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What's New at Boca Raton Public Library
Love Your Library in February!
Boca Raton Public Library has many great things to love!  Relax with bestsellers and enjoy cookbooks, travel, history, art and more. Curl up at home with current movies, art films, documentaries, and TV shows on Hoopla or Kanopy. Embrace your creativity with our sustainability and crafting programs, or check out a sewing machine, musical instruments, or baking pans. Check out an audio or video to digital converter to cherish and safeguard your treasured memories. Take a stroll down the beach with a metal detector.  Meet a like-minded friend at one of our language, history, nature, travel, or Thursday Night Speaker programs.  Discover ways to connect with genealogy, podcasting, and iPhone or iPads tips and tricks.
 
For one-to-one help with technology, we have Book-a-Librarian and Next-Level-Instruction. Stay connected with New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Morningstar Investments, and hundreds of free online magazines. Looking for something new? Try online learning videos and courses from LinkedIn, Universal Class, Transparent Language, Craft & Hobby, and BrainFuse. Children imagine at storytimes, play with the AWE Learning Stations, and meet new friends at book and craft programs. The Library welcomes you to discover, connect and create!
Joyce Pernicone
Public Services Librarian III
February Event Spotlight
Family Book Brunch: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (ages 7-12)
Saturday, February 8, 10:30am-1:30pm
Downtown Library
Join us for our annual Family Book Brunch to discuss the remarkable book, The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.  Enjoy fun activities, games, and refreshments. A parent or caregiver must attend with child. After reserving a seat, visit either library to pick up your invitation and a free copy of the book (one book per family).
 
Generously funded by the Friends of the Library.
 
Library card required for seat reservation.
2025 Mayors' Chess Challenge (all ages)
Saturday, February 15, 10:00am-1:00pm
Downtown Library
Players of all ages, beginner and expert, are invited to play chess with community members. Players learn critical-thinking skills, improve concentration and discipline, develop problem-solving skills, and build self-esteem and good sportsmanship. Plus, chess is fun! Instructors will be on hand to help those new to the game. Bring the whole family for an exciting morning of chess and community engagement.
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome.

Boca Reads: Carl Hiaasen’s Humor and the Beauty of Florida Noir with Professor Taylor Hagood 
Thursday, February 20, 6:00-7:30pm
Downtown Library
Join Florida Atlantic University Professor Taylor Hagood for an insightful discussion on the Florida crime fiction author Carl Hiaasen, whose books are both best-sellers and works of art. In this overview, Professor Hagood will highlight the paradoxical pleasures of reading Hiaasen's Florida Noir.  
 
Taylor Hagood is a Professor of American Literature at FAU, and is the author of the recently published biography, Theodore Pratt: A Florida Writer’s Life. 
 
This free program is sponsored by the Festival of the Arts Boca.
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome.

Check out the Festival of Arts Boca program and ticket information to see author Carl Hiaasen speak live at Mizner Park Amphitheater here.
Events for Adults 
Saturday Morning Writers' Group with Dr. Caren Neile
Saturdays, February 1 and 15, 11:00am-12:30pm
via Zoom
Are you a budding or professional writer? Would you like feedback from other writers on your book chapters, short stories, poetry or vignettes? Are you interested in building an ongoing team of like-minded people for creative support and inspiration? If so, you are a perfect candidate for a writers' group.
 
 
Seat reservation required to receive ZOOM link; must be a library cardholder.

Kim Weitkamp: Beyond the Trees – A Story Central Performance
Saturday, February 1, 3:00-4:30pm
Downtown Library
Sustainability goes beyond the environment, all the way into the family roots. Come and enjoy stories and songs not only about the Earth, but also on how to keep the roots of your family tree healthy through story.
 
Kim Weitkamp is a beloved storyteller, author, singer-songwriter and humorist, with eight award-winning albums and a voice that has been described as “warm honey."
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome.

Sunday Matinee Music Series: Randy Corinthian
Sunday, February 2, 3:00-4:00pm
Downtown Library
Enjoy a free musical performance with saxophonist, producer and educator Randy Corinthian. From his formative years as musician & bandleader, to his present recording artist status, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer, Corinthian is identified by his charismatic and scintillating personality and musical style. 
 
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library with additional support from Arthur and Ellen Wagner. 
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome.

Coastal Creature Conversations: Manatees
with Dr. Harrison Albert - Coastal Stewards Talks Series
Thursday, Febuary 6, 6:00-7:30pm
Downtown Library
In the second session of this three-part series, learn about the marine animals common to Florida's coasts and the efforts Dr. Harrison Albert and others, as part of the Marine Animal Rescue Society (MARS) and the Coastal Stewards, make in order to save and maintain populations of these wonderful creatures. 
 
Reserve a seat to receive an email reminder but drop-ins welcome.

Monday Movies - Documentary: Invisible Beauty directed by Bethany Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng
Monday, February 10, 5:30-8:00pm
Downtown Library
An essential memoir of fashion pioneer Bethann Hardison, this film shines a spotlight on the singular and unapologetic Hardison, one of the fashion industry’s most influential icons. Hardison and her codirector Frédéric Tcheng set forth an absorbing record of the racial evolution of fashion and an original contemplation on the life of an unparalleled trailblazer.  
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome.

Turning "65" in 2025: Medicare Updates
Tuesday, February 11, 11:00am-12:30pm
Spanish River Library
New to Medicare? Learn more about Medicare Basics, When and How to Enroll,  your Medicare Options, Prescription Drug Coverage, how Medicare impacts your Social Security benefits and more. Join your host, licensed agent Mindy Stern, for this educational event.
 
Reserve a seat to receive a reminder but all drop-ins welcome. 

Moments in History: Europe in the Middle Ages
Wednesday, February 12, 1:30-3:00pm
Spanish River Library
 
Knights, maidens, and jesters, oh my! With the Renaissance Festival in full swing, learn about the intricacies of the European Middle Ages and how what we might sometimes think of as the “dark” ages were actually much more complicated!
 
Seat reservation required. 

Living the Dream: Volunteering in National Parks
with Denise Sears
Thursday Night Speaker Series
Thursday, February 13, 6:00-7:30pm
Downtown Library
Join Denise Sears, a long-term National parks volunteer, as she speaks about living and working in some of the most incredible natural wonders and fascinating historical sites in the United States. Herding bears, dodging rattlers, scaring condors, sidestepping rattlers, shooting muskets, dodging floods - all part of the job! 
 
The Thursday Night Speakers series is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
 
Reserve a seat to recieve a reminder but all drop-ins welcome. 

Story Central Storytelling Slam with Dr. Caren Neile
Sunday, February 16, 3:00-4:30pm
Downtown Library
It's a community storytelling concert. It's a friendly competition. It's a chance to make new connections and renew old ones. Join us for the delightful cafe atmosphere, coffee and tea, and 5-7-minute true personal stories (not read or memorized) from the audience. 
 
Maximum storytellers: 10. Reservations for storytellers preferred but not required. 
 
Drop-ins welcome to listen in on shared stories.

Monday Movies - Feature Film: American Fiction
directed by Cord Jefferson
Monday, February 24, 5:30-8:00pm
Downtown Library
Monk is a frustrated novelist who's fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome.

Sustainable Yards Series: This for That: More Sustainable, Florida-Friendly Plants for Our Landscapes
Wednesday, February 26, 6:00-7:30pm
Spanish River Library
Presenter Kara Krueger, UF/IAS Palm Beach County Environmental Horticulture Agent, will discuss the impacts of non-beneficial plantings and highlight the opportunities we have to plant more Florida-friendly and Florida native plants in our landscapes. 
 
The Sustainability Yard Series is brought to you by the City of Boca Raton Office of Sustainability and the Unviersity of Florida/IFAS Palm Beach County.
 
Email sustainability@myboca.us or call 561-393-7997 with questions about registration or the program.

Trivia Night
Wednesday, February 26, 6:00-7:30pm
Downtown Library
Ready for Trivia Nights at the Downtown Library? Bring your friends or come solo—everyone's invited! We've got a mix of fun questions waiting for you.
 
Reserve a seat to receive a reminder but all drop-ins welcome. 

Connecting with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to Transform Our World with Dr. Anna Krift -
Thursday Night Speaker Series
Thursday, February 27, 6:00-7:30pm
Downtown Library
Become a changemaker! During our talk, we will discuss the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).  As the United Nations details, these 17 SDGs provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.  It is an urgent call for action for all citizens and, by discussing the SDGs and their targets, we can conceptualize how we can each apply the targets to our everyday lives.  We will come up with plans to engage and implement action and work toward solving the world’s greatest challenges one step at a time.
 
The Thursday Night Speakers series is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
 
Reserve a seat to receive a reminder but all drop-ins welcome.

Fran Stallings: Earthteller – A Story Central Performance
Saturday, March 1, 3:00-4:30pm
Downtown Library
Enjoy traditional folktales and science-based stories celebrating our wonderful planet, with autoharp accompaniment.  Trained as a biologist, Fran Stallings has been a professional storyteller for 40 years, telling science in the shape of story and creating numerous publications and recordings.  She performs and teaches worldwide.
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome.

Poets on the Fringe (POTF)
Tuesdays in February, 3:30-5:45pm
Spanish River Library
Poets from all walks of life, both established and emerging, are encouraged to share their work and offer positive feedback and support to each other. This weekly series is hosted by Pamela Passaretta, who coordinated this program for 10 years in Washington, DC. Open to ages 18 and up.
 
Seat reservation not required but seating is limited.

Socrates Cafè
Mondays, Spanish River Library,  1:00-3:00pm
Tuesdays, Downtown Library, 1:30-3:00pm
At Socrates Cafe, people from different backgrounds get together and exchange thoughtful ideas and experiences. Gatherings are free and open to any member of the public who wishes to freely discuss a question, which is chosen by vote.
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome. 
What's New in the Digital Library
It's never too late to learn something new! Explore The Great Courses Video Library, master guitar with Fret Zealot, try a new workout with Get Healthy U TV, and more with the new Lifelong Learning BingePass collection on hoopla.
 
A BingePass gives you 7 days of access and only uses one of your ten monthly borrows. Find the full list of BingePasses under the Browse tab in hoopla. 
Instructional Classes for Adults
Life Skills: Counted Cross Stitch Hearts
Tuesday, February 4, 11:00am-12:30pm
Downtown Library
Next Level cross stichers will learn how to do counted cross stitch with a free-hand pattern. New stitches will be presented along with details of how to read patterns and track rows. Broaden your skills in cross stitch or embroidery and learn to work from a pattern to create next level cross stitch pieces. Basic cross stitch or embroidery skills needed for this Advanced Beginner class. Supplies and pattern provided. 

Library card required for seat reservation.

Sustainability: Sew a Reusable Snack Bag
Wednesday, February 5, 10:00am-12:00pm
Downtown Library
Reduce your reliance on plastic with homemade reusable fabric snack bags. Learn how to use a sewing machine and repurposed household items to create a fun and functional pouch.
 
Prerequisite: "How to Use a Sewing Machine: Sewing Basics."
 
Library card required for seat reservation.

Sustainability: Scrap Paper Projects with Cricut
Wednesday, February 12, 1:00-3:00pm
Downtown Library
Do you have leftover paper and cardstock from previous craft projects? Learn how to use Cricut Design Space and the Cricut Maker 3 to turn your scrap paper into new projects and embellishments. 
 
Library card required for reservation
 
Seat reservation required. 

Sustainability: DIY Pet Toys from Recycled Materials
Wednesday, February 19, 1:00-3:00pm
Downtown Library
It’s Love Your Pet Day! Bring your used paper towel and toilet paper tubes, scrap fabric, old socks and t-shirts, newspapers, magazines, and create a variety of DIY pet toys.
 
Library card required for seat reservation.

Sustainability: Upcycled Newspaper Gift Bags
Monday, February 24, 1:00-3:00pm
Downtown Library
Learn how to upcycle newspaper, cardstock, and cardboard into cute, environmentally friendly gift bags.
 
Library card required for seat reservation. 

US Citizenship Test Preparation
Tuesdays, 6:15-7:45pm
Spanish River Library
Do you need help preparing for the Citizenship and Interview Test? This 4-5 class series offers a range of resources and services for those preparing to become a United States citizen and repeats monthly. 
 
Classes are designed to help prepare adult immigrants to successfully complete the naturalization process. This preparation includes developing civic knowledge, learning about N-400, practice on 100 questions and the naturalization interview one-on-one preparation.
 
Seat resesrvation required.

ESOL Conversation Corner
Tuesdays, 11:30am-1:00pm
Downtown Library
Come practice your conversational English skills over a cup of coffee or tea! We will improve our speaking and reading skills through a variety of everyday conversation topics and fun activities. We meet every other Tuesday morning. Recommended for participants with advanced-beginner to intermediate speaking ability.
 
Reserve a seat to receive a reminder but all drop-ins welcome. 

Our Instructional Services team is offering many classes for adults this month. Click on the links below or visit the Library Calendar to reserve a seat. Seat reservations are required for all programs.
Book Talks for Adults
Book Talks - An Hour to Kill: Rhode Island Red by Charlotte Carter
Tuesday, February 4, 2:00-3:00pm
Downtown Library 
Nan’s day is not off to a good start. Her on-again, off-again relationship with Walter is off…again, and when she offers a fellow busker a place to stay for the night he ends up murdered on her kitchen floor. To make matters worse, the busker turns out to have been an undercover cop. A New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year.
 
Seat reservations not required; drop-ins welcome.
 
Reserve a copy of the book here

Book Talks - Non-Fiction/Biographies: The Black Cabinet: the Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age
of Roosevelt by Jill Watts
Tuesday, February 18, 2:00-3:00pm
Downtown Library
In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt won the presidency with the help of key African American defectors from the Republican Party.  At the time, most African Americans lived in poverty in the South, denied citizenship rights and terrorized by white violence. But Roosevelt's victory created the opportunity for a group of African American intellectuals and activists to join his administration as racial affairs experts. But the Black Cabinet never won official recognition from Roosevelt, and with his death, it disappeared from history. 
 
Seat reservation not required; drop-ins welcome.
 
Reserve a copy of the book here.

 
Friends Book Club: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Thursday, February 27, 6:30-7:30pm
Virtual Program
It is Christmas time, 1985 in a small Irish town. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, coal merchant and family man Bill Furlong makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. 
 
Open to all. No pre-registration required.
 
Join virtual program with our new dedicated Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6188745394
 
Presented by the Friends of the Library.
 
Reserve a copy of the book here.
What's New for Children
Serenoa Glade Preserve at George Snow Park
Five little kittens enjoy the wonders of spring as they spend time in the garden.
 
StoryWalk is a fun, educational activity that places a children’s storybook along a popular walking route in the community. Different books are displayed throughout the year to keep the StoryWalk experience fresh and promote future learning.
 
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Tail Wagging Tutors (ages 6-8)
Saturday, February 1, 12:00-1:30pm
Downtown Library & Spanish River Library
Build your child's reading confidence with furry, tail wagging, tutors. Limited spaces available. Parent/guardian signature of an activity waiver particpant form is required for each child prior to attending the program. Please plan to arrive early to sign the waiver and pick your books.

Special Guest Storytime with a Dump Truck Driver
Monday, February 3, 10:00-10:30am, Downtown Library
Monday, February 10, 10:00-10:30am, Spanish River Library
This fun-filled half-hour will be packed with songs, fingerplays and stories read by library staff and a special guest reader from the Boca Raton Public Works & Engineering team. Following storytime, everyone will go outside to take a look at a real dump truck and be able to take photos.
 
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
 
Seat reservation required.

Tail Wagging Tutors (ages 6-8)
Saturday, February 15, 12:00-1:30pm
Downtown Library & Spanish River Library
Build your child's reading confidence with furry, tail wagging, tutors. Limited spaces available. Parent/guardian signature of an activity waiver particpant form is required for each child prior to attending the program. Please plan to arrive early to sign the waiver and pick your books.

Bright Minds Storytime: An ASD Storytime (ages 7-12)
Friday, February 21, 3:30-4:00pm
Downtown Library
This fun storytime is designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children must be accompanied with at least one parent/caregiver. Siblings welcome too.
 
Seat reservation required. 

Farmer Jay’s Junior Sprouts Class (ages 6-8)
Wednesdays in February, 3:30-4:30pm
Downtown Library
Get ready to grow something! Join the Jr. Sprouts program which will introduce children to the lost art of sustainable agriculture. Each class includes fun, hands-on activities. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. A seat reservation is required for each individual class.
 
Library card required for seat reservation. 
 

My First Book Club (ages 6-7)
Thursdays in February, 4:00-4:30pm
Spanish River Library
Children discuss beginner reader books and do related fun activities. Books distributed one week ahead of time to prepare for class. Child attends independently.
 
Books funded by the Friends of the Library.
 
Seat reservation required for each individual class.
 

Exceptional Explorers (ages 7-8)
Wednesdays in February, 4:00-4:45pm
Spanish River Library
Join us for new adventures each week as we meet inspiring real life explorers and engage in fun, hands-on activities. Be curious, seek answers and explore with us.
 
Seat reservation required for each individual class.
What's New for Tweens and Teens
Sustainability Skills for Teens: Soap Making (ages 13-17)
Tuesday, February 4, 6:00-7:00pm
Downtown Library
Teens come together to learn the basics of soap making. We will go through the process, step-by-step, and teens will make their own creative soap sample.
 
Seat reservation required.
Tween Graphic Novel Book Talk: Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega (ages 9-12)
Tuesday, February 4, 6:00-7:00pm
Spanish River Library
Marlene loves three things: books, her cool Tía Ruby and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and "growing up." That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have "presentable", "good hair." But Marlene doesn't understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her
 
Reserve your seat, pick up your book at the Spanish River Library, and meet with us to talk about the novel.
 
Books funded by the Friends of the Library.

Baby-Sitters Club: Claudia's Crafternoon (ages 9-12)
Tuesday, February 18, 6:00-7:00pm
Spanish River Library
Using common household items, create a monthly upcycled craft inspired by the ever funky and fun Claudia from Babysitter's Club. Materials will be provided, but feel free to bring your own projects to work on in a safe space with friends.
 
Seat reservation required.

Sustainability Skills for Tweens: Embroidery (ages 9-12)
Tuesday, February 18, 6:00-7:00pm
Downtown Library
Tweens come together to learn the basics of embroidery. We will go through the process, step-by-step, and tweens will make their own creative embroidery sample.
 
Seat reservation required.

Rookie Rooks Introduction to Chess for Youth (ages 8-12)
Sunday, February 23, 10:30am-11:30am
Downtown Library
Ready to learn how to play chess? Join a monthly introduction chess class led by a chess instructor in partnership with Endgame Education.  Child attends independently.
 
Seat reservation required for each individual class.

Booktastic Book Talk: City Spies (ages 8-10)
Tuesday, February 25, 3:30-4:15pm
Downtown Library
Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.
 
Pick up a free copy of the book at the Downtown  Library's Youth Services desk once registered (while supplies last). Books donated by the Friends of the Library.
 
Child attends independently. Seat reservation required.

Journey to Olympus (ages 9-12)
Tuesdays, February 11, 25, 6:00-7:00pm
Downtown Library
Journey to Olympus, and learn about the various gods, heroes, and monsters of Greek mythology. Learn about a different myth, story, or legend each month, and engage in fun activities.
 
Seat reservation required. Register for each class individually. 
More to Enjoy
New Art Exhibit "Painting Through the Decades” 
By Lucy Nadine Borg
December 16 - February 7
Downtown Library
Ms. Borg grew up in New York City and earned a BA in Art Education at Queens College CUNY, eventually becoming an art teacher. In her free time, she spent many years painting abstractly with watercolor and gouache. Ms. Borg explains, “When I paint, I am constantly having a conversation with the painting. I am in a zone. I don’t hear anything or see anything around me. What I paint is what I feel. My painting is a learning process. I love when people look at my paintings and they find interesting images that I never expected.” Read more...

New Art Exhibit "Impressions" by Mary Ann Appell
January 6 - February 14
Spanish River Library
Having made over 15 trips to Europe, Mary Ann Appell has captured artscapes across Italy, France, Spain, England, and the Netherlands, blending her personal artistic expression with the vibrant landscapes she encounters. Her photographs are not merely images; they are vibrant, dynamic impressions of the world around us, created with a sense of awe and reverence for the natural beauty that surrounds us. Read more...

Our 2025 Initiative: Pathway to Sustainability
The Library’s 2025 program initiative is Pathway to Sustainability! Be sure to take advantage of the many sustainable-themed programs that feature special guest expert speakers, adult storytelling performers, funtastic storytimes for youth, and clever sustainable life skill activities to help you create more eco-friendly items for everyday use. 
 
The popular Sustainable Yard program series is offered in partnership with the City of Boca Raton's Office of Sustainability and the University of Florida/IFAS Palm Beach County Environmental Horticulture Extension Office.  Check out the free Seed Library at both library locations.  Explore Florida nature and gardening books, videos, and more online in the Digital Library.
Library Team Member Spotlight
Barbara Valentine
Library Assistant II
What I Do: I am part of the Account Services team at the Downtown Library. My role is to promote and create library cards for city residents, renew library cards, collect fines, place/remove holds, check in/out library books, answer questions – basically anything library account and/or customer service related.
 
Why I Love My Job: I love working with our team, our library patrons, and having the opportunity to represent the City of Boca Raton where I grew up. Did you know that Boca Raton will be 100 years old this year!?!
 
What I’m Reading Now: The Waiting by Michael Connelly.
Friends of the Library News
The Friends are grateful to the community for generous book donations.  
Volunteers receive book donations Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00am-3:30pm at the Bookstore located in the lobby of the Downtown Library. Please review the book donation policy at the Friends Bookstore Webpage.

Support Indie Bookstores
You can purchase Friends virtual book club picks online at Bookshop.org. Search for the Friends of the Boca Raton Public Library Bookstore to see their list of book club picks, and select them as the bookstore you would like to support with your purchase.
 

Friends' Bookstore Hours & Location
400 NW 2nd Ave., Boca Raton, FL 33432
Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm
Sunday -1:00-4:00pm
Monday: Closed
561-544-8596

Library Hours & Locations
400 NW 2nd Ave., Boca Raton, FL 33432
1501 NW Spanish River Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431
Monday - Thursday: 9:00am-8:00pm
Friday - Sunday: 9:00am-5:00pm
561-393-7852

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Boca Raton Public Library
400 NW 2nd Ave, Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone: 561-393-7852
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