I am a huge fan of Miami-Dade Public Library Syste...

I am a huge fan of Miami-Dade Public Library System. I belong to two book clubs and most of the books I read are from the library. MDPLS has an excellent selection of books, including recent releases in all its libraries. Ordering a book is easy and the wait is usually short. My local library is Lemon City where the staff are always 100%. Friendly, helpful and eternally in good form. It s a pleasure to go there, conveniently located two blocks west of Biscayne Blvd., with ample parking on the streets if the lot is full. I ve taken free Spanish lessons at the Westchester library and have enjoyed workshops and music performances at several libraries throughout the city and Miami Beach over the years. I go to the Main Library from time to time, usually to see an art exhibit-there s a fine space upstairs that showcases beautifully. Recently I attended a GMD workshop and this past Saturday, the Local Author Fair. It was a wonderful event and I had the opportunity to meet several local authors including Seth Bramson, Craig Pittman, Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite, Tamara B. Rodriguez and more. South Florida has a treasure trove of talented writers. The event included live music performances and started on time with remarks from Ray Baker, Director at Miami-Dade Public Library System who thanked everyone for attending, encouraged all to get library cards and thoughtfully acknowledged the staff who worked tirelessly to pull this event together. Keynote speakers were Craig Pittman and Edwidge Danticat and both did entertaining, and in the case of Ms. Danticat, heartwarming PowerPoint presentations. Books & Books was on hand selling local authors books. I picked up several and wished I got more! The Main Library is located on the plaza level of the Miami-Dade Cultural Center along with HistoryMiami Museum on West Flagler Street. (The Cultural Center is a striking, fortress-like complex, designed by Philip Johnson, in the early 1980s in the heart of historic downtown Miami steps from the Metromover). Highly recommended getting a library card and spending a couple hours in this lovely library or indeed any branch around the city and county.