Your Library Has You Covered for New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are arbitrary – but also appealing. A new calendar, a new year, it’s a great opportunity to make some changes in your life.

At the Monroe County Public Library, we’re here to help you achieve those goals. And pro tip, you can do these any time. Even if you’re not feeling it till May – or November – we’re still here for you.

Some options:

Read more

Yep, we’ve got that covered! Print books, eBooks and eAudiobooks (yes, listening to audiobooks is of course reading) and now digital magazines – more than 5,000 titles, including back issues, with no waitlist. We have fiction in just about every genre you can think of, including the latest bestsellers and prize winners, history, biography, true crime, cookbooks, and more. We have graphic novels (ie. comic books for all ages – and some of them aren’t fiction, either). If it’s not on the shelf at your local branch, you can request it and have it delivered to your local branch – or to our pick-up lockers at Bernstein Park on Stock Island, at the Marathon and Key Largo libraries. If you don’t know what to read next, we have lots of ways to help, in person and online. If it’s not in our collection, we can ask for it from another library by Interlibrary Loan, or you can suggest a purchase.

Learn a new skill

A new year is the perfect time to invest in yourself — and your library makes it easy. Through Gale Presents: GetSetUp, older adults can join friendly, live and on-demand online classes that fit real life: gentle fitness, creative expression, practical finance, and everyday technology basics.

(And yes, this is aimed at people 55 and older but -- no one's checking IDs, right?)

Explore films & TV shows

You can choose from the extensive and diverse collection of more than 30,000 films and tv series on Kanopy – including unlimited plays on Kanopy Kids and two collections, British Film & Television and Kanopy Favorites. Watch on your TV or other device using the Kanopy app on Google Play or the Apple store.

Discover new music

With your Monroe County Public Library you get unlimited music streaming with Freegal — ad-free with no subscription fee. Choose from 20 million songs in a wide variety of genres, including the entire Sony Music catalog. Discover new artists, browse through playlists and create your own. You can download up to three songs a week.

Take care of business

Need to make a will, draw up a lease or find another business or legal document? Law Depot has forms online and guides to help you through.

Explore local history

Whether you were born here or arrived yesterday, chances are you have something to learn about the incredible history of the Florida Keys. And this is the time to dive in – Monroe County is celebrating its Bicentennial in 2023. Every branch has a collection of books on local history and you can follow the Library’s Florida Keys History Center online at our website, on Facebook and on Instagram @keyshistory. You can also join millions of others and browse through our incredible online photo collection. You can also subscribe to the History Center’s email newsletter, Island Chronicles, to learn fascinating stories from Keys history. If you missed the earlier installments, you can catch up here.

Bypass the paywall 

Need to read that story in the New York Times but can’t spring for a subscription right now? You can log on through this link for 24-hour offsite access – or read for free anytime when you’re on the library wifi, whether it’s your own device or one of our laptops. And don't forget those digital magazines! Want to look for a magazine story, recipe, craft idea or more without subscribing? Check out the amazing number of titles available to you on Libby -- including backlists with no waitlists or holds.

Brush up your language skills

Planning some travel, or just want to expand your linguistic horizons? Mango has online learning of more than 70 languages, including English as a second language. And once you’ve got a Mango account, you can add up to five other people – who don’t have to have their own library cards.

Learn a new game

Most of our branches have games available to play in the library and many have gaming events for different age groups. Keep an eye on our events calendar, and if you don’t see what you’re looking for, ask the staff.

Connect with your community

Speaking of that events calendar, you can make connections at the library that will enrich your life, whether it’s reading to and with your kids at Story Time, attending a presentation or performance, joining a book club or trying a new craft. You can also volunteer, join the local Friends group and help make our libraries better. Check with your local branch for a printed calendar of upcoming events, too – and sign up for our monthly email newsletter so you get the latest on what the Library has to offer.

If you have your own book club but have been having trouble getting everyone on the same page, you can check out one of our Book Club In A Bag kits – each kit contains 10 copies of the book and a list of suggested questions to get the discussion started. There are dozens of titles to choose from and we’re adding more all the time.

Check out the other branches

We all love our “home” library branch but each and every branch of the Monroe County Public Library system is unique and reflects its community. If you haven’t already, you can check out everything from our newest building — the Marathon Library — to our oldest, the Islamorada Library, which includes a historic “Red Cross” structure built as a school after the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. And if you can't make it to one of our branches, you can check out books and DVDs from the Lending Machines at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo (accessible 24/7) and at Bernstein Park on Stock Island (accessible 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily).

SAVE SOME MONEY

See all of the above – everything listed here is free to you with a Monroe County Public Library card. If you can’t get one of those, every branch has books for sale at great prices, benefiting the local Friends of the Library chapter and most of them have free books, too. And you don’t need a card to attend our programs or use many of our services, like printing or borrowing a laptop.

Questions?

Visit or call your local branch or email us here.