Get to know our new library staff!
The Headquarters Library welcomes our new youth librarian, Jennifer Langan.

Jennifer grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she spent a lot of time at the quaint town library developing a passion for reading & writing! In 2007 Jennifer re-located to Naples, Florida to teach Reading/Language Arts in Collier County middle schools. She appreciated the challenge of educating students, however after ten years, decided to pursue the calling of working as a Library Assistant at Naples Regional Library. Having valued learning the ropes of the public library system, she made it a career by pursuing an online MLIS degree from Wayne State University. Jennifer is excited to be a part of the Headquarters team and hopes to create some inspiring programs with the youth in Naples. With her background in teaching middle & high school, she is eager to see growth in this area, as well as all ages that want to explore the library!

Headquarters also welcomes our two summer interns, Sarah Clervil and Rachel Zangrillo. They are in the Headquarters Library Youth Department and are assisting us with the summer reading program for six weeks. Rachel, originally from New York, will be a senior at Gulf Coast High. Her favorite book is “If There is No Tomorrow” by Armentrout. She was surprised to see how busy the library is. Summer reading is our time to shine! Sarah, a native Floridian, will be a junior at Lely High. Her favorite series is the “After” series and her favorite part of working at the library is creating crafts for kids and teens. We appreciate your skills Sarah!

July Summer Reading Update!

Are you participating in our summer reading program, Oceans of Possibilities?  It’s not too late! Get a bookmark today and keep reading until July 30th.

We are off to a great start. So far…over 800 children have read 8,000 books and 200 teens have read 500 books. Way to go!

Sometimes reading makes you hungry. A special thank you goes to our local McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, and Taco Bell for donating over a thousand food coupons.  We are grateful these companies support literacy in Collier County.

July’s most celebrated day for most American’s is July 4th, famously known for the day the United States of America gained Independence from Great Britain in 1776. But did you know that there are a multitude of other events that took place on July 4th throughout the years?

The strangest event being that James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams all died on July 4th. These three men, who were all Presidents of the United States at one point in time, died on the Fourth of July. Two of them, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who were political enemies for quite a long time until mending their feud in 1812, died on the exact same year, 1826 and within 5 hours of each other. Thomas Jefferson was 83 years old and John Adams was 90 years old. James Monroe died a few years later, in 1831 at the age of 73.

Virtual Book Discussions

CCPL Virtual Book Club – “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zavner
Zoom Discussion, Tuesday, July 26 at 2pm
Email [email protected] to receive an invite.

There will be a preview of the book in a Facebook Live discussion on Tuesday, July 19 at 2pm!

In-Person Discussions

Teen Book Club - Saturday, July 2 & July 23, 3pm - Headquarters Library

U.S. History Readers' Roundtable Discussion - Thursday, July 14 - 2pm - Golden Gate Library

Find us at collierlibrary.org/events to check for more events and sign up online to get back to talking about books!

Friendship

The 5 Love Languages Single Edition by Gary Chapman
The premise is simple: Each person gives and receives love in a certain language, and speaking it will strengthen that relationship. Whether you want to be closer to your parents, reach out more to your friends, or give dating another try, The 5 Love Languages®: Singles Edition will give you the confidence you need to connect with others in a meaningful way.

I’ll Be There (But I’ll Be Wearing Sweatpants) by Amy Weatherly
Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston, founders of the wildly popular "Sister, I Am with You" online community, address common obstacles to true connection and offer a confessional, hilarious, and practical guide for building deep friendships in the middle of this crazy, rollercoaster life.

Big Friendship: how we keep each other close by Aminatou Sow
Two of the nation's leading feminists and hosts of the hit podcast "Call Your Girlfriend" make the bold and compelling argument that a close friendship is the most influential and important relationship a human life can contain-helping you improve as a person and in your relationships with others

The Turquoise Table: Finding Community and Connection in Your Own Front Yard by Kristin Schell
Desperate for a way to slow down and connect, Kristin put an ordinary picnic table in her front yard, painted it turquoise, and began inviting friends and neighbors to join her. Life changed in her community, and it can change in yours too.

The Art of Showing Up: how to be there for yourself and your people by Rachel Wilkerson Miller
We live in an age where you probably have more 'friends' online than in real life. Miller charts a course to kinder, more thoughtful, and more fulfilling relationships. She reminds us that 'you can't show up for others if you aren't showing up for yourself first.' Readers will learn to define their own needs, reclaim their time, and learn to ask for backup.

The Five Elements of Relationships: How to Get Along with Anyone, Anytime, Anyplace by Dr. Vicki Matthews
In The Five Elements of Relationships, Dr. Vicki Matthews uses the ancient Five Elements model from Chinese medicine to describe five basic personality types and the ways they automatically relate to one another. Knowing our primary elemental personality type explains our priorities and preferences in life as well as the reasons we click with certain people but have difficulties with others.

Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love by Kim Fay
In the vein of the classic 84, Charing Cross Road, this witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best medicine.

The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne
Orphaned at a young age and witness to her brother's decline into addiction, Nora Martinez has every excuse to question the fairness of life. Instead, the openhearted librarian in the small Colorado community of Silver Ridge sees only promise.  It's her home away from home, but it's also a sanctuary for others who, like her brother, could use a second chance.

Living Your Best Life by Maxine Morrey
Some days Bee feels invisible. Most days Bee does not feel as if she is ‘living her best life’.
Sure she has a loyal group of friends, a job she’s good at, and a small London flat to call home, but a lot of the time, Bee feels as if no one actually ‘sees’ her.

Her Last Hope by Louise Guy
Will new friends almost ruined by their husbands find the strength to fight for each other? Abi’s life has been turned upside down by her husband’s death?in more ways than she could ever have imagined. With his dodgy business dealings now exposed, gone is her glamorous lifestyle and the trust of her family and friends. How could the man who said he loved her have betrayed her so spectacularly?

The Story of our Secrets by Shari Low
Colm O’Flynn was loved by his close circle of family and friends, however his death came too soon for everyone to make peace with their past. Shauna, his second wife, adored him. Jess was the first Mrs. O’Flynn. Colm’s best friend, Dan, is recently divorced. What no-one knows is that somewhere out there Colm left messages that could set them free to start over again. 

When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Fifteen years after discovering an abandoned baby boy in the woods, widower Nathan McCann finds him abandoned once again?this time at his doorstep?in this emotional tale from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.