Nov. 26 – Dec. 3 Weekly Events
at the Elsie Quirk Library

The holiday season has officially begun and with that come many wonderful seasonal programs at your local Sarasota County Library branches. Elsie Quirk will be hosting several children’s programs with a holiday theme.

• Thursday, December 15 at 10:30 am is our Family Storytime titled, Holiday Fun! This program is open to ages birth through 5 and their families.
• Saturday, December 17 at 10:30 am is our Holiday Read & Sing-Along. Special guest Becky Barbier will read her new book, “The Santa Invasion”, and then will lead us in a festive holiday sing-along. Don’t miss the fun!
• Wednesday, December 21 at 5 pm is a Teen Holiday Movie with snacks and fun! Buddy was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa’s sack and ended up at the North Pole. Later, as an adult human who happened to be raised by elves, Santa allows him to go to New York City to find his birth father. (Comedy, PG, 1 hr., 37 mins.). Ages 11 through 18 are invited.

This is a wonderful time of year to venture out to several other SCL branches hosting holiday events. Just a few of these exciting events are as follows:

• Saturday, December 3 at 10:30 am at the Gulf Gate Library is Holiday for the Birds. Gather your family together to decorate a tree with treats for your neighborhood fauna. You and your children will be taking the tree home. Reservations per family required.
• Saturday, December 3 at 2:30 pm at the Fruitville Library is Holidays with Ring Six – Handbells History and Demonstration. Come and meet a local musical group who enjoys ringing handbells year-round. Ring Six, members of Sarasota’s own community handbell ensemble will present a program that is both educational and entertaining. There will be demonstrations of handbell techniques and performances of both contemporary and traditional holiday selections for your enjoyment.
• Sunday, December 4, from 2:30 to 5 pm at the North Port Library is An Old-fashioned Holiday Celebration. Step inside the wonders of an old-fashioned southern holiday with free hot cider, cookies, music and games. The only admission is your imagination. Activities include craft fabric Christmas trees, the magic of “A Christmas Carol”, Victorian games, craft and holiday ornaments and fun for the entire family! The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.
• Saturday, December 10, from 10:15 am to noon at the Jacaranda Library is their annual holiday party! Meet with Santa, enjoy refreshments, making crafts and more!
• Monday, December 12 at 2 pm at the Gulf Gate Library, Asolo Repertory Theatre Guild Play Readers present their holiday program. Get in the holiday spirit with the play “Twist of the Dial, Holiday Style”.

Here are the Elsie Quirk Library events for this week:

Saturday

• The Library is open regular hours from 10 am to 5 pm.

Monday

• Forty Carrots’ Partners in Play is a free class for caregivers and children ages birth to 5 to enjoy together and is held from 10:15 am to 11 am or 11:15 am to 12 pm. Experience educational activities, join in circle-time fun, meet other families, and receive valuable parenting and child development information. Attendance is limited to 12 families per session.
• Our Monday Night Movie starts at 5 pm. Mariane Pearl’s world changed forever when her husband Daniel, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, was researching a story on shoe bomber Richard Reid. The story drew them to Karachi where a go-between had promised access to an elusive source. As Danny left for the meeting, he told Mariane he might be late for dinner. He never returned. Based on the true story and book, “A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl.” (Drama, R, 1 hr, 48 mins., 2007)
• Lemon Bay Travelers meet at 6 pm to discuss life experiences and lessons learned through travel.

Tuesday

• Drop in for the Master Gardener Plant Clinic in partnership with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County from 10 am to noon. For more information, call 941-861-1307 or visit, http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/horthelp.shtml.

Wednesday

• The French Conversation Club meets at 10 am.
• Edgar Cayce Book Discussion starts at 6 pm.

Thursday

• Great Books Discussion Group meets the 1^st Thursday of the month, November through April at 10:15 am. This group will be reading selections from the Great Books Foundation’s, “Great Conversations” books 2 and 4. A copy is available at the Reference Desk to use in-house. December’s discussion will be, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver.
• Family Storytime starts at 10:30 am and is open to children ages birth to 5 and their families. Enjoy interacting with your child by participating in early literacy activities that include books, music and movement, crafts and other educational activities. No registration necessary. This week’s theme is Arctic Animals.
• The Knitting Club will meet to knit and chat from 1 pm to 3 pm.
• Englewood Area Macintosh User’s Group (EAMUG) meets from 1:30 pm to 4 pm. The members contribute to the organization which is rich in Apple basics as well as advanced computer techniques. Annual individual membership is $12.00. Family membership is $18.00. EAMUG is an Official Apple User Group. All are welcome regardless of paid membership status.
• The Friends of the Elsie Quirk Library monthly board meeting will be at 4:00 pm.

Friday

• SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) will be on site from 3:30 to 5:30 pm to assist with Medicare questions. SHINE counselors are unbiased, specially trained volunteers who can assist with questions regarding Medicare Part A & B, Prescription Drug Plans and Advantage Plans. If you would like to make an appointment to see a SHINE counselor, please contact the Area Agency on Aging at 866-413-5337.

Upcoming Events:

• Saturday, December 3-Microsoft Word for Beginners at 10 am. This class introduces the basics of word processing using Microsoft Word 2013 software. Students will learn how to create, edit and save a document. Other features to be covered will include spell check, fonts, margins, and inserting photos. Please bring your laptop. Registration is limited to 12 participants and can be accessed online at www.scgov.net/library.

For more information on library programs, services, and resources visit us at 100 West Dearborn Street, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000, or visit our website at www.scgov.net/library.