We’re here for the kids – and teens – at the Monroe County Public Library
The Monroe County Public Library has five branches from Key Largo to Key West – and we have lots of ways you can get what you need from the library, with after-hours access on evenings and weekends and 24/7 online.
We offer:
Books and DVDs – Take a look at our online catalog to search for books and DVDs that will help your youngsters learn. With a Monroe County Public Library card, you can request any title from the collection and have it sent to the branch closest to you. We have Pickup Lockers outside the Key Largo and Marathon Library branches, as well as at Bernstein Park on Stock Island, that offer access on evenings and weekends. And you can get books and DVDs after hours from our Lending Machines at Bernstein Park and the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo.
eBooks and eAudiobooks – You can browse our digital collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks from your computer or phone (on a phone, it’s easiest to do with the Libby app). If you’re looking for something and we don’t have it, you can suggest a purchase. You can also request a book or DVD that we don’t have via Interlibrary Loan.
Kanopy Kids – Our streaming service for TV and movies has a special section for kids – and you get unlimited plays! This includes story times, entertainment and educational videos on subjects like history, languages and science and math. Kanopy also includes the Great Courses, with a huge offering of topics and instructional videos. You can watch Kanopy content on your computer or on your phone or TV with the Kanopy app.
Research resources – We have several databases with journal articles, books and more that can help your kids learn. You can find them all on the Kids & Teens section of our website.
Computers and printing – We loan laptops and tablets for two hours of in-library use. And we offer printing for 10 cents a page – black-and-white or color. You can print from our computers or from your own device, including a mobile phone.
LinkedIn Learning – More than 16,000 courses are available to you, for free, with your library card. These courses are intended for adults but advanced students could benefit from them – including courses on technology and creative fields. Certifications for some software platforms and certificate prep courses are also available.
Mango Languages – Online language learning courses with dozens of languages – including English as a second language – and Pirate!
Local History – The 100-mile archipelago of the Florida Keys has a long and eventful history and the Library’s Florida Keys History Center is the premiere archive for documents and images for the Keys.. You can learn more about it by following the Today In Keys History posts on our website – they’re also posted daily to Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). You can also learn about some fascinating episodes in local history from our monthly Island Chronicles feature – which you can also sign up here to receive as an email newsletter. And if you want to see some of those images from the past, you can browse our online image archive, which has almost 24,000 photos.
Programs at the library:
Key Largo – 101485 Overseas Highway (in the Tradewinds Shopping Center) – Programs for kids include Lego Club, Slime Time and more special events each month. Check out the monthly calendar online or as a downloadable PDF. Questions? Stop by or call us at 305-451-2396.
Islamorada – 81830 Overseas Highway – We have a Homeschool Art Program at 10:30 a.m. on the first Thursday each month – a different program each time. If you’re interested in Pokémon, bring a bag lunch and stick around for Pokémon on the same day, from noon-2 p.m. and embroidery at 12:30 p.m. We also have weekly programs for kids, including Stem Stuff on Tuesdays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and Art Attack! on Thursdays from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Check out the monthly calendar online or download it as a PDF, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Questions? Stop by or call us at 305-664-4645.
Marathon – 3490 Overseas Highway – The Marathon Library branch holds Homeschool Learning Activities for kids from ages 3-10 every Thursday. The programs are at 10 a.m. for kids from 3 years old to kindergarten age and at 11:30 a.m. for first grade and up. The branch also has lots of other programs for kids and teens including a 3-D printing open lab on Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon, a Lego Maker Lab on Thursdays at 4 p.m. and more. Check out the monthly calendar online, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Questions? Stop by or call us at 305-743-5156.
Big Pine Key – 213 Key Deer Boulevard (in the Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza) – We host a Homeschool Social Meet-up at 10:30 a.m. on the fourth Friday every month. You can play games, get your Library Scouts and Outdoor Explorer buttons, socialize and, of course, check out books. The Library Scouts program is every Wednesday between 2 and 4 p.m. (you can drop in when it works for you) and Outdoor Explorers is on Saturdays, from noon to 1 p.m. Teen Dungeons & Dragons is on Tuesdays from 4-7 p.m. and we have a games cart you can choose from any time. Check out the monthly calendar online, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Questions? Stop by or call us at 305-872-0992.
Key West – 700 Fleming Street (entrance to the parking lot is off Elizabeth Street) – There’s a lot going on at this library, including Game On! for kids and teens on Thursday and Fridays from 2:30-5 p.m., Library Scouts on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 2-5:30 p.m., and Lignum Vitae Letters – we exchange handwritten letters with counterparts in Fort Kent, Maine – on the third Wednesday of the month from 3-7 p.m. Chess Club meets from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and is open to all ages and skill levels. Check out the monthly calendar online for special events, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Questions? Stop by or call us at 305-292-3595.
You can sign up online and get started with our digital resources right away. You’ll need to come to one of our branches within three months and show local ID, proof of local residency or a military I.D. to get a card and borrow physical materials. But there’s a lot you can do at the library, including attending programs, printing and using our laptops, even if you don’t have a card.
How do I find out about what’s happening at the Library?
Stop by your local branch for a printed newsletter, look at our online event calendar or sign up here to receive an email newsletter for any individual branch.
Questions? Stop by any branch or email info@keyslibraries.org.