Key West Public Library Branch - Monroe County

09/14/2026

The Key West Branch Library, including the Florida Keys History Center, will close to the public beginning Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, for a complete roof replacement. The closure is expected to last approximately four weeks.

During the closure, library staff will continue serving the community at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Avenue, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and provide programs at other offsite locations. Information about that, along with project updates, will be posted at keyslibraries.org and on the Key West Branch Library’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Patrons may pick up and borrow library materials from the Pickup Locker and Lending Machine at Bernstein Park on Stock Island, as well as at the pop-up library at the Harvey Government Center. The Monroe County Public Library also offers a large and growing digital collection of eBooks, audiobooks, streaming video, streaming music, and other online resources.

Library staff, including Florida Keys History Center staff, will remain available to answer questions online. General library questions may be submitted at keyslibraries.org/contact-us. The Florida Keys History Center can be reached directly at [email protected] or by calling 305-809-5260.

“Closing a public facility is never a decision we take lightly, especially one as important to the community as the Key West Library. At the same time, we have a responsibility to protect and preserve the public facilities and resources entrusted to Monroe County,” said Monroe County Administrator Christine Hurley.

“The Key West Library is nearly 70 years old, was the first branch in the Monroe County Public Library system, and remains our busiest location,” Hurley said. “It is home not only to a heavily used circulating collection, but also to the irreplaceable photographs, documents, and historical materials preserved by the Florida Keys History Center. Taking the necessary steps now to protect this building and its collections helps ensure that this important community resource will continue serving Monroe County residents for generations to come.”

Originally opened in 1959, the Key West Library has been expanded several times, most recently in 1993. It was the first location in a countywide library system that now includes five branches in Key West, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada, and Key Largo.

09/13/2026

BIG NEWS IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD: The Key West Library building will be closed for roof replacement, starting on Monday, Sept. 21.

That means this is the week to stop by and stock up on books and DVDs!

We WILL be providing library services during this time at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Avenue. For more information about the closing, go to keyslibraries.org.

And stop by and see us this week! We've moved our Adult Ceramics Painting Class up a week, to Thursday at 10 a.m. and the rest of our weekly line-up is happening, too.

09/08/2026

Happy Labor Day! Even with the holiday, we've got a lot planned for this week. Traffic and parking are as light as they get in these parts, so it's a great time to visit the library.

On Wednesday, our Adult Crafting Corner is meeting at 10 a.m. and will make wooden calendars. And our Library Book Club meets TWICE - at noon and 5 p.m. - to talk about "The Echo Wife" by Sarah Gailey.

As always, the Adult Mahjong Club is hitting the tiles at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, while Chess Club hits the boards at 1 p.m. Saturday and Fiber Fiends gathers at 2 p.m. Saturday.

For kids, we've got One Upon a Craft from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday - they'll be painting ceramics - and Story Time at 11 a.m. Friday features "Are You Big?" by Mo Willems.

You can find out more about everything happening here at the library - and save events to your own calendar, set up an email reminder, or share them with a friend - at bit.ly/kw-library-events.

09/05/2026

A holiday weekend is the perfect time for a binge-watch.

On our Kanopy streaming app and on DVD, we have lots of great TV shows to choose from, from classics to new releases.

09/04/2026

We're closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday. Our regular hours resume on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

And don't forget - you can get eBooks, audiobooks, streaming video and music, and much more any time with your Monroe County Public Library card. Go to keyslibraries.org/24-7-resources to learn more - including step-by-step guides for many of our online apps and platforms.

08/31/2026

Welcome to September!

The first Tuesday of the month means it's time for our monthly movie matinee at 3 p.m. We can't tell you the title on social media, but you can find it here: keyslibraries.org/post/matinee.

We've got lots of cool stuff happening for kids this week, including a special Grandparents Day Letter & Card Making session from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, and making mini wooden boats at STEM Saturday, from 1-3 p.m.

You can find out more about everything happening at bit.ly/kw-library-events. See you here!

08/26/2026

And we've lost another icon. R.I.P. Tim Curry and thank you for all your amazing performances on screen, stage and more.

If you want to know more about Tim Curry, we've got his memoir "Vagabond" in print, eBook and audiobook.

In addition to his many other talents, Curry recorded numerous audiobooks that you can borrow from our collection, including works by Lemony Snicket, Garth Nix, Stephen King, and "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie. Explore and borrow them on the Libby app or here: keyslibraries.overdrive.com/collection/1831687

08/25/2026

We will always love you, Dolly. 💔

Find books by and about the incredible singer, songwriter, actress, writer, and booklover at our branches and online at keyslibraries.overdrive.com/collection/1831520.

Want even more Dolly? Our music streaming service Freegal is featuring a Dolly playlist. And Ken Burns' Country Music documentary series is on Kanopy, our video streaming app. Get them now with your library card.

08/24/2026

It's the last week of August! We've got lots going on, for all ages including Mahjong for Beginners at 12:30 p.m. Monday, and our regular Adult Mahjong Club at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

Also for adults: Crafting Corner is making a hobbit door at 10 a.m. Wednesday, our Ceramics Painting Class is having a painting party at 10 a.m. Thursday and on Saturday our Chess Club meets from 1-4 and Fiber Fiends from 2-4 p.m.

As always, we're here for the kids, too. On Thursday our Once Upon A Craft program is making pillows as as always, we've got Story Time for the littles, at 11 a.m. on Friday.

Find out more about what's happening here at our online calendar, where you can add an event to your own calendar, set up an email reminder or share with a friend at bit.ly/kw-library-events.

08/17/2026

The kids have gone back to school -- maybe that means you've got the opportunity to come back to the library?

We've got our usual array of programs this week. And we want to remind you that using the library is a fantastic way to save money. We're not just talking about borrowing books and movies -- we offer so much more, in person and online.

You can find out more about that at keyslibraries.org/post/widen-your-world.