Category: featured

Annual Meeting

The Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries will be hosting its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. The meeting will be held at 5 pm at the Carrabelle Branch Library. Members are encouraged to attend and the public is welcome.

There will be a special presentation to Sarah Marxsen, who was instrumental to the start of the library in Carrabelle. We will also share highlights of the year. Refreshments will also be served.

The Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries (FFCPL) is a 501(c)(3) organization that was established in 1994. The organization was instrumental in the building of two county libraries. With funds donated to the Friends, the current Carrabelle library building was opened in 2002. In addition, through donations, grants, and a USDA loan, the current Eastpoint building and administrative offices were opened in 2013. The Friends provides funding for the Summer Reading Program as well as other programs throughout the year.

The Friends sponsors two soup, bread, and book sales each year with in-kind donations of food and labor from Friends’ members and others in the community. In addition, various other donations from individuals and groups are received each year. The community and those who benefit from library services are encouraged to buy a membership and help support the Franklin County libraries.

For more information, please contact the Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries at ffcplflorida@gmail.com or contact the Carrabelle Branch at 311 St, James Ave (Hwy 98), 850-697-2366. 

 

Annual Meeting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Program & Event Series 2024

Looking for family fun this Fall? The Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries invite you - residents and visitors -  to join us for exciting fall programs at both the Eastpoint and Carrabelle branches! From pirates and spooky storytimes, to slime labs and crafts and even STEM, there's something for everyone! These programs, events, presentations and performances offer opportunities for adults, children, and families to come together, explore their creativity, and enjoy time with others. All events are free and open to the public - no library card needed! Supplies are provided. 

Thurs., November 7, 2:00-4:00 pm:
Catch Up Crafts
Locations: Eastpoint and Carrabelle Branches

Tues., November 12, 3:30 pm:
Storytime & Crafts - Balloons Over Broadway and making DIY Parade Float out of Balloons.
Locations: Eastpoint Branch
Best suited for ages 2-6.

Tues., November 12, 3:30 pm:
Storytime & Games - The Runaway Pumpkin and a Pumpkin Bowling game.
Locations: Carrabelle Branch
Best suited for ages 2-6.

Thurs., November 14, 3:30 pm:
STEM - Making Balloon Cars
Locations: Eastpoint and Carrabelle Branches
Best suited for ages 8-12.

Thurs., November 19, 2:30 pm:
Adult Crafternoons - Making Oyster Ornaments
Locations: Eastpoint and Carrabelle Branches

Tues., December 10, 3:30 pm:
Storytime  - How Does Santa Go Down The Chimney
Locations: Eastpoint and Carrabelle Branches
Best suited for ages 2-6.

Wed., December 11, 1:00 pm:
Homeschool Hour with Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Location: Eastpoint Branch
Reading "Swap" by Steve Light, followed by a series of hands-on activities, including children designing and constructing their own boats and testing their seaworthiness.

Thurs., December 12, 3:30 pm:
Stem Space - Snow Dough
Locations: Eastpoint and Carrabelle Branches
Best suited for ages 8-12.

Tues., December 17, 2:30 pm:
Adult Crafternoons - DIY Christmas Candle 
Locations: Eastpoint and Carrabelle Branches

Thurs., December 19, 4:30 pm:
Cookies & Cocoa Holiday Party
Location: Carrabelle Branch
An engaging event featuring cookie decorating, hot cocoa, and a variety of festive holiday-themed activities.

Fri., December 20, 2:30 pm:
Wizarding Wonderland
Location: Eastpoint Branch
An enchanting magical-themed holiday party that will be a spellbinding experience for all ages! Dust off your wizard hats and don your house colors as we celebrate with an array of magical festivities. Enjoy delicious themed snacks and beverages while mingling with fellow magical enthusiasts!

For more information, contact the Eastpoint Branch at 160 Hickory Dip Rd, 850-670-8151 or the Carrabelle Branch at 311 St, James Ave (Hwy 98), 850-697-2366. Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.

 

Flyer for Catch up craftsFlyer for November Eastpoint Storytime

Carrabelle Nov Storytime flyerNovember STEM flyer

November Adult Craft flyerEastpoint 3rd Wednesday Writers Forum flyer

Aug 27 Tech Help Flyer

 

Souper Celebrations: Eastpoint in January & Carrabelle in February

Souper Celebration: Soup, Bread & Book Sale

 

Join us in Saturday, January 18, 2025 in Eastpoint and Saturday, February 15, 2025 in Carrabelle for these fun days, featuring delicious homemade soups, freshly baked artisan breads and baked goods, vintage books, live music, art and more. The proceeds support the local library programs in Eastpoint and Carrabelle. The general public is welcome from 10 am - 2 pm ET. Friends members have exclusive early access to the soup sale starting at 9:30 am.  Also new members, renewing members and those donating can get a Friends tote bag.

Local residents and businesses bring their delicious made-from-scratch soups like seafood gumbos, seafood bisques, chuck wagon chili, Brunswick stew, and more and freshly baked artisan breads for the Friends volunteers to sell. Past years featured a dozen different soups ranging from exotic to healthy to old-fashioned. The soups and breads sell out very fast so visitors are encouraged to come early to get the best selection. Vintage and used books and used DVDs for all ages are also available for purchase. Your donation of gently used books and DVDs are needed. Drop them by either of our library branches now. 

Souper Celebrations also offer a focus on local culture and art, with live music. In addition local artists and artisans showcase some of their stunning local art and goods. This is a family friendly event and all are welcome.  

The Souper Celebration continues a legacy started by Jackie Gay back in 1998. In 1998, Jackie Gay, who was an avid supporter of the library, entered her delicious gumbo into the Newman's Own and Good Housekeeping Recipe Contest. She won and was presented a check by Paul Newman for $50,000. She donated the proceeds to building the Carrabelle library. Today community volunteers honor Jackie Gay and continue her tradition by providing their own gumbos, soups, and chili to raise funds in support of the Franklin County libraries.

DONATE FUNDS TO FUND LIBRARY PROGRAMS, EVENTS AND MORE!

The community’s help is needed more than ever. Previously the "Rock by the Sea" event provided significant funding for the Franklin County library programs. This event has now relocated to Destin and will no longer be supporting local programs in Franklin County. More than ever, donations of soups and baked good from individuals and businesses as well as event sponsors are needed to offset this significant loss of funding. A sign-up form for soup, bread, and baked goods is available above or sign-up sheets will be in the Eastpoint and Carrabelle libraries. This funding supports library programs like the Summer Reading Program, Storytimes, ANIME Club, Book Chats, Lego Club and more. In addition, the Eastpoint library building is maintained by the Friends with a portion of the cost offset by funding from Franklin County government. The Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries is a 501(c)(3) organization and most donations are tax-deductible.

Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council. For more information or to make a donation, please contact the Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries at ffcplflorida@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/ffcplfl.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Friends of the Franklin County Library Awards Scholarships

The Friends of the Franklin County Library established the Eileen Annie Ball Scholarship to honor a wonderful woman. She was one of the founding members of the Public Library. She believed strongly in the children of Franklin County reaching and working tirelessly with many children in three communities through the Paws Program and the Tigers Program.

The goal of the scholarship is to reach out to help students who have worked to improve their lives in ways that may not be the usual; hard working students reaching for a better life.   
DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION! 

2024 Recipient Zac Cabrera

2023 Recipient Mason Moses

2023 Recipient Colin Wefing

Shasta Whitnauer

 

In 2022, the Scholarship Fund was augmented by a generous contribution from the Manning Family, enabling the scholarship amount to be increased as well as the number of scholarships awarded.  After receiving applications from several wonderful and gifted, hard-working students, scholarships were proudly awarded to Shasta Whitnauer and Annie Smith. 

Annie Smith

PROJECTS

EASTPOINT LIBRARY GROUNDS

The Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries have embarked on a beautification project on the Eastpoint Library grounds. This has involved clearing the land and making it ready to build a Gazebo and walkway.

First, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this project. We have been able to accomplish the following:

  1.  The area behind the library has been thinned and cleared. A company was hired to cut away the undesirable trees and bushhog the underbrush, almost all the way to East Bayshore Drive.
  2.  The invasive Chinese Tallow has been eradicated. We noticed a patch and enlisted Cait Snyder from Apalachicola National Estuary Research Reserve (ANERR) to provide expertise. She walked the area and didn't find any other patches or invasive plants (or snakes!). The tallow were treated and are completely gone.
  3.  Four picnic tables have been purchased. Although they are currently in spots at the sides of the library, we will likely move one or some of them to the back when the project is further along.
  4.  The back of the library building has been pressure cleaned. The back receives the most shade and was ugly and detracting from our vision of the beautification we seek!
  5.  A wildflower grant was reviewed. A library patron dropped by a Florida Wildflower Foundation application. The grant specified that the wildflowers had to be planted in a heavily trafficked area, which the back of the library isn't at this time. Also, we had hoped for major involvement from the Master Gardeners who aren't currently available. The grant has been offered for several years and we may look at it again as we get further along.
  6.  The gazebo/pavilion was installed and the walkway completed!

This gazebo and walkway is the result of a process that was dreamed and drawn when the Eastpoint library was first built six years ago. The dream was and is to provide beautification projects to complement the library building. This large project was able to happen thanks to a generous bequest. Future plans for the library grounds include more trails. The Friends is excited to provide this outdoor component that will help to fulfill the mission of access to information and education in an outside setting.

Pen to Paper Writers Series

The Carrabelle Branch of the Franklin County Public Libraries will be hosting an exciting writers’ series entitled, “Pen to Paper” from January through May 2024.

During the series authors will discuss and share the works they have written and those that are in progress. This will be followed by a question and answer session. These friendly and informal sessions are a chance to meet these area authors and ask questions about their experiences. They are open to anyone interested in learning more about these writers or the writing process. 

January 29: Pat Stanford & Anthony Watkins
February 19: Sydney Watson & Ginnah Howard
March 4: Tiffany Jo Howell & Sid McOmie
March 25:  Pat Stanford & Dawn Radford with guest, Debbie Hooper
April 15: Dale Cox & Thomas Becknell
May 13 @ 2:30 pm: David Adlerstein  (Anthony Lee Watkins, who was originally scheduled to participate in this program, will not be able to attend.)

There is no charge for this program and the public is welcome. This series is sponsored by the Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries.  The Carrabelle Branch Library is located at 311 St. James Avenue (Hwy 98), Carrabelle, FL. For additional information on this series, please contact the Carrabelle Branch Library at (850) 697-2366.

Summer Reading Program 2024

The Summer Reading Program takes off Friday, June 7th and will run until Friday, July 19th, 2024 at the Franklin County Public Libraries. Both library branches have fun activities for both kids and adults during the Summer Reading Program under the theme of “Adventure Begins At Your  Library”  which will feature the outdoors. There will be reading logs, prizes and incentives for all ages (including adults). There will be performances by Animal Tales (https://www.animaledzoocation.com/) and Mr. Richard (https://mrrichard.net/about).

Week One (June 9th - 15th) 

  • Tues, June 11th- Story Time “Going On A Bear Hunt” @ 3:30 PM at both branches.
  • Wed, June 12th- Cryptozoology for Kids.@ 2:30 at Carrabelle and @ 11:00 AM at Eastpoint.
  • Fri, June 14th -  Craft “No- Sew Sit Upons” @ 11:00 AM at Eastpoint. 
  • Fri, June 14th - Kids Program “String Art” @ 2:00 PM at Carrabelle. 

Week Two (June 16th - 22nd) 

  • Mon, June 17th - Trivia @ 2:30 PM at Carrabelle.
  • Tues, June 18th - Adult Crafts “DIY Garden Spinners” @ 2:30 PM at both branches.
  • Thurs, June 20th - Summer STEM “Solar Oven S’mores”@ 2:30 PM at both branches.
  • Fri, June 21st - Ukulele Concert @ 3:00 PM at Eastpoint.

Week Three (June 23rd - 29th) 

  • Tues, June 25th - Adult Program “Virtual National Park Excursion” @ 11:00 AM at Eastpoint.
  • Tues, June 25th - Teen/Adult Program “Crochet Basics” @ 2:00 PM at Carrabelle. 
  • Thurs, June 27th - Summer STEM “Marshmallow Camping Tents” @ 2:30 PM at both branches.
  • Fri, June 28th - Animal Tales @ 11:00 AM at Eastpoint and @ 2:00 PM at Carrabelle.

Week Four (June 30th - July 6th) 

  • Mon, July 1st - Kids Program “Outdoor Safety Necklaces” @ 11:00 AM at Eastpoint. 
  • Mon, July 1st - Teen Crafts “Button Making” at 2:00 PM at Carrabelle.

Week Five (July 7th - July 13th) 

  • Mon, July 8th - Mr. Richard @ 11:00 AM at Eastpoint and @ 2:00 PM at Carrabelle.
  • Tues, July 9th - Story Time “Busy Bee Rides the Wave” @ 3:30 PM at Carrabelle. 
  • Tues, July 9th - Story Time “We Walk Through the Forest” @ 3:30 PM at Eastpoint.
  • Thurs, July 11th - Summer STEM “DIY Camping Lanterns” @ 2:30 PM at both branches.

Week Six (July 14th - July 20th) 

  • Tues, July 16th- Adult Crafts “Paint Native Flowers” @ 3:30 PM at both branches.
  • Thurs, July 18th- Summer STEM “DIY Birdhouses” @ 2:30 PM at both branches.
  • Fri, July 19th - Tie Dye Day @ 11:00 AM at Eastpoint and @ 2:00 PM at Carrabelle.

Franklin County Public Library For more information on Carrabelle activities, call the Carrabelle Branch at (850) 697-2366. Or go to https://fcpl.wildernesscoast.org/summer-reading. 

Summer Reading is an annual program that brings children, teens, and families into local public libraries for reading and activities. The benefits to readers in a summer reading program include:

  • encouragement that reading become a lifelong habit
  • reluctant readers can be drawn in by the activities
  • reading over the summer helps children keep their skills up
  • the program can generate interest in the library and books

And it being summer, the program can just be good fun and provide an opportunity for family time. 

There is no charge for this program and the public is welcome. This series is sponsored by the Friends of the Franklin County Public Libraries.  The Carrabelle Branch Library is located at 311 St. James Avenue (Hwy 98), Carrabelle, FL. For additional information about Carrabelle Library activities, please contact the Carrabelle Branch Library at (850) 697-2366. The Eastpoint Branch is located at 160 Hickory Dip Rd, Eastpoint, FL. For more information about Eastpoint Library activities, contact the Eastpoint Branch Library at (850) 670-8151.