October 2023 Newsletter from the Broward Public Library Foundation

The Library Foundation is at work organizing our three Literary Feast events being held in late winter and spring.


Feast season begins with LitLUNCH! on Friday, Feb. 9 at 11:15 a.m. in the Atlantic Ballroom of the Lauderdale Yacht Club. Guests will have the opportunity to meet a best-selling author who will speak at this popular luncheon, which features a multi-course meal, complimentary wine, photo ops, a raffle and drawings, and book sales. Sponsorships and premium tables are available.


Literary Feast continues on April 12 and 13 when twelve to fifteen acclaimed authors will visit Fort Lauderdale to participate in both LitLIVE! and A Night of Literary Feasts.


On Friday, April 12, the authors will discuss their books in moderated panels at LitLIVE!, which is a free event and open to the public. Time and location will be announced in coming months.   

The 35th Annual Night of Literary Feasts, our pinnacle celebration of books and authors, will be held on Saturday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m. with a Welcome Reception at Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach. The reception includes an opportunity to meet each of the Literary Feast authors and enjoy an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, book sales and signings and an outstanding silent auction. After the reception, guests go on to a series of dinners with an author at private homes and upscale restaurants in the Fort Lauderdale area. 


Authors will be announced soon. For tickets and information, visit bplfoundation.org or call 954-357-7382.

Remembering Their Literary Legacies

Broward County Library lost two of its staunchest champions in recent months.


Barbara Cooper, founding member of both the Friends of Broward County Library and the Library Advisory Board, and librarian Jean Trebbi, founding director of the Florida Center for the Book, had been involved with the county library system for 50 years.


A tireless advocate for library services, Barbara, with a team of volunteers, rang doorbells and distributed information to build support for a bond issue in 1978. Their efforts were rewarded on Sept. 12, 1978 when Broward voters approved spending $256 million for capital construction projects, including 12 new and expanded libraries.


She was also active as a trustee in the American Library Association and served on the White House Conference on Library and Information Services Task Force in 1979.


Barbara died on April 18. In her will, she remembered the Broward Public Library Foundation with an IRA distribution of $95,000, which is being placed in the Foundation's endowment fund to benefit the library.

Starting as a reference librarian in 1974, Jean became head of the Main Library. She was recognized for her work as a champion of books and authors by the White House and the American Library Association.


In collaboration with the Library of Congress, Jean established the first state Center for the Book in the United States, and launched a Literary Landmarks Register. The first site to be listed was Bahia Mar marina, home of John D. MacDonald's fictional sleuth, Travis McGee.


Upon her death on Aug. 4, Jean's family has asked her many friends and colleagues to donate in her memory to the Library Foundation.

Summer Learning Program

Through the generosity of more than 80 donors, this year’s Summer Learning Program was a great success.


The theme, “All Together Now,” was a celebration of the differences that make each of us unique. The library offered more than 90 art and writing, cultural awareness, STEM and personal wellness programs focused on helping youth learn about new cultures, other countries and different ways of life.


A large part of the Summer Learning Program is the Reading Challenge. Children and families are asked to read books throughout the summer and log their minutes read in order to win prizes and qualify for grand prizes, such as a new bicycle or theme part tickets. This summer, 2,500 children and teens logged more than 3 million minutes of reading!


The Library Foundation’s annual fundraising appeal raised $39,000 from individual donors, as well as the Community Foundation of Broward, the Charles F. & Esther M. Frye Foundation, JM Family Enterprises, Inc., PNC Grow Up Great, Florida Power & Light Company, and the Children’s Services Council of Broward County.

Wednesday’s Women book clubs meet throughout the year for stimulating conversation about intriguing books. The clubs are a benefit to being a Broward Public Library Foundation member at the $100 Bibliophile level or above. The full schedule is also available at bplfoundation.org. 

Wednesday's Women East meets bimonthly on the second Wednesday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Call the Foundation office at 954-357-7382 for location.


  • November 8, 2023 - The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
  • January 10, 2024 - The Women They Could Not Silence: The Shocking Story of a Woman Who Dared to Fight Back by Kate Moore
  • March 13, 2024 - Horse by Geraldine Brooks 
  • May 8, 2024 - The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese 
  • July 10, 2024 - Trust by Hernan Diaz

Wednesday's Women West meets monthly on the third Wednesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. Meetings are held at the Weston Library Branch at 4205 Bonaventure Blvd., Weston. Books have been selected through January:


  • Oct. 18, 2023 - The Maid by Nita Prose
  • Nov. 15, 2023 - The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
  • Dec. 20, 2023 - The Huntress by Kate Quin
  • Jan. 17, 2024 - Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

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Book With Brunch: Author Dr. Robert Watson

Book With Brunch will return on Thursday, November 16 at 10:30 a.m. with historian and award-winning author, Dr. Robert Watson. His newest book, When Washington Burns is about the missteps that led to the fall of the capital city on August 24, 1814, when British forces captured Washington.


We are excited to announce that this series will continue to be sponsored by Belmont Village of Fort Lauderdale, which graciously provides the event space and delicious brunch service. 


Belmont Village is located at 1031 Seminole Drive. Register for this event online at bplfoundation.org/book-with-brunch or by calling the Foundation office. Registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 10.
Register Here

Meet the Authors

Two authors explore the challenges of nature – in the wild and in the ocean – in upcoming talks at Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library. The programs, being held in partnership with the Broward Public Library Foundation, are free to the public.


On Friday, Oct 27, South African surfer and adventurer Chris Bertish will speak about his book, All In! The Atlantic Standup Paddle Crossing – 93 Days Alone.

 

Three-time National Book Award finalist Lauren Groff is scheduled to talk about her new novel The Vaster Wilds, on Thursday, Nov. 16.


The programs will be held at 7 p.m. at the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center at NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Registration is required. For more information or to reserve, visit sherman.library.nova.edu.

Please remember us in your wills and trusts.

Literary Feast's Lisa Unger's New Book Reviewed in the Sun Sentinel

08 Mar, 2024
Book review from the Sun Sentinel : ‘New Couple in 5B’ a modern haunted house mystery with layers of suspense By Oline Cogdill

December 2023 Newsletter from the Broward Public Library Foundation

07 Dec, 2023
In this edition, you will read stories about the 2024 LitLUNCH! event, Books 'n' Bears at the Holidays, the Literary Feast 2024 Reading Challenge, Scholarships for Career Online High School, and more.

Conference on Children's Literature 2023 Recap

02 Oct, 2023
The Library Foundation thanks the Children's Services Council of Broward County for their incredible support of the Conference on Children’s Literature! Thank you to everyone to the over 140 people who attended, including authors, educators, librarians, and vendors. It was an outstanding event, and we look forward to next year.

NSU Events at the Miniaci Performing Arts Center

26 Sep, 2023
The Broward Public Library Foundation is happy to be working with our friends at the NSU Alvin Sherman Library to promote and spread the word about their amazing upcoming series of author talks and community events.

Dearest Reader...Author Talk with Julia Quinn

18 Aug, 2023
Celebrate the Bridgerton series with Julia Quinn, best-selling author of historical romance fiction, at the NSU Alvin Sherman Library. Quinn will discuss her newest book, Queen Charlotte, and her writing career.

Library Foundation Featured on Tech Talk Weekly

11 Aug, 2023
Tech Talk Weekly #141 - Look up, practice landings, NASA & wine, Fusion & Super Conductivity

Thank you to Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov for reading to children at the Broward County Library!

04 Aug, 2023
On Monday, July 31 , our friends from the Florida Panthers visited the South Regional/Broward College Library to read books to children o n their Summer Reading Tour. The final stop of their tour occured on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 11 a.m. at the Northwest Regional Library in Coral Springs. Panthers radio voice Doug Plagens was the special guest reader. To catch up on the Reading Tour fun, make sure to visit the links to press coverage below: https://www.local10.com/sports/2023/07/31/panthers-defenseman-dmitry-kulikov-reads-to-children-at-summer-reading-tour-event/ https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/07/31/for-dmitry-kulikov-return-to-florida-panthers-feels-like-it-was-some-unfinished-business/ WSVN Video: https://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/1a65390f-a541-439d-9e9a-6f943c9f9de7?token=ce3ce582-18d0-4501-8dfb-704791aa7bfc

Children's BookFest 2023 Video

17 Jul, 2023
Kicking off the Summer Learning Program, the Children’s BookFest is a family fun day with book giveaways, arts and crafts, and engaging entertainers. During the Broward County Library's Summer Learning Program , kids of all ages are invited to compete in reading challenges to win great prizes from local organizations such as the Museum of Discovery and Science, Florida Panthers, Shake Shack and more. The 2023 theme, “All Together Now”, includes big topics such as unity, kindness, mental health, growth mindset, empathy, building community, friendship and more. From June through August, participants log the books they read and join the library for fun, interactive programs that encourage reading, learning, and a better understanding of one another. The Summer Learning Program offers more than 3,500 activities and programs in libraries across Broward County. All are aimed at helping children keep an active mind, read more, and stay engaged in learning activities while out of school. For a list of Summer Learning Program activities visit broward.org/Library/Pages/summer.aspx. Both the Children's BookFest and the Summer Learning Programs are funded in-part through the Broward Public Library Foundation, thanks to the support of community members. You can help ensure the library continues to offer important, education programming all summer long by donating to the Summer Learning Program at bplfoundation.org/summer-learning .

South Florida Book Festival 2023

29 Jun, 2023
Hear from nationally known speakers, explore the roots of hip-hop culture and meet local authors at the 2023 South Florida Book Festival. This year’s theme brings together literature and visual and performing arts, featuring leaders, authors and scholars of Florida's hip-hop community.

Documentary Film Showing at AARLCC

23 Jun, 2023
On behalf of the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC), Nova Southeastern University and former Broward County Libraries Director Sam Morrison, the Library Foundation is pleased to invite you to a special evening on Thursday, June 29 at 7:00 PM . Join The Windhover Foundation and The Rubin Stacy Studio For Innovation & Education for a premiere night at the AARLCC theater to screen the documentary, The Lynching Of Rubin Stacy , about the death of a field hand in Fort Lauderdale in July 1935. A panel discussion will follow the film with a family member, the filmmaker and AARLCC Regional Manager Dr. Tameka Hobbs.
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