This Good News Story written by Jamey Hitchcock is a Realize Bradenton production funded by the Knight Donor Advised Fund at the Manatee Community Foundation.

The Central Library, 1112 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton

The waterfront location of the Central Library alone is a part of the social infrastructure that enhances quality of life. It’s an educational and cultural center open to all and offers opportunities for self-enhancement in unique ways.

One way to catch a glimpse of the initiatives and programs hosted by the library is to stop by its table at the local Farmer’s Market located in downtown Bradenton. There have been displays of the children’s programs, food demonstrations and other informational programs to have an involvement.

“All of our programs are impactful for many age groups. We have STEM programming for kids and story times,” said Librarian Jyna Johnson, the library system program coordinator. “We also offer a Summer Reading Challenge for Adults that challenges participants to broaden their horizons by reading from an obscure list of genres. Also, we’ve had quite a few writing programs in conjunction with the literary journal we publish called 805–a great vehicle for millennial writers and readers.”

The journal was conceived and helmed by Stephanie Katz, a librarian at the downtown branch.

The Central Library continues to extend its reach all over town, including the 3 Keys Brewing and Eatery! In the past there has been a book discussion called “Books on Tap” that was conducted at the local brewery on State Road 64.

Downtown Bradenton is more than meets the eye. Stop in and check out how The Central Library can cater to your age group and expand your horizons!

This post is part of the Top 12 Reasons We Love This City series. Read more here.

This post is part of the Top 12 Reasons We Love This City series. Read more here.