Bored at home? This summer, dive into everything that the Southlake Public Library has to offer with its programming for kids of all ages!
This year’s summer reading program began on May 26, but it’s not too late to sign up! The free and simple registration is still open for the “All Together Now” program which runs through July 21, 2023. This experience is full of adventures, weekly challenges, prizes, reading, and more.
Prizes this year are better than ever, ranging from toys to technology to encourage all to flip those pages! To see the prize displays, visit the library on the first floor of Town Hall.
However, if you’re looking to get out of the house, consider viewing the events tab on the Southlake Public Library Facebook page. Here, you can find a list of all upcoming events including magic shows, creature features, cultural performances, chalk art, and so much more.
Kids of all ages, and adults young at heart too, can explore the magic of making memories all summer long at the library.
For more information, please contact the Southlake Public Library at 817-748-8243 or visit www.SouthlakePublicLibrary.com.
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
Mark your calendars and get WRAPPED up with all the merry activities at the Southlake Public Library. Whether it’s Storytime with Mrs. Claus or a puppet show with Frosty and Friends, there is something for the whole family to enjoy.
Check out our Holiday Schedule:
The Southlake Public Library is mixing things up this holiday season with Mixologist Natalie Bovis in her online workshop, Liquid Muse Holiday Punches, Nogs, and Liquid Indulgences, on Thursday, December 8, at 7:00 p.m.
Bovis will introduce fun holiday drinks in this class and show you how to make them for your special events.
About Natalie Bovis
Bovis is the founder of The Liquid Muse, a platform dedicated to celebrating, educating, and elevating spirited culinary adventures. She has also authored cocktail books, “Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be” and “Edible Cocktails: Garden-to-Glass.” Her newest book, “Drinking with My Dog,” brings together her passion for animal advocacy and mixology, which hits shelves in January 2023.
She also has a knack for community service. Her class is FREE and for adults only.
Zoom Event (online).
For more information, contact the Southlake Public Library at 817-748-8243 or visit www.SouthlakePublicLibrary.com.
The Southlake Public Library is off to a great start with fall programming. Visitors will have their hands full this season with art, reading, painting and our new Speaker Series with renowned authors.
Here are the new programs the library is introducing this fall:
Read to Evan Seven, a Canine Companion
September 3, 2022
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Spend one-on-one time reading to Evan Seven, a Golden Retriever/Labrador mix, a certified therapy dog. Each reader will receive 15 minutes of reading time Evan. Ages 4-12 only. (FULL, the October 1 session is available) Registration required.
Watercolor with Laura Lester
September 8, 2022
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
If you love to paint or want to try a new craft, give water coloring a try. Learn to create your own watercolor masterpiece with artist and teacher Laura Lester. This class will include different techniques and applications, as well as practice in using your new skill. No experience is required and all supplies are provided. Ages 13 and up. Registration required.
Speaker Series – Raising Thrivers: Parenting Tips and Tools to Help Kids Thrive in an Uncertain World – Author Talk with Dr. Michele Borba (Online event)
September 8, 2022, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Registration required.
Vaquero: Genesis of the Texas Cowboy Exhibit
September 12, 2022 – October 8, 2022
The Southlake Library hosts the exhibit, Vaquero: Genesis of the Texas Cowboy to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Speaker Series -Author Talk with Simon Winchester – The Professor and the Madman
September 20, 2022, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Online event)
Registration required.
Speaker Series – Trust: Author Talk with Hernan Diaz
September 27, 2022, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. (Online Event)
Registration required.
WizArt, an Art Program for Kids
September 30, 2022, 5:00 – 5:30 p.m.
This art program is designed for kids ages 5 to 12 and led by local teen artists. Participants will receive a brief art lesson and then apply their new knowledge to a fun art project. No registration required.
The Southlake Library Task Force is scheduled to present its recommendations to the City Council on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
“The level of engagement on this issue has been extraordinary,” said Councilmember and Task Force Co-Chair Kathy Talley. “We have heard from hundreds of community members who are passionate about this new opportunity and what it will mean to Southlake.”
Many citizens used an online comment form to share their thoughts. Councilmember Talley noted that the comment form will be open until Monday, June 6, 2022.
“It’s vital that our residents have the opportunity to get involved in such an important decision,” said Talley.
Earlier this year, the Library Task Force was charged with looking closely at the future of the library and working with the community to envision a new space that welcomes people at the front door and invites them to experience a library in a whole new way.
After visiting libraries and community spaces in other DFW Metroplex cities, the Task Force hosted two Open Houses and Town Hall Meetings. Those meetings held on May 11, 2022, and May 16, 2022, helped provide the Task Force with citizen feedback and allowed them to report what they had learned through the research process. Then, on May 25, 2022, the Task Force presented location options to the Library Board, facility amenities, and complementary uses that could be incorporated into the facility.
The Council will review the Task Force recommendations and the Library Board’s feedback at the June 7 meeting. The public is invited to the in-person meeting or can watch online. The meeting starts at 5:30 in the Town Hall Council Chamber. The Task Force is expected to present their findings at approximately 7:00 p.m. following Executive Session.
Let’s get artsy! The Southlake Public Library is bringing art to YOU with the Creativity Festival at Rustin and Family Park on Saturday, May 28, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Kids of all ages will have an opportunity to indulge in various art projects, from canvas paintings to sculptures to one shared community piece. The event will also feature music and dancing.
The festival is the official kick-off for the Southlake Public Library’s summer reading program, “Oceans of Possibilities,” which begins May 27, 2022. The program runs through July 22, 2022, and is free and open to all ages.
The Creativity Festival is provided in part by a grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
For more information, please contact the Southlake Public Library at 817-748-8243.
Following the recent Library Task Force Town Hall meetings, the team will take its next steps regarding a possible new location for the Southlake Public Library.
The Task Force announced three site options at both meetings: Bicentennial Park, Carillon Parc, and Parkwood Drive (near Southlake Boulevard and Byron Nelson). They also shared ideas about facility priorities, complimentary amenities, and funding sources.
You can watch recordings of the Town Hall meetings at https://www.cityofsouthlake.com/332/On-Demand-Video.
“We heard some wonderful and thoughtful ideas and comments from residents,” said Southlake Councilmember and Library Task Force co-chair Ronell Smith. “Now, we will work with the Library Board and then the City Council to see where we can go next.”
Happening this week, the Library Board will meet in the City Council Chamber on Wednesday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m. for their regularly scheduled meeting. During the meeting, the board will hear from the Task Force about their work and recommendations. Following the Library Board meeting, the next step for the Task Force is to present their recommendation at the June 7 City Council meeting.
Southlake Public Library will explore “Oceans of Possibilities” this summer, encouraging readers to take a deep dive and discover how to find hidden gems through the power of reading.
The summer reading program begins May 27, 2022 and runs through July 22, 2022.
Online registration for the free 8-week summer program opens May 27. Download the ReadSquared App, to register and log hours. Prizes and fun await!
A kickoff celebration takes place on Saturday, May 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Rustin & Family Park.
The Creativity Festival will highlight various aspects of the arts. There will be a shared community visual piece, family, personal visual art projects, and music and dance experiences that everyone can enjoy regardless of age. We hope to see you there!
The Creativity Festival is provided in part by a grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Texas State Library and Archives.
For more information, please contact the Southlake Public Library at 817-748-8243 or visit www.SouthlakePublicLibrary.com.
The Library Task Force invites residents to attend the Library Task Force Town Hall meetings on May 11th and 16th to give feedback about a potential new public library.
“The Task Force has been working hard the last several months,” said Councilmember Ronell Smith. “All of us are looking forward to talking with people about what we've learned and hearing the priorities of our residents.”
Library Task Force Town Hall Meetings
Each Town Hall will start with an open house from 4:30 – 6:00 pm in the Town Hall lobby. The Open House invites attendees to informally visit with the Task Force before the meeting begins at 6:00 pm.
Then at 6:00 pm, the meeting will move into the Council Chamber, and the Task Force will talk about what they’ve learned and provide recommendations for onsite location, facility priorities, and complementary amenities. The Task Force has also looked into funding options and will share their insights at the meeting.
If you cannot attend the meeting, the meeting will be broadcast live on the City’s website CityofSouthlake.com/VideoonDemand. You can also provide your thoughts to the task force through an online comment card. Visit CityofSouthlake.com/LibraryTaskForce to provide your feedback and for more information about the Task Force and its work.
With a charge to work towards a new public library, the Southlake Library Task Force is getting ready to host two Town Hall meetings.
"We are so excited about the possibilities for the Southlake Library," said Councilmember Kathy Talley. "We've got some ideas about its location, programming, amenities, etc., but we need resident feedback, and that's where the town hall meetings will come in."
Task Force Background
In December 2021, Mayor Huffman appointed Councilmembers Kathy Talley and Ronell Smith to lead a Library Task Force to research options and make recommendations for a new Southlake Public Library. 
Councilmember Chad Patton and Incoming Councilmember Shawn McCaskill, and 15 Southlake community members. The team comprises members from the Southlake Library Board and Southlake Arts Council members, the Southlake Women's Club, Southlake Chamber of Commerce, PTO Organization presidents, youth representatives, ambassadors for Southlake's special needs, and nonprofit business leaders.
The Task Force has broken up into subcommittees that are currently hard at work researching, studying, and addressing critical issues and will ultimately provide recommendations for site location, library facility needs, accompanying amenities, and financial considerations. Potential sites and amenities will be evaluated on how well each option supports the library's mission, meets community needs, enhances the community, and supports financial and success goals.
Save the Date
The Task Force looks forward to sharing what they learned and their recommendations with Southlake residents at the Library Task Force Town Hall Meetings on Wednesday, May 11th, and Monday, May 16th.
Join the Task Force for an Open House from 4:30 - 6:00 pm, with the Town Hall meeting and a Task Force presentation immediately following in the Council chamber. The public is invited to share their comments and thoughts during both meetings.
Please visit CityofSouthlake.com/LibraryTaskForce for more information.
