Inside the Key Largo library sit a vast collection of books, engaging activities and technology services for community members. Nestled in the corner of Tradewinds Plaza, the Keys Weekly recently stopped by the library to learn more about branch manager Christina Teasley and hear some of the new developments the library’s bringing to people of all ages.
My husband Jack and I are both originally from Florida and were excited to return here. Jack was in the Army and retired in 2020. He went to Palau on a work trip, fell in love with scuba and wanted to be a scuba instructor (he now works at Rainbow Reef). Amazingly, I was in Maryland, but the manager at Key Largo retired, so I applied and started in February 2021.
I earned my library science degree from USF and have been a librarian since 2003 and was with the Anne Arundel County library system for seven years.
Some of the differences from where I came from is that it’s a smaller system down here than up north. Kimberly Matthews, the library director, brought great changes to the library system before I started. When I got here, we received some FEMA money (from Hurricane Irma) to repaint the walls and get some new carpet that opened it up.
In addition, we were curbside when I first got here because of Covid-19. So, a lot of people thought the library was closed. In June 2021, we finally reopened full-time to the public.
Libraries are a well-kept secret. People know we have books but don’t often know about all the technology we have. We received an ARPA grant, and we used those funds for laptops. We have a tablet station too. We will have a 24/7 hold locker and a media box which will hold all our DVDs. It’s similar to a Redbox, where you can check out the DVDs.
Also on the way is a library kiosk, a library material vending machine. It will be able to house 235 items and will be located at the Murray Nelson (Government Center) until Rowell’s Park is ready. With the kiosk, you can check out and also return items. We already have one on Stock Island.
Each library has a budget based on population and circulation. I have a report and can see that a third of the books checked out are adult fiction, children’s books, then nonfiction. Libby is an app through the library system and offers e-books and audiobooks. These options have grown in popularity.
People can also make purchase suggestions through our website or at the front desk. I have had training in collection development and also use Publishers Weekly. New books arrive every Wednesday. All the books start in Key West and are then brought up to Key Largo and the other branches. New books are ordered as far out as I want to. I can pre-order things until next September. We constantly have new things on order and a record on the website so people can place a hold and get it when it comes in.
A big misconception is that people think we don’t get new books. We are ordering things that have not been published yet. Just like a bookstore, Amazon, etc., if we don’t have it, it’s because we didn’t order it, but we can.Branch Manager Christina Teasley, left, and Medina Roy, Upper Keys Jewish Center and Friends of the Key Largo Library board member, presented the library with copies of “Maus” and “Maus II” after they were banned in Tennessee. CONTRIBUTED
The majority of new books are posted on Instagram and Facebook by Naomi Trevino, our senior library associate. She also posts the events so people are aware.
Most people don’t realize you can check the website to see what we have before you come in. They can also place a hold from home with their library card number and PIN, and then we can either email or text them when it comes in. In addition, we have a courier service that can bring the book in from the other branches throughout the week. And other libraries have a service that’s called interlibrary loan, and this is across states.
September was a nationwide initiative through the Library Card Association of America for new card signup. For fiscal year 2021, 558 new library cards were issued at the Key Largo library. This year we are already on track to beat 2021.
Something new we are working on is having a “library of things.” These would be Items that people can borrow, such as a musical instrument, a baking supply, a tool or something that people would want to use occasionally but don’t need all the time or don’t have space for. I will be reaching out to the community to see what they would like to see in a library of things and also donate. Manatee County has one and some other counties as well.
The children’s story time is twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30-11:30 am. We read and, once a week, do craft time. We often also include singing and dancing along with the crafts. Our goal is pre literacy skills so they can be prepared for kindergarten. We usually have about 12-20 kids, plus the adults. The children have time to interact as well as the adults. It develops into play dates, and phone numbers exchanged— a lot of community building during this time. You can’t walk out of story time in a bad mood. We need to do adult story time.
We also have our book club, children’s story time, Creative Tuesday, Quit Smoking, Legos, and Mahjong to name a few.
The library is primarily funded through the county. We are ranked 1,2,3 in the Monroe library system. Key West, Big Pine, Islamorada, Key Largo and Marathon. Key West is first, then Key Largo or Marathon.
We have a weekly calendar called “week at a glance,” and all our events are there. Our popular concert series, which takes place outside, starts the first Friday in November and runs through April. The Friends of the Key Largo Library advocate for the library and fundraise. The concert series is one of the events they really help us with.
We also get a children’s grant from the Florida Keys Children’s Foundation. This grant provides funds for children’s programming. The wonder books (books with audio) and launch pads (25 tablets preloaded with education content) are two things we have recently purchased with those funds.
We have a door counter, and we keep attendance. All of this is reported to the state. We have reports for circulation by category. This data determines and informs our purchasing.
What do I love about my job? I love working with the public, getting to know everyone in the community and offering events for the community. I was a teacher before being a librarian, so I love the learning aspect and helping them find the info they need.
Our goals are customer service-based with the county, the public and outreach. For example, we go to open houses at the schools and read stories at community events such as Light Up Key Largo.
