Ponte Vedra Beach Library in February

All libraries will be closed on Monday, February 16th in honor of President’s Day. No items will be due this day and we will resume normal operating hours on Tuesday, February 17th.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH

Just for Babies and Family Storytimes
Just for Babies: 2nd and 4th Thursdays @10:15am; for babies up to 15 months and their caregivers. This infant lapsit is designed for one-on-one interaction between caregiver and baby. Families with babies and older siblings are encouraged to attend Family Storytime.
Family Storytime: Every Thursday @11am; for children 16 months to 5 years and their families, though no child will be turned away.
Great Books Discussion Group
Monday, February 2 @ 3pm
Join us for a Great Books Discussion. The group meets monthly and the book to be discussed is from the 1st Series of the Great Books Reading & Discussion Program, entitled Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. We welcome all interested readers. This program is made possible by the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library.

Teen Gaming Night
Wednesday, February 4 @ 5pm
Teens (Ages 13-18) are invited to have fun with friends at the library. Play “E” and “T”-rated games on our PlayStation 3, Nintendo WiiU, Nintendo Wii, or X-Box 360 set up on three TVs for simultaneous playing. Don’t worry about waiting for a turn – we’ll have board games to play. Snacks will be provided. This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library and our friends at Sony. Call the library at 827-6950 for more details. New games for 2015: Super Smash Bros. (WiiU) and Just Dance 2015 (WiiU).

St. Johns Reads Event: Family Storytime
Thursday, February 5 @ 11am
All aboard the Storytime Express! Join us for a very special train-themed Family Storytime celebrating our library system’s 2015 St. Johns Reads selection about Henry Flagler, Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford. Ms. Anne will share her favorite train stories in addition to the usual dancing, singing, and more. Train-lovers, feel free to wear your favorite train conductor attire if you wish! Parents, grandparents, and caregivers, we’ll be handing out the brochure with all the related events for St. Johns Reads for adults and teens including a special visit by the author himself.

Teen Movie Club
Tuesday, February 10 from 5pm – 7:30pm
Held once a month on a Tuesday during the school year.
Teens are invited to join our new Movie Club featuring primarily book-to-movie adaptations! Bring your friends, chow down on pizza and sodas, and let us know if the movie lived up to the book. You don’t have to read the book to come, but the books are all available in the library. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ll be watching an adaptation (PG-13) of John Green’s book The Fault in Our Stars starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library. Call the library at 827-6950 for more details.

After-School Crafts with Teens
Wednesday, February 11 @ 4pm
Children (K-5th grade), and their caregivers, are invited to make crafts with the teens of Nease High School’s Arts in Motion Club. Materials are provided by the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library. No registration is needed and it’s free.

St. Johns Reads: Category 5 by Thomas Neil Knowles
Wednesday, February 11 @ 6:30pm
Author of Category 5 and historian, Thomas Neil Knowles, will examine the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which caused the death of more than 400 people in the Keys alone and destroyed the Florida East Coast Railway’s Key West Extension. Knowles will describe what daily life was like on the Keys and why so many Americans perished in the storm.

Free Nemours BrightStart Screenings for Ages 3 – 5
Thursday, February 12 from 10am – 12:30pm
Children ages 3 – 5 are invited to receive a free, 10-minute Early Literacy Screening at the library, courtesy of Nemours BrightStart. Registration is taken on a first-come, first-serve basis by a Nemours representative. Utilize this free screening to find out where your child’s literacy strengths lie, and what you can do to help them improve in any other areas before they start school.

LEGO Club for Tweens
Wednesday, February 18 from 3pm – 4:30pm
Tweens in 4th – 7th grades (ages 9 – 13) are invited to the library for an afternoon of building with Legos and hanging out! No registration is necessary and it’s free. Thanks to our Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library for providing the Legos for this very special program just for Tweens, including our pink Legos. Tween girl Lego lovers, we want you to join our club, too.

St. Johns Reads: Florida Fixins for Fancy Folks
Wednesday, February 18 @ 6pm
Travel back to the 1920s and 30s to enjoy a sampling of cuisine inspired by a Florida East Coast Railway dining car menu. Dining aboard the Florida East Coast Railway was lush and renowned. Dining cars were of the latest design with attractive finishes and were manned by experienced stewards, chefs, and waiters. Kitchens were equipped with up-to-date appliances for the preparation and serving of meals. Dining car menus showed a wide variety from which to make a selection, and delicious foods, including the famous citrus fruits of Florida. This free culinary event is sponsored by the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library.

Book Talk Cafe: Dr. Thomas Graham
Monday, February 23 @ 6:30pm
Meet Dr. Thomas Graham, professor emeritus at Flagler College. Mr. Flagler’s St. Augustine is his latest book, a 583-page biography of the multi-millionaire who had an enormous impact on the Ancient City and the state of Florida. The book is packed with intriguing and little known details about the Standard Oil tycoon. This program is made possible by the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library.

St. Johns Reads Event: Book Discussion & Dessert
Tuesday, February 24 @ 3pm
Last Train to Paradise is acclaimed novelist Les Standiford’s fast-paced and gripping true account of the extraordinary construction and spectacular demise of the Key West Railroad—one of the greatest engineering feats ever undertaken, destroyed in one fell swoop by the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. Join us for dessert and a lively discussion of the book.

Dr. Gerson Yessin Music Series: Lucy Chen
Tuesday, February 24 @ 6:30pm
The next concert in the series will feature Lucy Chen, piano professor at Edward Waters College, who will present a program of classical and French compositions. Next month she will perform at Carnegie Hall. Everyone is welcome and it’s free. Doors open at 6pm and seating is limited. This program is made possible by the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library.

Musical Madness for Kids: Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Woodwind Quintet
Thursday, February 26 @ 4pm
Youth Services Librarian (and former clarinetist!) Anne Crawford, the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra are partnering to invite Kindergartners – 5th graders and their caregivers to celebrate the magic that is music. The series continues in February with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Woodwind Quintet coming to perform for you and teach you all about their musical instruments. Come get a taste of the magical world of classical music!
Please note: the Musical Madness series is geared toward the elementary-aged child with Musical Storybooks (held in May) geared toward preschoolers. If you wish to bring younger children to any of these programs, please be mindful of the decorum expected for everyone’s enjoyment. This special music series is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library.