Cagan Crossings Community Library Grand Opening

The Lake County Library System is hosting a grand-opening ceremony for the new Cagan Crossings Community Library on Monday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m.

The new facility is located at 16729 Cagan Oaks in the Four Corners community.

The event will include entertainment by musician Fred Harvey and refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. Library tours, games for children, face painting, balloon art and more will continue after the ceremony until 7 p.m. Judith Ring, Director of the Florida Division of Library & Information Services, Welton Cadwell, Chairman of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners and others will join County staff to welcome the community to the new County library.

The new 19,000-square-foot library features separate children and teen areas, a cafe, training lab, 31 public-access computers, free wireless Internet access and a 160-seat community room, which will provide space for local functions and events. The collection has increased to more than 43,000 items, including 5,000 items new for opening day. Programs such as storytime, scrapbooking, movies and SCRABBLE will continue and additional programs and events will be developed. Library cards from Lake County Library System will be accepted at Cagan Crossings as with all System libraries. Library patrons do not need to reside in the area to use the new facility. In addition, Osceola County residents , thanks to an operating agreement between Lake and Osceola Counties will have full access to all library services and programs. Residents from Orange, Seminole and Polk counties, can check out materials from the new library using the free Reciprocal Borrowing program.

For information on upcoming programs, call (352) 253-6167 or log on to www.lakeline.lib.fl.us.

2008 Festival of Reading

Romancing the Book.

Romancing the Book is here! The Lake County Library System is proud to announce the most ambitious project to date with over 35 authors for the 5^th annual Festival of Reading.  We are featuring the 2007 RITA Award Winners Roxanne St. Claire, and Caridad Ferrer; 2006 Winner Linnea Sinclair; 2006 Reader’s Choice Award winner, Elizabeth Sinclair; Carolina Romance Writer of the Year, Leigh Greenwood; Holt Medallion Winner Nancy J. Cohen and Christian Romance novelist Angela Hunt who received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times Book Club.  Angela’s novel The Note was just released as a Hallmark Movie in December.  We also have 3 HarperCollins Mystery superstars, Claire Matturo, Jo Dereske and the only author ever to be awarded an Agatha in three different categories, Katherine Hall Page. 

In 2008 the events will take place March 29^th – April 5^th. Opening day will be held on March 29^th from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Lake Sumter Community College in Leesburg. Exhibits will include libraries, local chapters of the Romance Writers of America, Books-r-Fun Fair and free romantic dessert samples from the American Culinary Federation, Gulf to Lakes Chefs and Cooks Association.  Entertainment will feature Studio 19 Centre for the Performing Arts, the Leesburg Dance Company, Bay Street Players Young People’s Theatre and more. Writing workshops will feature authors Elizabeth Sinclair, Heather Waters, Aleka Nakis, Linnea Sinclair and Dr. Ron Moore. Youth Services will feature free crafts, authors Mark Newhouse and Susan Snyder.  The “I Love Books” Bookmark Design Contest winners will be announced.

For information on the Festival and our authors please go to our website at www.lakeline.lib.fl.us and click on Festival of Reading 2008.