Library U

It's September, which means we're that much closer to Halloween... and the return of Jax Book Fest to the Main Library! This year, our headliner is none other than Joe Hill, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Horns, Heart-Shaped Box, and The Fireman. Hill is also the co-creator of the Eisner Award-winning series Locke & Key, now streaming on Netflix!

Not a horror fan? There will be DOZENS of local authors at the Main Library on Saturday, September 23. So, you're bound to find something to add to your TBR pile. We also have Life Lit workshops with fall gardening tips, book clubs to join, and a ton of writing and publishing workshops!  

The big names headlining Jax Book Fest were all little names, once, which is why we’re always delighted to spotlight our local up-and-coming authors! Newly award-winning author Sohrab Homi Fracis kicks off our Book Fest week with an interview about his latest book and what it means to be a writer today.

Jacksonville Public Library is one of 50 U.S. libraries selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war, and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. The exhibition runs from September 6 – October 12, 2023, at the Main Library. In addition to free, docent-led tours of the exhibit, there will be several public programs offred in connection to the exhibition at the Main Library including a special Screening Room program and discussion at your Southeast Regional and Mandarin Branch Library locations. 

Just in case your TBR pile isn't big enough: Jax Book Fest is back September 22-23 at the Main Library! Not only is this your chance to meet #1 New York Times bestselling authors Joe Hill and Angeline Boulley, but there will also be DOZENS of local authors set up throughout the Conference Level and first two floors. It's a book lover's dream! Plus, you can bring the kids to meet bestselling and award-winning author/illustrator Dan Santat - best known for The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend and Disney's The Replacements. 

In the meantime, don't close the book about our Library Book Clubs! We've got some great reading recommendations this month that you're going to want to check out! 

This month, we're talking food trucks and there is no one better to answer our questions than Chef Andrew Ferenc of On The Fly Sandwiches & Stuff Food Truck. Voted "Best Food Truck" in Folio's Best of Jax poll (2012) and Jax Truckies Food Truck Champion & People's Choice Winner (2012), On The Fly Food Truck has been serving Jacksonville residents since 2011.

Library U is a collection of programs and classes for adults as well as free email newsletters that keep you connected, sharing ideas and learning. Meet and learn from published authors, master gardeners, small business experts and other curious people, just like you!

What could happen if a wife secretly took over her husband’s presidency? Join us for Day #1 of the official, multi-state book tour for Tracey Enerson Wood’s newest book, The President’s Wife. Tracey will join us on the day of the book’s publication to talk about her writing process and her other well-loved books!

Do you have questions about how much and how often to water your garden? Want to avoid common garden mistakes or learn how to grow a completely organic garden with no harmful pesticides? Learn all the tips and tricks from Master Gardeners and our friends at the UF Extension Office! And if you want to be the first to know about new workshops and locations, sign up for our Life Lit mailing list!

Hank Phillippi Ryan has never liked surprises. She hated them so much in, fact, that long ago, she started reading the last page of books first. But even a lifetime of avoiding surprises hasn't kept her from being surprised (and often delighted) by the endings to her own books! This bestselling author knows how to craft thrilling tales that will leave you guessing until the very end... Hear her talk with one of Jacksonville's own mystery and detective novelists, Michael Wiley, about what it takes to write crime and thrillers. And join the discussion! An audience Q&A will follow the interview.

Did you know? August 9 is National Book Lovers Day! If you're looking for ways to celebrate or a few fellow bibliophiles to celebrate with: Join a Library Book Club and get book recommendations from librarians and book lovers like you! Reading doesn't have to be a solitary activity when there are book lovers all over Jacksonville!