2023 is almost upon us, and it's the perfect time to start exploring a new hobby with Alachua County Library District resources, which are free to use for anyone with a library card! Not sure where to start? Check out some suggestions below for a variety of ways to have some fun this upcoming year!
Interested in a specific hobby but don't see it on the list? Check with your local branch to see if we have books or other resources for that topic.
Crafting
Try your hand at a new craft with our eSource, Creativebug. You can find tutorials on knitting, crocheting, painting, holiday decorations, and much more! We also have many eMagazines available, including several crafting-specific titles.
And if you're so inclined, you can submit your new artwork to be part of one of our Art Shows, which are for Teens aged 12 to 15 years old, Teens aged 16 to 19 years old, and Adults (18+).
Gardening
Want to nurture your green thumb? Visit your preferred location to check out seeds from the Seed Library. While it's too cold to plant most things directly in the ground during the winter months, you can get started growing seedlings indoors and then transplant them after the last frost.
And while you wait to transplant your seedlings, check out some of our gardening books for Florida-friendly gardening ideas!
Car Repair
Looking to repair or fix a car yourself? Check out ChiltonLibrary, which has repair, maintenance, and specification tables for thousands of models of cars, trucks, trucks, and SUVs.
Learn more about ChiltonLibrary.
Want to learn more about your family history? Try your hand at genealogy! The Library District has several resources to help, including Ancestry Library Edition (accessible in-library only; learn more), HeritageQuest Online (learn more), and the Library District's own Heritage Collection (learn more).
We also provide access to several genealogy eMagazines.
Birding
Interested in bird watching? You can now check out Birding Kits, thanks to a generous donation from the Alachua Audubon Society. These kits are perfect for beginner and intermediate birders, and each kit can be checked out for 14 days, with renewals available if no one else is waiting.
You can also place items about birding on hold through our catalog.
Investing
Looking to start investing? Research stocks and mutual funds and find other helpful financial tools with Morningstar Investment Research Center (learn more here). You can also access the latest investment information on companies, industries, stocks, mutual funds, and more with Value Line (learn more here).
Language Learning
Want to learn another language? Try Transparent Language, a self-paced, online language learning system with over 100 languages for native English speakers, and English courses for native speakers of over 25 different languages. Learn more about Transparent Language.
Not your style? You can also check out books, DVDs, audiobooks, eBooks, and eAudiobooks through our catalog. Looking for a specific language? Just search "learn [insert language here] language" in our catalog to find results tailored to what you want to learn.