Library

LEGO Club at Jackson Branch

Calling all young builders, makers, architects, and engineers! The Larry R. Jackson Branch Library invites you to our LEGO club on Tuesday, August 4th from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM.

Beginners and experts ages 5-17 and their grown-ups are welcome to come work on their own LEGO creations or take our themed challenge. No registration required.

Playing with LEGO bricks promotes hand/eye coordination, enhances fine motor skills, develops problem solving skills, increases attention/concentration span, and unleashes creativity.

The library will provide the LEGO bricks, while the kids and teens provide the imagination! LEGO bricks will be sanitized after each use. All materials must stay in the library, so bring a camera to capture your creation. 

Amateur Art!

Dive into a whimsical world of DIY artistry on Thursday, August 6th from 2 PM to 4 PM in the Lakeland Public Library Meeting Room with a librarian who can’t paint a straight line! We are decorating bookbags with iron-on patches to get ready for school! Participants will have the option of one bookbag and multiple patches! Masterpieces? Probably. Heaps of fun and a lighthearted good time? Definitely!

Youth Intermediate Sewing Saturday: Summer Special on August 8th at Main Library

Bring your favorite American Girl doll or stuffed animal for a special sewing project on Saturday, August 8th at 10 AM at the Lakeland Public Library!

Older kids and teens ages 9-17 are invited to join us for a free one-hour class for students with sewing machine experience to create a doll-sized sleeping bag perfect for adventures and cozying up with a good book.

This class is limited to ten (10) participants. Your favorite doll or stuffed animal is welcome to attend and watch as you create a handmade sleeping bag just for them, too.

**Please note, this is not an introduction to sewing or sewing machines. Students need to have some basic experience using a sewing machine independently to participate.**

Registration is required and opens on Saturday, August 1st at 10 AM. Each participant must be registered separately. 

Library Card Design Contest

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and we need your help celebrating! The Lakeland Public Libraries invite you to design our next library card. The selected artworks will be featured on official library cards for use throughout Polk County.

Design submissions will be accepted from August 1st through 31st, with one winner being chosen from each age group: children (ages 3-12), teens (ages 13-17), and adult (ages 18+). The winning designs will be featured on a library card, and the winners will be recognized on the Lakeland Public Library’s social media accounts and digital newsletters.

Learn more about the contest, entry rules, and entry form.

Preschool Storytimes at Lakeland Libraries

All three Lakeland Library locations have preschool storytimes for children ages 2-5 and their grownups! With stories, songs, rhymes, and activities, storytimes promote the development of preliteracy, verbal and listening skills, and socio-emotional skills.

Kelly Branch Library Storytimes (10:15 AM select Tuesdays) 
August 4, 18

Lakeland Public Library Storytimes (10 AM select Wednesdays) 
August 12, 19, 26

Larry R. Jackson Branch Storytimes (10 AM select Thursdays) 
August 6, 13, 20

Larry Jackson Branch Library Bilingual Storytime (10 AM last Thursday of the month) 
August 27

For more information, please contact the Kelly Branch Library 863.834.4286, Lakeland Public Library 863.834.4268, or Larry R. Jackson Branch Library 863.834.4288  

Playgrounds, Parks, Fields, and Gardens

Lakeland is home to many outdoor (and indoor) spaces to enjoy, imagine, reflect, and relax.

Enjoy this "Playgrounds, Parks, Fields, and Gardens" photographic stroll through our area's green spaces and recreation places, showcased from our Flickr digital collection.

Baby Storytime at Lakeland Public Library

Join us at 11 AM on select Thursdays at the Lakeland Public Library for an interactive lapsit Baby Storytime with songs, rhymes, and fingerplays! 

Baby Storytime is designed for ages birth to 2 years old. 

Lakeland Public Library Baby Storytime (11 AM Thursdays)
August 13, 20, 27

For more information, please contact Harley Davis at 863.834.4258.  

eBooks, Audiobooks, and Movies Anytime!

Download and enjoy up to 10 ebooks, audiobooks, and movies on your tablet or mobile device for free with OverDrive.

Create a free account with your library card and browse hundreds of titles, with new content added all the time. Plus, Lakeland users have access to additional OverDrive ADVANTAGE titles too!

For a quick and easy way to borrow and read from your library, download and try the Libby app, brought to you by Overdrive!

Build Your Song Library

Access millions of songs and artists with freegalmusic+. Download and keep 5 songs each week absolutely FREE! Plus, unlimited music streaming! Even better? 15,000+ Music videos are available too! 

Visit Freegal Music to get started!