Your library has you covered for New Year’s resolutions
New Year’s resolutions are arbitrary – but also appealing. A new calendar, a new year, it’s a great opportunity to make some changes in your life.
At the Monroe County Public Library, we’re here to help you achieve those goals. And pro tip, you can do these any time. Even if you’re not feeling it till May – or November – we’re still here for you.
Some possibilities:
Read more
Yep, we’ve got that covered! Print books and audiobooks on CD, eBooks and eAudiobooks and now digital magazines – more than 5,000 titles, including back issues, with no waitlist. We have fiction in just about every genre you can think of, including the latest bestsellers and prize winners, history, biography, true crime, cookbooks, and more. We have graphic novels (ie. comic books for all ages – and some of them aren’t fiction, either). If it’s not on the shelf at your local branch, you can request it and have it delivered to your local branch – or to our pick-up lockers at Bernstein Park on Stock Island, at the Marathon and Key Largo libraries. If you don’t know what to read next, our library staff loves recommending books. If it’s not in our collection, we can ask for it from another library by Interlibrary Loan, or you can suggest a purchase.
Learn a new skill
Remember Lynda.com? Now it’s called LinkedIn Learning and it’s free with your library card. There are more than 4,000 courses on there that will help you gain new professional skills, including certifications in commonly used technologies like Microsoft and Meta. You can also learn about time management, photography, personal investment and much more.
Take care of business
Need to make a will, draw up a lease or find another business or legal document? Law Depot has forms online and guides to help you through.
Explore local history
Whether you were born here or arrived yesterday, chances are you have something to learn about the incredible history of the Florida Keys. And this is the time to dive in – Monroe County is celebrating its Bicentennial in 2023. Every branch has a collection of books on local history and you can follow the Library’s Florida Keys History Center online at our website, on Facebook and on Instagram @keyshistory. You can also join millions of others and browse through our incredible online photo collection. You can also subscribe to the History Center’s monthly email newsletter, Island Chronicles, to learn fascinating stories from Keys history. If you missed the earlier installments, you can catch up here.
Brush up your language skills
Planning some travel, or just want to expand your linguistic horizons? Mango has online learning of more than 70 languages, including English as a second language. And once you’ve got a Mango account, you can add up to five other people – who don’t have to have their own library cards.
Learn a new game
Most of our branches have games available to play in the library and many have gaming events for different age groups. Keep an eye on our events calendar, and if you don’t see what you’re looking for, ask the staff.
Connect with your community
Speaking of that events calendar, you can make connections at the library that will enrich your life, whether it’s reading to and with your kids at storytime, attending a presentation or performance, joining a book club or trying a new craft. You can also volunteer, join the local Friends group and help make our libraries better. Check with your local branch for a newsletter of upcoming events, too – or sign up for one of our email newsletters so the information is delivered directly to your inbox. If you have your own book club but have been having trouble getting everyone on the same page, you can check out one of our Book Club In A Bag kits – each kit contains 10 copies of the book and a list of suggested questions to get the discussion started. There are dozens of titles to choose from and we’re adding more all the time.
Check out the other branches
We all love our “home” library branch but each and every branch of the Monroe County Public Library system is unique and reflects its community. If you haven’t already, you can check out everything from the new Marathon Library to the Islamorada Library, which includes a historic “Red Cross” structure built as a school after the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. If you haven’t been to the Big Pine Key branch lately, stop by and check out our floor-to-ceiling renovation from last spring. And if you want to see our newest facilities, check out the Lending Machines at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo (accessible 24/7) and at Bernstein Park on Stock Island (accessible 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily).
Practice self-care
The Key West and Islamorada branches have lovely outdoor spaces that are perfect for meditation, reflection, journaling and more. The Library also has a Health and Wellness database with a wealth of up-to-date information. And we have lots of books that can help you practice self-care, emotionally, physically and more.
Bypass the paywall
Need to read that story in the New York Times but can’t spring for a subscription right now? You can log on through this link for 24-hour offsite access – or read for free anytime when you’re on the library wifi, whether it’s your own device or anyone else’s.
Love streaming?
You can choose from the extensive and diverse collection of more than 30,000 films and tv series on Kanopy – including unlimited plays on Kanopy Kids. Watch on your TV using the Kanopy app or on any other device of your choice.
Stay in touch
We now offer monthly email newsletters that will tell you what’s happening at each branch – along with Island Chronicles from the Florida Keys History Center, illuminating a little-known chapter of Keys history each month. You can sign up here to receive any of these newsletters – unsubscribing is easy, with one click.
Save some money
See all of the above – everything listed here is free to you with a Monroe County Public Library card. If you can’t get one of those, every branch has books for sale at great prices, benefiting the local Friends of the Library chapter and most of them have free books, too. And you don’t need a card to attend our programs or use many of our services, like printing or borrowing a laptop.
Questions? Visit or call your local branch or email info@keyslibraries.org