Upcoming Events

Featured Events

Young hands playing an acoustic guitar.

Guitar Groove: A Fun 6-week Beginner Guitar Course, Week 1

Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 10:15am - 11:15am
Program Room at Elsie Quirk Library

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Ready to rock? Join us for a fun and family-friendly 6-week guitar class designated for complete beginners! Learn to play some of your favorite songs while making music and memorie...

Library Branch: Elsie Quirk Library
Room: Program Room
Age Group: Tweens (9 to 12 years), Teens (13 to 18 years)
Program Type: Music in the Libraries
Registration Required
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Ready to rock? Join us for a fun and family-friendly 6-week guitar class designated for complete beginners! Learn to play some of your favorite songs while making music and memories. 

One Seed-Herb Trio

UF/IFAS: One Seed-Herb Trio

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Meeting Room II at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library

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Join us for One Seed-Herb Trio and learn how to grow and use this season’s featured crop... herbs, which are beneficial to both people and pollinators! Whether you are a novice gar...

Library Branch: Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library
Room: Meeting Room II
Age Group: Teens (13 to 18 years), New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Green Living, Lectures, Lifelong Learning
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Join us for One Seed-Herb Trio and learn how to grow and use this season’s featured crop... herbs, which are beneficial to both people and pollinators!

an altoid tin with a felt rabbit and carrots inside it.

EQ Craft Crew: Micro Habitats

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 3:45pm - 4:30pm
Program Room at Elsie Quirk Library

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Join us the 3rd Tuesday of every month for a new art project!In this hands-on art program, our young artists will turn a metal tin into a full habitat for an animal of their choosi...

Library Branch: Elsie Quirk Library
Room: Program Room
Age Group: Children (5 to 9 years)
Program Type: Arts & Crafts, Lifelong Learning
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Join us the 3rd Tuesday of every month for a new art project!

In this hands-on art program, our young artists will turn a metal tin into a full habitat for an animal of their choosing!

Cocktail

The Sober Speakeasy: Literary Libations at your library

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Community Room at William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Library

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Learn the techniques to make a non-alcoholic version of three classic prohibition-era inspired cocktails:1. Old Fashioned – Infusion TechniqueWe’ll explore infusion by steeping a s...

Library Branch: William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Library
Room: Community Room
Age Group: New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Cultural Life, Special Events, Venice Centennial
Registration Required
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Learn the techniques to make a non-alcoholic version of three classic prohibition-era inspired cocktails:

1. Old Fashioned – Infusion Technique

a miniature zen garden with sand, rocks, a rake, and small plants.

Asian Gardens with Sari

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 10:30am - 11:30am
Meeting Room at Elsie Quirk Library

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Join Sari to explore various garden styles in Asia that reflect uniquely different cultural values and traditions. Enjoy calmness while raking the sand in a miniature Zen gard...

Library Branch: Elsie Quirk Library
Room: Meeting Room
Age Group: New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Cultural Life, Healthy Living, Lifelong Learning
Registration Required
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Join Sari to explore various garden styles in Asia that reflect uniquely different cultural values and traditions. Enjoy calmness while raking the sand in a miniature Zen garden. 

Resume Building Workshop

Resume Building Workshop

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:30pm
Dr. Edward James II Meeting Room at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library

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Join SHRM workplace professionals for an interactive Resume Building workshop!Learn the Do’s and Don’ts of effective resume writing.Practice with hands-on assistance to help kick-s...

Library Branch: Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library
Room: Dr. Edward James II Meeting Room
Age Group: Teens (13 to 18 years), New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Career Journeys, Job Search Assistance, Technology Instruction
Registration Required
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Join SHRM workplace professionals for an interactive Resume Building workshop!

Black and white image of a man looking up at a shell midden.

Made by Shells, Told by Time

Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Classroom A/B at Osprey Library and History Center

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Made by Shells, Told by TimePresented by:Dr. Uzi Baram, Professor Emeritus, New College of FloridaA Florida History Lecture Series Winter 2026 "Made in Florida" programProgram begi...

Library Branch: Osprey Library and History Center
Room: Classroom A/B
Age Group: Teens (13 to 18 years), New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Archaeology, Cultural Life, Green Living, History & Culture, Lectures, Lifelong Learning
Registration Required
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Made by Shells, Told by Time

Presented by:

A graphic image of two women in exercise clothes with the text "Intro toGYROKINESIS® Method."

Intro to Spinal Health with Breath (GYROKINESIS® Method)

Friday, January 23, 2026 at 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Jack J. Geldbart Auditorium at Selby Library

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INTRO TO SPINAL HEALTH WITH BREATH (GYROKINESIS® Method) is a movement practice that addresses the entire body by improving posture, stimulating the nervous system, increasing rang...

Library Branch: Selby Library
Room: Jack J. Geldbart Auditorium
Age Group: Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Healthy Living
Registration Required
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INTRO TO SPINAL HEALTH WITH BREATH (GYROKINESIS® Method) is a movement practice that addresses the entire body by improving posture, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion, and creating functional strength through rhythmic, flo

Photo of a Florida landscape with water and palm trees.

The Natural World of Sarasota's First Peoples

Friday, January 23, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Meeting Room at Elsie Quirk Library

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Long before modern Sarasota emerged, a thriving society flourished along its bays, rivers, and estuaries. For Sarasota's first peoples, water was not just a resource—it was the lif...

Library Branch: Elsie Quirk Library
Room: Meeting Room
Age Group: New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Green Living, History & Culture, Lectures, Lifelong Learning
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Long before modern Sarasota emerged, a thriving society flourished along its bays, rivers, and estuaries.

Road Scholar

Road Scholar: Georgia O’Keeffe — Visions of an American Pioneer

Monday, January 26, 2026 at 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Veranda Room at North Port Library

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Enjoy a free one-hour lecture and Q&A to learn about the iconic paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe.

Library Branch: North Port Library
Room: Veranda Room
Age Group: New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors, All Ages
Program Type: History & Culture, Lectures, Lifelong Learning
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Enjoy a free one-hour lecture and Q&A to learn about the iconic paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe.

A group of tweens stands on a stage holding scripts.

Focus on Creativity: Creative Dramatics - Week 1

Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Program Room at Elsie Quirk Library

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"For every action there is a reaction" isn't just a saying in this class! Learn how to react confidently to whatever life throws at you on and off the stage! Play theatre games and...

Library Branch: Elsie Quirk Library
Room: Program Room
Age Group: Tweens (9 to 12 years)
Program Type: Career Journeys, Healthy Living, Lifelong Learning
Registration Required
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"For every action there is a reaction" isn't just a saying in this class! Learn how to react confidently to whatever life throws at you on and off the stage!

Richie James

Let's Converse: Meet Sarasota's Superbowl Champion, Richie James!

Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 11:00am - 1:30pm
Rotunda at Selby Library

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Drop in for a chat with Newtown Sarasota native, Richie James, and learn about his journey from Riverview High School to the NY Giants and Kansas City Chiefs, and all the way to Su...

Library Branch: Selby Library
Room: Rotunda
Age Group: Children (5 to 9 years), All Ages
Program Type: Career Journeys, Games, Special Events
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Drop in for a chat with Newtown Sarasota native, Richie James, and learn about his journey from Riverview High School to the NY Giants and Kansas City Chiefs, and all the way to Superbowl LVIII! 

The cover of the book titled Haunted Florida Love Stories

Florida's Haunted Love Stories with Chris Balzano

Monday, February 2, 2026 at 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Meeting Room at Elsie Quirk Library

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Wide eyes, sweaty palms and a racing heart.  Are these the tell-tale marks of a love story or a haunted tale?  If the story is set in Florida, chances are it’s both. ...

Library Branch: Elsie Quirk Library
Room: Meeting Room
Age Group: Teens (13 to 18 years), New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Cultural Life, History & Culture, Lifelong Learning, Performances, Special Events
Registration Required
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Wide eyes, sweaty palms and a racing heart.  Are these the tell-tale marks of a love story or a haunted tale?  If the story is set in Florida, chances are it’s both.  Across Florida, love is in the air—but that isn’t always a good t

Plant

UF/IFAS: Meet the Milkweeds!

Monday, February 9, 2026 at 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Veranda Room at North Port Library

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There are over 20 kinds of milkweeds in Florida; most of them are native!Get to know the milkweeds that are suitable for growing in Sarasota County. Learn why these amazing native ...

Library Branch: North Port Library
Room: Veranda Room
Age Group: New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Active Older Adult Living, Green Living, Lifelong Learning
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There are over 20 kinds of milkweeds in Florida; most of them are native!

Get to know the milkweeds that are suitable for growing in Sarasota County.

Road Scholar: Forging a Friendship — Jefferson & Madison’s Northern Journey

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Veranda Room at North Port Library

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Enjoy a free one-hour lecture and Q&A to learn about Jefferson and Madison’s 1791 journey and enduring friendship.

Library Branch: North Port Library
Room: Veranda Room
Age Group: New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors, All Ages
Program Type: History & Culture, Lectures, Lifelong Learning
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Enjoy a free one-hour lecture and Q&A to learn about Jefferson and Madison’s 1791 journey and enduring friendship.

Cheryl Coleman Headshot

Cheryl Coleman: Bold Black Pioneers

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Dr. Edward James II Meeting Room at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library

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Embark on a journey of discovery! Join Cheryl Coleman and travel alongside the thousands who ventured north during the Great Migration. Along the way, catch a glimpse of the brilli...

Library Branch: Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library
Room: Dr. Edward James II Meeting Room
Age Group: Teens (13 to 18 years), New Adult (18-30 years), Adults, Seniors
Program Type: Cultural Life, History & Culture, Lectures, Lifelong Learning
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Embark on a journey of discovery! Join Cheryl Coleman and travel alongside the thousands who ventured north during the Great Migration. Along the way, catch a glimpse of the brilliant innovators who reshaped music and literature.

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