Category: Friends News
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Message from the President
– A Successful Friends Season April 2026 Dear Members, Friends, and Friends of Friends The Friends have had a fabulous season! We’ve grown our membership — in both numbers and revenue. We hosted four successful book sales, generating funds while serving a broad cross-section of our community. Our 10 Monday evening speaker events were consistently…
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At the Library — April 2026
Kim Rinaldi, Senior Branch Manager As the season winds down and many of you prepare to return to your summer residences, don’t forget that the little pink library in paradise has much to offer you in the way of entertainment and learning, even from afar. If you haven’t renewed your year-round library card yet, be…
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Donor Party Rocks with Sam Sifton
On March 1, the Friends of the Key West Library’s most generous supporters gathered for a cocktail party at the home of Friends board member Elise Hart Kipness and her husband Rob Kipness (top right) for a glorious evening that was as memorable as it was meaningful. The highlight of the night was a live ceviche demonstration by Sam Sifton — founder…
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Donor Spotlight
Dr. Seanica HoweHowe Orthodontics Seanica Howe dreamed of being a doctor from the time she was a girl in Qulin, Missouri, a tiny town in the foothills of the Ozark mountains. She did her orthodontic residency in Miami and joined a dental group there, commuting back-and-forth to the practice she opened back in Missouri. A decade…
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Donate Those Gently Used Books to the Friends of the Key West Library!
Ready to Spring clean? The Friends currently accept gently used books throughout the year. Books should be in good condition without mold, damage, or missing jackets. Books published between 2006 and 2026 will be accepted inside the Key West Library at the circulation desk. You can find the guidelines for donating books here. They will be…
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Come to our Annual Meeting on March 9
Members, the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Key West Library will be held on March 9, 2026, at 5:45 p.m., in the Library Palm Garden. The meeting will immediately precede the talk by that evening’s speaker, Jenn McKinlay. The agenda is posted on our website with a link to the 2025 minutes here.…
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Message from the President
Behind the Scenes at Our Book Sales “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King Hello Friends— Book sales are one of the Friends most well-known and best attended activities. Our final sale of the season is coming up on March 7. Throughout the year, books are carefully sorted by our amazing volunteers. The…
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At the Library — March 2026
Kim Rinaldi, Senior Branch Manager By now, you should be using our new and improved website. Our calendar of events is chock full of fun things to do everyday and is easily searchable by interest, age group, and branch. And our Florida History page is one of the most entertaining and informative sites you will…
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Our Second Annual Mystery Tea was a Smash!
The suspects were grilled and the perpetrator identified and brought to justice. Plus there were goodies galore! Our sold-out mystery tea was co-sponsored by the Friends of the Key West Library, the Key West Woman’s Club, and the Key West Library. Thanks to all! Stay tuned for 2027.
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The Friends 2026 Unsung Hero
Mary Ann Westerlund The Community Foundation of the Florida Keys Annual Unsung Heroes Celebration honors nonprofit volunteers whose unpaid contributions made a meaningful difference over the past year. The Friends honoree this year is Mary Ann Westerlund. From the description of Mary Ann’s work: “Literacy is important to Mary Ann and she truly sees the library…