Happy Halloween!

We're ready to celebrate today! Are you? Make some time before or after class to do some fun Halloween activities! There are free events listed here in the Port Charlotte area today and this calendar has a great selection of Halloween events in Fort Myers (scroll down to the end to see today's events). In Tampa, the Tampa Bay Times has a full list of events going on that you can attend with friends or family.

 Check out these literary-themed activities and links:
- Templates to carve pumpkins with characters from The Hunger Games (Katniss! Peeta!)
- Some pictures of amazing pumpkins carved as authors Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, and other greats
- This list of spooky reads, hand-picked by Neil Gaiman for his annual "All Hallow's Read"
- Need a costume idea? Here are some book character costume ideas using items you probably already have

 

SWFC goes to the "Festival of Reading"

 Over the weekend, the Tampa Bay Times hosted their 20th annual Festival of Reading in St. Petersburg. There were many vendors, readers, and authors in attendance. We were excited to learn that authors with books in SWFC libraries would also be there, and thought it would be a great opportunity to meet them!

 We had two books signed by the authors: The Drop by Michael Connelly and Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger. Both are mystery novels available to read at Tampa's LRC. The library at Port Charlotte also has The Drop, and Bonita Springs and Fort Myers have more Michael Connelly books available for check out.

It's easier than ever to find the right book

Are you looking for a mystery, science fiction, or romance novel? Maybe you want to read some classic literature. You can easily tell the genre of the book you pick up in the Tampa library by glancing at the sticker on the spine!

We have gone through the fiction collection and double-checked to make sure books were categorized correctly and weren't incorrectly shelved. For example: You may like Janet Evanovich's "Stephanie Plum" mystery series, but the author has also written other series and novels. The Tampa LRC has one of her romance novels. With the markers on the book spines, you'll know what type of book you're about to read. 

There are still a lot of options - Don't be afraid to ask one of our SWFC librarians for a recommendation on what to check out!

Exciting new change for our ebook collection!

We have great news to share with students and faculty today!

We are using the EBSCOhost eBook Academic Subscription Collection. You will now have access to even more ebooks than you did with our prior subscription!

Click here to access the ebooks.

Username: ns123109main

Password: main

Once you log in, you can create a personalized account by clicking on “sign in” at the top of the screen. 

Log in when you have time and start reading! If you would like help or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask one of the SWFC librarians. We're having fun learning what's in the ebook catalog and know that you will, too.

Celebrate Banned Books Week

This week is not only the start of your fall term - It's also Banned Books Week from September 30 - October 6. People around the country are recognizing literary classics and personal favorites which have banned from communities and schools for various reasons. An interactive way to find what, where, and why books came under fire can be done using this Mapping Censorship tool. There are a few places in Florida.

Some classic literature includes The Catcher in the Rye, Beloved, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Where the Wild Things Are, and To Kill a Mockingbird. New ones that you may have read the past few years are Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (which was banned in a Tampa school), the Harry Potter series, and The Hunger Games.

Events:

In Tampa, you can stop by Cafe Hey on Friday, October 5 and attend their Banned Books Open Mic starting at 7pm. If you'd like to read a banned book, email inkwoodbooks@gmail.com and ask to add your name to the line-up.

If you're a student in or near Fort Myers, check out the banned books display at the Northwest Regional Library. There's also a display at the North Port Library for students in Port Charlotte.

Can't make it to any of these events? Head over to some Virtual Read-Out Videos from this year and look for a few celebrities reading.