Programs & Events Each month, Broward County Library offers a wide range of  programs and events for all ages. Whether you're looking for free computer classes, educational events, children's happenings, or special-interest programs, your library has something for everyone. For information on what's happening at your library location this month, download a copy of Bookings magazine.

  To see the hours of operation for each library, click here.
  To view Broward County Library list of closed days for holidays, click here.

Celebrate Life

The Gift That Heals, by Reg Green, is the compelling story of how one family turned tragedy into triumph.  When Reg and Maggie Green's young son was killed in a horrific robbery while on vacation in Italy, they made the decision to donate his organs and corneas, transforming the lives of seven strangers. In The Gift That Heals you'll read the Green's story - as well as those of 41 other families who have celebrated life through organ and tissue donation. 

Reg Green, journalist, author and father, will travel from his California home and announce the month long partnership between Broward County Library and Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency at a press conference on May 13,2008, hosted by Broward County Commissioner IIene Lieberman.  

Has your life or a loved one been touched by organ donation or transplantation?  How do you feel about donation?  Enter the "Celebrate Life" essay contest and share your thoughts, feelings or experiences on this noble gift of life that one human being can do for another person. Write 300 words or less about the importance of life and submit it by June 6, 2008.

Fax your essay to 954-357-5548, e-mail it to marketing@browardlibrary.org, or mail to:  Marketing Services, Broward County Library, 100 South Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.

Photo of the Day

Broward County Library always has great photos of its libraries, people, and events.  Check out the Photo of the Day feature.  Can you figure out what library is shown or maybe see a program that you attended?   Click here to view the Photo of the Day!

 

Broward County Library and the Museum of Art Partner on Literacy

We look, we read.  We read, we look.  Recent professional literature documents a strong correlation between reading literacy and visual literacy.  Not surprising.  Most of us know this from experience -- that the narrative and visual arts go well together, that they enhance each other.  When the two arts are paired together, whether we look at the narrative first or the visual art first, most times we will then explore the other medium.  If they are not paired but we are offered the connection for further knowledge of our interest, we usually want to explore that connection.

Broward County Library and the Museum of Art decided to make use of this natural connection between the two arts by forming a program partnership -- by creating and implementing programs to achieve a mutual goal of promoting reading literacy and visual literacy.  This innovative partnership has been, and continues to be, quite successful.  Without compromising individual goals, the Library and the Museum developed programs with educational content and inspirational values that brought in new audiences to both institutions -- and continues to draw them in.  And not only are more people enjoying and learning from these two literacy resources, they are also being inspired to follow their potential as artists and writers.

The Museum of Art, as usual, formed great exhibits for the partnership programs; its staff focused on exhibits that would interest youth and stimulate literacy.  The Youth Services section of Broward County Library, as usual, worked hard and smart on programs and materials to encourage people to start or continue their literacy growth; its staff focused on selecting material that would expand learning on the topics covered by the Museum's exhibits.

The mutual efforts were well-coordinated.  The exhibits at the Museum were paired with family storytelling events that were embellished with creative props and interactive features.  Bibliographies of juvenile and teen materials as well as selective Web sites related to the various Museum exhibits were distributed at the Museum.  Youth Services librarians presented outreach programs at the Museum of Art Studio Arts summer program to elementary and middle school students; books were selected to enhance the lessons that the art teachers presented, and there was interactive storytelling with creative props to highlight the integral relationships between the illustrations and the narrative. 

The Museum's exhibits drew large crowds; the quilt exhibition even received requests for outreach presentations.  And many of the students who were drawn to the various partnership programs were not traditional library users and had been unaware of the Broward County Library programs and services that are available for youths.  The partnership programs were successful -- for both the Museum of Art and the Broward County Library -- and the mutual goal of promoting reading literacy and visual literacy was achieved.  And the programs still continue to draw in and to interest more new audiences to the delights of literacy -- both reading and visual literacy.

Featured below are three of the bibliographies that were created as a tie-in to the Museum exhibits.  The flyers sparked interest and listed tools to further explore the topics of the exhibits.  The books featured on the bibliographies are available at the Broward County Library.

Downloadable bibliographies: 

• Quilting Resources at Your Library (.pdf – 350 KB)
• Inspired by China at Your Library (.pdf - 440 KB)
• Road Map to Automobile Stories and Resources at Your Library (.pdf – 363 KB)

Free Monthly Program Electronic Updates

You can sign up for electronic updates for programs and events for the following locations. Each month, upcoming programs and events will be e-mailed directly to your e-mail address. The following library locations are currently available:

Hollywood Branch Library Imperial Point Branch Library North Lauderdale Saraniero Branch Library North Regional/BCC Library South Regional/BCC Library Southwest Regional Library Weston Branch Library

To register for E-Updates, please fill out this electronic form. You can e-mail to marketing@browardlibrary.org, fax it to 954-357-5548, or give it to a staff member at any Broward County Library.