Welcome to the Ethel M. Gordon Oakland Park Library!

Wellness Lectures - Family Program

 Patricia Keating, PhD

-Nova Southeastern University

     Master in Nutrition and Dietetics

-Urban Farming Institute

     Oakland Park, Florida

Dr. Patricia Keating is a Licensed Biochemist from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and obtained her PhD in Immunology from Florida Atlantic University. She is currently taking courses in the Master in Nutrition Program at Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Keating has conducted research in the fields of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and asthma, and in the immune responses to breast cancer in mouse models. Dr. Keating has also worked for several pharmaceutical companies evaluating the immune response to vaccines in their clinical trials and is currently working for Novartis. Dr Keating’s main interests are the study of inflammation and prevention of disease through wellness and lifestyle modifications.

Proposed Lecture topics and times: 

-Saturday March 11^th 2023 at 4PM: To cook or not to cook. A brief overview of the effects of cooking on the availability of nutrients in our foods.

-Thursday March 16^th 2023 at 6PM: Move it or lose it. Raising awareness of the importance of movement for the overall health of our body. Myokines and how skeletal muscles interact with and affect other organs of our body.

-Saturday March 18^th 2023 at 4PM: You may have Prediabetes… Find out!   Introduction to the conditions of pre-diabetes and diabetes and their implications for individuals and society.

Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories - Living in Oakland Park!

Family Program - Saturday, March 25, 2023 @ 4pm

Come and experience a panel discussion celebrating Women’s History Month hosted by Verna Thomas, adult programming librarian, with Heidi Burnett, Angela Rush, and Susan Gillis.

Heidi Burnett, library director of Ethel M. Gordon Oakland Park Library, has been an Oakland Park resident and homeowner since 1987.  She worked for the City for 24 years but not consecutively.  She has also been a school librarian at 2 private schools here in Broward County. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a BA in English and also graduated from the University of South Florida with a MA in Library Science. 

Angela Rush is an Oakland Park native and a self-taught, lifelong artist. She is the owner of Art in Oakland Park studio which is open to all ages and skill levels. She goes through stages of creating with different mediums but works mostly in resin and acrylics. Her focus is on abstract, trying to create a balance with colors and textures. She believes we all try to find some balance in our lives, and putting that on a tangible piece of art is very rewarding to her. Sharing this feeling with others is the most fulfilling part of what she does.

Susan Gillis is a museum curator and local historian and has lived in Oakland Park for thirty-one years. She is the author of seven books about local history and has completed the draft for a future Oakland Park history book.

Award-winning New York Saxophonist Daniel Bennett in Concert

 Wednesday, April 19, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

New York saxophonist Daniel Bennett performs his Florida CD release concert at the Ethel M. Gordon Oakland Park Library. He has been hailed as one of the most original and unpredictable musical voices of his generation. The Boston Globe described Bennett's music as, "a mix of jazz, folk and minimalism." Daniel Bennett is joined by master percussionist Koko Bermejo (drums/keyboard) and acclaimed bassist Kevin Hailey. Bennett is the associate director of the New York Jazz Academy in Times Square. Daniel Bennett's theatrical works have strongly influenced his eclectic sound and musical storytelling abilities as a bandleader.