Week Calendar

-Submit a digital poster file (PDF) to ningram@scgov.net with subject heading "Poster"

-Your poster will be your rendition of a book cover for one of your favorite books

Free unbiased counseling for Medicare from 10:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.  Then from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

For little ones birth to 30 months and their caregivers. Join us for a traditional storytime of rhymes, songs, stories, books, and activities specially chosen with babies and toddlers in mind.

This program will be held at the Venice Community Center located at 326 Nokomis Ave S, Venice, FL 34285. 

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

Librarian Charlotte Thompson leads a monthly book discussion group. 

September 10:   Philip Roth   The Plot Against America.     

Join us on the 2nd Monday and 4th Tuesday of the month. We supply the coloring pages and pencils.

Learn how to navigate ecommerce sites to buy and sell new and used items on online shopping sites like eBay, Amazon, and peer to peer sales sites like LetGo, OfferUp, FaceBook Marketplace, Craigslist, and more!

Want to learn more about Florida-Friendly gardens, composting, or citrus trees?

Need a plant or insect identified?

Drop in to receive research-based lawn, landscape and pest management help from the University of Florida.

Having trouble with your device? Need help syncing your eBooks? Come see Luis, our in-house tech expert! See the Reference Desk for more information.

Want to learn more about Florida-Friendly gardens, composting, or citrus trees? Need a plant or insect identified? Homeowners can receive research-based lawn, landscape and pest management help from the University of Florida.

-Submit a digital poster file (PDF) to ningram@scgov.net with subject heading "Poster"

-Your poster will be your rendition of a book cover for one of your favorite books

Sign Language program for children 0 - 2 1/2 years old. Learn with Beebo the Signing Bear using songs, books, and toys. Older siblings welcome.

This program is geared toward babies from newborn to age 2 ½ years. The 45 minute program includes songs, baby sign language, a book and playtime. Older siblings are welcome.

Come join Forty Carrots for a time of sharing and meaningful play.

For mobile babies to 5 years old.

Drop in to enjoy special play time with your child, meet our friendly Parenting Educators.

Who should attend:  Anyone who has questions about flood risks, zones, insurance regulations and pending map changes: especially residents, professional lenders, insurance agents and realtors.

This session has been cancelled as of Sept. 26, 2018. 

Books, puppets, songs, dance and more surprises. Geared for ages

3-5, but all are welcome to join the fun. Enjoy special guest Adrianne

Pezzella on Oct. 30  for “Fun To Be Fit Kids.”

For people who want to improve their French speaking skills and enjoy reading French-language articles and discussing them. Come practice speaking the romantic language of French.

-Submit a digital poster file (PDF) to ningram@scgov.net with subject heading "Poster"

-Your poster will be your rendition of a book cover for one of your favorite books

Enjoy interacting with your child by participating in early literacy activities that include music and movement, books, crafts, and educational activities.

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

Learn to knit or crochet! All ages and skill levels welcome! It is recommended to bring your own yarn and needles. Instructor-supplied yarns remain with the instructor weekly until piece is completed.

This first of a two-part class is for people who have no prior knowledge of computers. Participants learn about the Windows operating system and terminology related to using the computer keyboard and mouse.

Come use our Adobe/ Mac software and sewing machines on your own personal projects. Time slots are filled on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Early literacy begins at birth. Bond with your baby through stories, songs, parachute time and peek-a-boo scarf songs.

For ages 0-2 years old.

-Submit a digital poster file (PDF) to ningram@scgov.net with subject heading "Poster"

-Your poster will be your rendition of a book cover for one of your favorite books

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

Who should attend: Anyone who has questions about flood risks, zones, insurance regulations and pending map changes: especially residents, professional lenders, insurance agents and realtors.

For infants to five years, attending with caregiver. The storytime includes simple stories, nursery rhymes, songs, fingerplays, and crafts. Space is limited to 80 people. Free tickets are available at the youth desk beginning at 10 a.m.

Interact and participate with your child in a variety of early literacy activities that include music, movement, crafts and school readiness activities.

Find your inner peace through guided meditation with Isha Foundation.

ESOL Conversation Group for intermediate to higher level ESL learners.

Students MUST first be registered with the Literacy Council

Contact:  Sue Bergstrom 941-955-0421

Prescription Medication & Health Care Assistance for those that are uninsured and qualify financially.

Learn how to create a document, use the toolbar to select font, point size, color, and more.  You will also learn how to save and print your letter or document and insert pictures or photos into the text.

-Submit a digital poster file (PDF) to ningram@scgov.net with subject heading "Poster"

-Your poster will be your rendition of a book cover for one of your favorite books

Relax and experience the joy of creation using paper canvases, oil pastels and other materials to create a mini painting to take home or display in the teen center.  This is a self-directed, non-instruction program for all ages, available wee

For children 18 months to 4 years old and their caregivers. Interact with your child in a variety of early literacy activities including music, movement, stories, crafts and games.

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.

Preschoolers, ages 2 ½ - 5 and their parent, guardian or caregiver are invited to join us for stories, songs, finger plays, rhymes, and crafts. There is a different theme every week.

Come create digital art! Wacom tablets allow you to create unique digital artwork with a special tablet, stylus and a laptop!  

Come use our Adobe/ Mac software and sewing machines on your own personal projects. Time slots are filled on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Looking for assistance with your smart phone, tablet, or laptop?  Want to learn how to download e-books and audios, browse magazines using Flipster, or figure out that app you've been hearing about?

Genealogy Musical Chairs

-Submit a digital poster file (PDF) to ningram@scgov.net with subject heading "Poster"

-Your poster will be your rendition of a book cover for one of your favorite books

For ages 3-11.  Bilingual stories, songs, and activities.  Learn new words and practice language skills.  Present by library volunteer, Lourdes Fuller. 

For preschoolers ages 2 1/2 to 5 years and their caregivers.  Join us for a storytime of stories, books, songs, rhymes, and activities specially chosen with preschool children in mind.  Each storytime concludes with a family-fun craft!

The Holodomor-Genocide of 1932-1933 in the Ukraine was a man-made famine perpetrated on the Ukrainian people by Stalin.  It resulted in the starvation of 7 million people,  a third of them children.  

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

Drop in for assistance using library technology including e-Books and audiobooks from Overdrive and the Cloud Library.

Come join Forty Carrots for a time of sharing and meaningful play.

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

Join us for a fun-filled morning of reading, songs, dancing, learning Kindergarten readiness skills and craft activities.

For ages 3-6.

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

Engage babies newborn to 18 months with movement to music, singing, rhymes and basic sign language to enhance social interaction and language development. Playtime follows.

Fridays, Sept. 21 - Dec. 14 with a break on Nov. 23

In this DVD course, Professor Bill Messenger of the Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University explores the origins and history of American musical theater, spanning two vibrant centuries.

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.

Are you in Grades 6-8 and need service hours for school? Club members should plan to attend the monthly meetings and assist with at least one additional program per month. A club agreement can be picked up at your first meeting.

Enjoy special uninterrupted play time with your child in our drop-in FREE Partners In Play® (PIP) parenting education groups.

The Chess Club meets every Tuesday from 12-4 in the computer lab. No registration required. 

Interested in finding out more about your family tree? Join us for this free instructional course on how to use library resources and databases to research your family history. Seating is limited. Registration is required. 

We Need You

Ask an E-Help volunteer for all your technology-related questions and predicaments. Held every Tuesday in the public meeting area.

Want to learn more about Florida-Friendly gardens, composting, or citrus trees? Need a plant or insect identified?

Want to learn more about using a computer or your device?

Sign up for your 30 minute session with one of our librarians.

Sessions are set up for Wednesdays starting at 1:00 pm.

Call 941-861-1360 to sign up.

Loss of friends and family, work, physical ability or a sense of identity ... these realities signal critical life changes, but can also be catalysts for personal growth.

Socrates Café is a gathering where people from different backgrounds get together and exchange thoughtful ideas and experiences while embracing the central theme of Socratic teaching; the idea that we learn.

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.

Jack, The Computer Guy, will explain how your computer works and why it doesn't.

Bring your imagination to life with LEGO®! Come build machines, animals, architecture, monsters, and more every second Saturday of the month. LEGO pieces will be provided. For children ages 5-11.

Come use our Adobe/ Mac software and sewing machines on your own personal projects. Time slots are filled on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Join us, you must! Bring the whole family for a celebration of Star Wars and literacy with activities, crafts, snacks, and special guests! Come dressed as your favorite character and join in the fun!

This program is open to all tweens and teens in grades 6-12, and counts as community service.  Attend the joint monthly TAB Meeting to discuss & plan upcoming teen events, discuss collection needs, discuss volunteer issues and traini

Join the Teen Advisory Board to make a difference at your local library and get community service hours. Make decisions about upcoming teen events, the Teen Zone, and the YA collection. Pizza will be provided!

Teens in grades 6 through 12 are welcome to hang out, have snacks, play games, and more.

New movies every Tuesday in the meeting room. Movie schedules are published bimonthly and available at the front circulation desk. 

Teens in grades 6 through 12 are welcome to hang out, have snacks, play games, and more.

Unfamiliar with your new phone? Here's a hint, if it's not an iPhone, it's an Android. Come learn the basics of setting up and operating smartphones running on Android-based operating systems.

Learn the fundamentals of sewing, from threading the machine to finishing touches. Make and take an item sewn by you! Materials are provided, class is free!

The October 10th Session is cancelled due to an earlier ending date for the program.

Drop in to get assistance with and ask questions about downloading library books to your computer and other devices, such as the Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPod, iPhone and Android phones and tablets.

Teens in grades 6 through 12 are welcome to hang out, have snacks, play games, and more.

For people who want to improve their Spanish speaking skills. Come practice your pronunciation and oral understanding through conversation and instruction of this romantic language. Everyone is welcome.

Are you a movie buff? Interested in watching critically acclaimed films and learning a little bit about the movie industry as well?

Teens in grades 6 through 12 are welcome to hang out, have snacks, play games, and more.

Join us to watch the classic mystery film Double Indemnity starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. Seating is limited.

Coloring pages, markers, color pencils, and crayons will be provided.

Teens in grades 6 through 12 are welcome to hang out, have snacks, play games, and more.

Drop-in arts and crafts with a splash of science! All programs are free and recommended for ages 6 and  up. Children under 8 years old may require parent or caregiver assistance at some programs.

Children are invited to read with certified pet therapy dogs.

This program encourages conversation and develops reading and communication skills.

The dogs love the attention and the kids love the interaction.

Children are invited to read with certified pet therapy dogs from Suncoast Humane Society. This program encourages conversation and develops reading and communication skills. The dogs love the attention and the kids love the interactions.

Tuesdays, Aug. 14 - Dec. 18 from 3 - 5:30 p.m.

Drop in and play a variety of board games including Harry Potter Clue, Ticket to Ride, Munchkin, and more!

Join us weekly for our Girls Who Code Club and create a technology based service project.  Learn technology and leadership in this nationally recognized program.

Students in grades 4-9, join us for friends, fun, food, and some awesome community service! Drop in between 3 and 4:30 p.m. and stay for an hour or more to make a difference in your world.

Children, tweens, and teens can drop in and learn how to play chess!

Children ages 5-11 will learn the science behind "memory" plastic.  Trace, color, and create your own Shrinky Dink charms.  Registration is required and limited to 15 children.  

CANCELED

Drop in to get assistance with and ask questions about downloading library books to your computer and other devices, such as the Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPod, iPhone and Android phones and tablets.

Join us for an afternoon of games! Open to children ages 5-11.

Fridays, Aug. 17 - Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.

with a break on Nov. 23

Chill with friends and watch a movie.

Kids are welcome to start the weekend right with some after school gaming! 

Bring your own or choose from our library of board, card, role playing, or Wii video games. 

The second session offers the advanced genealogy researcher one-on-one teacher instruction               in their personal genealogy quest.

Registration is required

Work on your own creations or build as a team.  We provide the LEGOs, you provide the imagination. We provide Duplo Blocks for younger siblings. 

Learn to knit or crochet! All ages and skill levels welcome! It is recommended to bring your own yarn and needles. Instructor-supplied yarns remain with the instructor weekly until piece is completed.

Come use our software and sewing machines on your own personal projects.

Are you in Grades 6-8 and need service hours for school? Club members should plan to attend the monthly meetings and assist with at least one additional program per month. A club agreement can be picked up at your first meeting.

A different project every week!

Call or visit to find out what it is this week!

Ages 6+.

Hola! Join us for an evening of learning intermediate Spanish grammar and vocabulary and practicing conversational skills.

Children are invited to read with certified pet therapy dogs.  This program encourages conversation and develops reading and communication skills. The dogs love the attention and the kids love the interactions.

A club for kids who love reading, writing, and nature! Weekly sessions using nature as inspiration.

For ages 7 and up.

Monthly Board Meeting -- Open to the Public

Having trouble with your device? Need help syncing your eBooks? Come see Luis, our in-house tech expert! See the Reference Desk for more information.

Come and join us as we introduce new books to independent readers. A different book from a series will be highlighted each month. There are also book related activities besides the discussion.  Snacks are served.

First Mondays of the Month, September - December from 5 - 6 p.m.

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

Come and enjoy free movies on our big screen. Contact the library for movie titles.

Join other teens on the second Monday of the month for movies and conversation. Titles are announced the month before and refreshments will be provided. For more information, please pick up a monthly event flyer at the library.

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

Practice speaking English! Please call 941-955-0421 to register as an ESOL learner with the Literacy Council of Sarasota.

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

Ages 11-18. Drop by to create new crafts each month. No registration required. Snacks will be provided.

Visit our open sewing lab to use the library's sewing machines to work on projects or practice your sewing skills.

Space and supplies are limited. (Only six machines are available)

For ages 11-18.  Bring your friends and learn about different countries and cultures from around the world.  Each month we will feature a different country.

The Gulf Gate Teen Advisory Board is committed to creating a teen friendly library by suggesting materials to purchase for the library collection, planning and implementing teen programs, and serving as a voice for all teens in the Gulf Gate area.

Work on your own creations or build as a team. We provide the LEGOs, you provide the imagination! For ages 8 and up; younger children may attend with a caregiver.

Drop-in arts and crafts with a splash of science! All programs are free and recommended for ages 6 and  up. Children under 8 years old may require parent or caregiver assistance at some programs.

Join us for our weekly family board game night! We will supply various games for all ages but feel free to bring your own favorite to share!