Kim Rinaldi, Senior Branch Manager
‘Tis the season for curling up on the porch swing with a cozy mystery, enjoying stories under the twinkling lights, strolling through the Palm Garden on a perfect blue-sky afternoon, and making homemade holiday decorations with Robin, Samantha, and Carly. So, hop on your bicycle and pedal on down to the little pink library. We can’t wait to share it all with you!
December begins with a flurry of activities. On Wednesday, December 3, at 6 p.m., Sophie Ward will visit us in the Palm Garden. Although her claim to fame is her starring role in several Jane Austen films and Young Sherlock Holmes, as well as numerous television series, she is also the accomplished author of two novels, Love and Other Thought Experiments and The Schoolhouse. With her award-winning stage talent and writing, this is sure to be an entertaining presentation.
Then on Saturday, December 6, the library staff take the stage in the Key West Hometown Holiday Parade. This is our chance to participate in a decades-long community event that draws an enormous crowd of local families and will showcase the library’s spirit and importance in the Key West community. Our float this year, “Rave a Great Read,” will be covered in neon and lights. Our staff will sparkle as they hand out glow sticks and LED glasses. We will dance to techno holiday music, all in the spirit of showcasing the library as a fun, trendy, happening place for kids of all ages. We hope that you will be in the crowd to cheer us on!
This season’s Café con Libros begins on Tuesday, December 9, at 10 a.m. with local Key West author Peter Cloutier, a waterman with more than 20 years experience working in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa. His novel, What We Were Making, is a must-read for those who love ocean adventures, political thrillers, romance, and coming-of-age stories. Then on December 16, we welcome Key West local Mary Lehman presenting her novel, Cappuccino Per Favore : A Life Journey, a Travel Odyssey, and an Invitation to be Inspired, Uplifted, & Entertained. Lehman says, “It is a love story. Not for another person but for a magical place, northern Italy’s incomparable Treasure Mountain with its breathtaking vistas, challenging hiking trails, great food, and generous and hospitable people.” Café con Libros offers you a chance to meet local writers living, working, and enjoying Key West as much as you do. Join us in the palm garden to hear their stories and pick up your next great read.
In addition to all of that, we have our monthly lineup of entertainment all December long. Pick up a schedule at the front desk or signup for the e-newsletter on our website here. There you will find several craft programs, a book club, weekly Mahjong games, Saturday Chess Club, Movies Under the Stars, and so much more.
Finally, we have teamed up with the jolly old man in the big red suit for a holiday spectacular in the Palm Garden. Visit Santa’s Southernmost Story Stroll now through New Year’s Day at the little pink library in paradise!