Pinellas County Libraries are now offering more than just books. You can find lots of free opportunities to learn, engage and explore at many locations throughout our county. Here is a list of some of the activities we found most intriguing at our local libaries. See the bottom of this article for a list of libary location and contact information.
1.freegall Music. Download songs that are yours to keep through the Pinellas County Library system. freegal Music allows you three free downloads each week and refreshes every Monday. All you need to do to get your free downloads is to enter using you Pinellas County resident library card information. Get started downloading now here.
2. Can’t make it to the libary to pick up your new favorite book in print? Just download it to your e-Reader through their online download network. The system offers free Auio and e-books through various third party sites as well as access to the PPLC’s Digital Media Catalog. Get started on your must read list here.
3. Still struggling with your job hunt? Don’t know where to go for career advice? The Gulfport Public Library can help you out with their Career Transitions resources. The job hunting resources include interview simulation, resume builder, job search and more. Call the Gulfport Library at 727.893.1074 for more information on logging into the Cengage Online Database.
4. Hola! Que tal? Ca va bien? New languages still got you hung up? If you are looking to expand your language skills across borders then the Mango Languages resource is perfect for you! Sign in with your libary card number to get started today!
- For Gulfport Public Library’s Log-in Click Here!
- For St. Pete Beach Public Libary’s Log-In Click Here!
- For Gulf Beaches Public Library’s Log-In Click Here!
5. Can’t figure out that new iPad, still struggling with the internet, your facebook or email? The Pinellas County Public Libraries all off free computer classes throughout the week. Schedule below
Gulf Beaches Public Library:
- Web-based Email – 2nd Wednesday of the month (April 10 & May 8)
- Open Forum: computer questions & answers – (April 15 & May 13)
- Internet Basics – 3rd Wednesday of the month ( April 17 & May 15)
- Facebook – 4th Monday of the month ( April 22 & May 20)
Gulfport Public Libary
- eSalon: Dowload ebooks from the Library with a little help Tuesdays from 3-5pm
- One-on-One Computer Instruction on Mondays and Wednesday from 10:30am to 1pm. First come, first served.
St. Pete Beach Public Library
- e-Reader Hour Mondays 3-4pm
- iPad for Beginners or Advanced Users (Registration Required). See this month’s print issue of Paradise News for this month’s meetings.
- Introduction to Facebook Thursdays 2-3pm
6. Tired of the same old movies. Want to explore new flicks with new friends. Try one of our public libaries film series. St. Pete Beach Public Library offers a WWII Film Series Mondays at 2:30pm. Gulf Beaches Public Library screens Humor films the last Tuesdays monthly at 4pm and International films the first Tuesday monthly at 4pm. Gulfport Public Library offers free Family Movie Days on select Saturdays at 10:30am and 1:30pm- the first movie is for the kids and the second is for teens & adults.
7. Community Outreach is in full bloom at most public libraries. A representative from Bill Young’s office will be at Gulfport Public Library on Tuesday May 7th from 9am to 11am. St. Pete Beach Public Library will host ‘Let’s Talk’ with Jim Parent Wednesday, May 29 at 6:30pm.
8. Local authors are always popping by for book signings at many of our Pinellas County libraries. You can find those signings with our events listings.
9. Online Book Club discussion feeds. Whether you like memoirs, historical fiction or contemporary fiction, Largo Public Library has an online book group for you. Books now being discussed include:
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
In nineteenth century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with laotong, or “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The two women exchange messages written on silk fans and handkerchiefs using nu shu, a unique language that women created in order to communicate but when a misunderstanding arises, their friendship threatens to tear apart. - The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Micahel Chabon
Chabon crafts a murder mystery based on the premise that a Jewish settlement was created in Alaska following World Wat II. In the small town of Sitka, Alaska, Detective Meyer Landsman finds the body of a prominent town figure, a heroin-addled chess prodigy, who has ties to organized crime. As Landsman digs deeper, he discovers that this is only the tip the iceberg and all signs point to a greater danger lurking in the shadows. - Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
- Set in post-apartheid Cape Town, Professor David Laurie attempts to relate to his daughter, Lucy, and to a society with new racial complexities. But that is disrupted by an afternoon of violence that changes him and his daughter in ways he could never have foreseen.
- The Road by Cormac McCarth
In a novel set in an indefinite, futuristic, post-apocalyptic world, a father and his young son make their way through the ruins of a devastated American landscape, struggling to survive and preserve the last remnants of their own humanity. - The Dive from Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer
When her fiance Mike is left paralyzed following a tragic accident, Carrie Bell begins to question her familiar world, from her everyday life in Wisconsin to her relationships, as she sets out to rediscover her own identity. - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Tells of a murder in Savannah, Ga. in lurid detail– with the added interest of its eccentric residents, and its history.Find out more on their website.
10. BOOKS! Not only can you borrow books, but each of our Pinellas County Libraries has their own group of ‘Friends’ who offer the books for sale, usually for only $2. The ‘Friends of the Library’ section is a great place to go if you are looking to BUY a new read or seeking inspiration from fellow readers in our community.
Pinellas County Public Library Cooperative
Phone: 727.441.8408
Website: http://www.pplc.us/libraries.shtml
Gulf Beaches Public Library
Address: 200 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach
Phone: 727.391.2828
Website: http://www.gulfbeacheslib.org/
Facebook: NONE
Gulfport Public Library
Address: 5501 28th Ave S, Gulfport
Phone: 727.893.1074
Website: http://mygulfport.us/gpl/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SPBLibrary#!/GulfportLibraryFL?fref=ts
St. Pete Beach Public Library
Address: 365 73rd Ave, St. Pete Beach
Phone: 727.363.9238
Website: http://www.stpetebeach.org/city-departments/public-library.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SPBLibrary
Largo Public Library
Address: 120 Central Park Drive, Largo
Phone: 727.587.6715
Website: http://www.largo.com/department/index.php?fDD=11-0
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Largo-Public-Library/163777558788?hc_location=timeline
Author: Kaeley Dawson
Date: April 24, 2013