The Library Is Here For Our Military

The Monroe County Public Library is here to serve everyone in the community. All military personnel and family on active duty or retired in Monroe County are eligible for a free library card.

How do I get a library card?

Come to any of our five branches – they’re in Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo – and show your military ID and we’ll sign you up. You can also sign up online and get started with our digital offerings like eBooks and streaming movies right away. You’ll just need to come into one of the branches within three months to convert the card. To sign in, the library card number is your user ID and the PIN is typically the last four digits of the phone number you gave us when you registered.

What do you have to offer and how do I get it?

• Books, including audiobooks on CD – You can find these from any of our five branches or the two Library Lending Machines, at Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo and Bernstein Park on Stock Island. You can browse our catalog online. If an item is at a different branch or checked out to another patron, you can request it and we’ll send it to the place you request for pick-up. That includes pick-up lockers that are accessible on evenings and weekends.
• Movies on DVD – Each branch has a media box with a collection of DVDs. You can also browse our catalog online and request DVDs be sent from a different branch. DVDs are also in our Lending Machines at Bernstein Park on Stock Island and at the Murray Nelson Government Center.
• eBooks and eAudiobooks – Thousands of titles are available through the Libby app and our Overdrive website. Digital books are also listed in our library Catalog.
• Streaming movies and TV shows – More than 30,000 titles are available through our Kanopy app. Your library card gets you 10 plays per month – with unlimited play for kids’ content.
• Programs for kids and adults – Story times, book clubs, gaming, crafts – to stay up on what’s happening at the Library, check the events on our website, and/or follow the nearest branch on Facebook or Instagram. Facebook: Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada, Key Largo. Instagram: Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada, Key Largo.
• Computers and printing – You can borrow one of our laptops to use in the Library for up to two hours. Printing and copying is 10 cents/page, color or black-and-white. You can also print from your own device, including mobile phones. And you can scan documents here. Need some help? Our branches also offer Tech Tutoring sessions, where we can help you one-on-one. Contact the branch nearest you to learn more or schedule a session.
• Language courses – Mango Languages has more than 70 courses, including English as a second language tailored to the language you’re starting from.
• Newspapers and magazines – The branches each have copies of local and national newspapers and magazines. You can also read publications online through the Florida Electronic Library. And you can get digital access to the New York Times while you’re using our computers or on our wifi. You can also follow a link from our website to activate 24 hours of digital access from home, using your Library card.
• Family history services – Using one of our computers or if you’re on our wifi network, you can use library editions of Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.
• Legal forms and information – Law Depot provides basic legal documents for business, family, real estate and other fields.
• Local history – The Library’s Florida Keys History Center is the premiere historical archive for the Keys. We have an online archive of more than 30,000 images (like the one at the top of this post) and produce the daily Today In Keys History column (which you can also get by following the Florida Keys History Center on Facebook and Instagram). If you really want to dig into local history, you can visit the Florida Keys History Center at the Key West Library, 700 Fleming St. Just call or email ahead of time to make sure someone is available to help you.

What if I can’t get to the Library during the hours you’re open?

You can get books and DVDs from our Lending Machines on evenings and weekends, even when the Library buildings are closed. In Key Largo, the machine is at the Murray Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Highway, and it’s accessible 24/7. On Stock Island, the Lending Machine is at Bernstein Park, 6751 Fifth Street. It’s open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. You can also request books, audiobooks and DVDs to be sent to our pick-up lockers that are accessible 24/7 – they are at the Key Largo Library, 101485 Overseas Highway (at the Tradewinds Shopping Plaza) and the Marathon Library, 3490 Overseas Highway. The pick-up locker at Bernstein Park on Stock Island is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

How long can I keep things I get from the Library?

The loan period for books and audiobooks is two weeks, and for DVDs is one week. They automatically renew up to five times unless someone else has requested the item. We do not charge overdue fines but if you don’t return something when it’s due, your account could be blocked. Digital loans, like e-books, can also be renewed through the Libby app if no one else is waiting for the book.

What if I want something and you don’t have it?

If it’s a book or DVD that was published more than a year ago, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan. Staff at the branches can also help place your request. We’ll try to borrow it from another library on your behalf. If it’s a newer item that we don’t have and you think we should, you can suggest a purchase with this form or in person at any branch.

Can I book a meeting room?

Yes, though the different branches have different availabilities, based on their facilities. Here is our general policy. The Marathon Library has study rooms that can be reserved for up to two hours and are wired with large screens.

I have a question you didn’t answer here. Who can I ask?

You can use our Ask A Librarian service – the button is always at the bottom right hand side of our website. You can also email info@keyslibraries.org or call your local branch.

Images: Martin PBM Mariners seaplanes on the ramp at Trumbo Point Air Station with crew and staff in front of the plane. U.S. Naval Air Station. U.S. Navy photo from the Scott DeWolfe Collection.

Monroe County Library Bookmobile at Charlie Battery of the Sixth Missile Battalion on March 1, 1964. U.S. Navy photo.

Both images from the Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.