This is a Friends of the Gulf Gate Library sponsored event.

Free Archaeology Lecture presented by the Time Sifters Archaeology Society:

January 15, 2025

Work on your own creations or build as a team. We provide the LEGO® bricks, you provide the imagination.

Karen Kreisler is a certified meditation, yoga, health and wellness instructor with over ten years of teaching experience.

Let your imagination run wild with other Lego fans using our massive collection of bricks and accessories.