I joined the Community Foundation of Sarasota County as president and CEO three weeks ago, and while I served the Sarasota area in many ways as a nonprofit leader before that, this is the first time my work has been solely focused on this region, and I still consider myself somewhat of a newcomer. So I recently did what a lot of people do when they move to a new community: I got a library card.

I have carried a library card for almost my whole life, but there was something quietly meaningful about standing at the counter at Selby Public Library and adding a new one to my collection. It felt like both a personal milestone and a reminder of what libraries represent in a community: access, possibility and belonging.

One of my favorite memories with my daughters is of taking them to get their first library cards. Watching their excitement as they held something that felt official and important, even at a young age, was a joy. It was a simple moment, but one that reinforced a lifelong habit and a shared love of reading that connects us still today.

Libraries have always mattered to me. They are among the few places left that ask very little of us and offer so much in return. They are welcoming and quiet, but they are also powerful spaces where curiosity is encouraged and everyone is invited to learn. A library card represents more than access to books. It provides access to ideas, history and perspectives that help us better understand one another.

That belief is reflected in the work of the Community Foundation, where literacy and education are seen as foundational to opportunity and long-term stability. Through support for libraries, initiatives that help teachers and families tackle reading disabilities like dyslexia and scholarships that help 500-plus students each year, we are focused on removing barriers and expanding access, because we know that knowledge changes lives.

Books have been a constant in my own life. I love the smell of them. I love being surrounded by them. There is not a day that goes by that I do not read. In fact, I usually have two or three books going at once, so I can choose the one that fits my mood, whether I’m looking for comfort, challenge or reflection.

Some books stay with us long after we have finished the last page. Anne of Green Gables taught me about imagination and resilience. A Land Remembered deepened my appreciation for Florida’s history and the perseverance of those who shaped it. More recently, Remarkably Bright Creatures reminded me of the quiet ways connection and compassion can change lives.

Reading does more than just inform us. It shapes us. It builds empathy, strengthens critical thinking and helps us navigate a complicated world with a little more understanding. Libraries sit at the heart of that ecosystem. They are anchors in our neighborhoods and gateways to possibility.

So while getting a new library card may seem like a small gesture, it was a reminder of something I have always believed: Strong communities are built one reader, one learner and one story at a time.

Jessica Muroff is the President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. 

The Selby Foundation’s Selby Scholars are exceptional in many ways. Their records of academic preparedness and rigor stand apart. Perhaps even more outstanding is the way they show up in community. They encourage their peers and family members. They actively build their leadership ability with empathy, inclusiveness, and self-reflection.

Our Senior Scholarship Manager, Kiarra Womack, is intentional about the ways we stay in touch with students throughout their college experience. In an annual survey, she consistently learns that mental wellness is one of their top three requests for additional support. This is not surprising.

Five years ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency for children’s mental health. The organization cited 20% of adolescents (ages 12-17) as having unmet mental health care needs.

Selby Scholars are challenged with the financial ability to pay for their education after high school. Approximately half are first-generation, the first in their families to attend college. Most of our students have supportive parents and caregivers, yet navigating post-secondary education is a new experience. Sometimes, the expectation that the student will help forge a new future for the entire family adds to the overwhelming nature of it all.

The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation recently partnered with the Selby Foundation on a pilot program with the nonprofit Resilient Retreat. We want to see what is possible if we help students build a mental wellness plan before things get tough. With her years of experience and training as a youth psychologist, Dr. Stacie Herrera developed a results-focused curriculum for Selby Scholars who opted to participate in the 6-month cohort.

It includes mapping personal support networks, understanding healthy social media practices, self-regulation strategies—even practicing use of the Crisis Text Line, a free, always-on resource for confidential mental health support. The skills and practical tools students are developing will provide individual steps to take when they begin to feel help could be beneficial. We’re already hearing that students feel more equipped to deal with challenges.

It’s a tender time for all of us, navigating more information than our brains are prepared to digest, living in a time of change, and working on overdrive to adapt within this paradigm. Big progress in the normalization of conversations about mental wellbeing has been in the works for years, opening spaces for actively taking care of ourselves.

I am personally grateful for Dr. Herrera’s encouragement to attend the recent Resilient Retreat session offered for the Selby Scholars in our pilot program. She reminded me that when leaders demonstrate caring for themselves, it’s good for younger people too.

We never know the load a student may be carrying. Let’s continue to invest in mental wellness for both youth and adults, talk more openly about our own vulnerabilities, and model taking care of ourselves as a common practice, not waiting until we enter a time of deficit.

Scholarships matter. Helping students succeed beyond the financial award makes the investments whole—both in the short-term and in life after school.

Susie Bowie is the President and CEO of The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation.

Pictured: Dr. Stacie Herrera, Owner of Herrera Psychology, with Kiarra Womack, Senior Scholarships Manager at the Selby Foundation. Provided photo.

There's a moment every February when I'll be driving down a familiar stretch of road and notice something: license plates from Ohio, New York, Michigan (anywhere colder than here...). My favorite restaurants are harder to get into. And parking spaces are scarce. My reaction might surprise you.

I smile.

I know that's not the typical response for our residents. I hear the complaints about traffic and navigating those pesky roundabouts (with public art sculptures by the way), the crowded restaurants, the longer waits. Here's my perspective: this is our season. This is when the world discovers what we get to experience year-round. And to me, that's not a burden; it's an opportunity.

Sarasota in February is something special. The weather is (usually) stunning, yes, but it's also a moment when our community gets to show off everything we've built together. Incredible performances and stunning exhibitions. When visitors arrive and experience the breadth and depth of our cultural scene, they become ambassadors for this place we call home.

At the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, we see tourism not as separate from our mission, but central to it. The relationship between cultural tourism and our arts ecosystem is one of Sarasota's greatest strengths. Those visitors filling theater seats and gallery spaces? They're helping sustain the organizations and artists who make this community extraordinary. And the economic activity they generate doesn't just stay in one place; it ripples through our entire creative community, fueling the very programming that makes people want to come here in the first place.

This is why our work through the Tourist Development Cultural Arts program is impactful. We help steward resources (supported by those folks with the out-of-state license plates) directly to local arts organizations, $2.1 million this past year alone. The grants help arts organizations create great work and help visitors discover it—so when people come to Sarasota, they don’t just find beautiful beaches; they find incredible cultural experiences too. For many, that discovery is what turns a visit into a deeper connection, and sometimes even a decision to call Sarasota home. It's part of how we position Sarasota as a cultural destination, and it's work we take seriously.

So, when I see those visitors I think about what they represent: people who chose to be here, who will experience something meaningful, and who will carry that story home with them. Busier streets mean a thriving economy. A thriving economy means more resources for the arts. More resources for the arts means a stronger, more vibrant community for all of us.

This February, I'd encourage a shift in perspective. Instead of frustration, share what makes Sarasota special to you. (I don’t honk in anger - I still smile). Recommend your favorite local gallery, talk about a performance you experienced. We have something worth showing off, and this is our moment to do it.

Welcome to Sarasota. We're glad you're here.

Visit sarasotaarts.org to explore all the ways you can engage with Sarasota's vibrant cultural scene

Brian Hersh is the CEO of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. 

Pictured: Poly by Hou de Sousa is located at the 14th Street and US-41 roundabout . Photo courtesy sarasotafl.gov.