Jacksonville Public Library Blog 2022 Archive

Jacksonville's First Black Lawyer

Joseph E. Lee is a prominent figure in Jacksonville history. He holds the distinction of having been the City's first Black lawyer as well as having left a legacy of commitment to public service and community. Jacksonville Public Library was recently able to digitize an extensive collection of Joseph E. Lee's professional and personal correspondence, dating from 1877 – 1882. These papers help paint a clearer picture of the man and his accomplishments.

Lit Chat with Alyssa Day

On International Women's Day, join romance authors Alyssa Day and Valerie Bowman for a chat about the perpetual appeal of romance, why vampires are always so popular, the Bridgerton effect, and more.

Books celebrating the Daytona 500

Whether you’re watching in-person at the Daytona International Speedway or at home from the comfort of your couch: there’s nothing quite like the energy and excitement of the “Great American Race.” To celebrate the iconic 500-mile NASCAR Cup series season-opener, the Library is taking stock of its collection and taking a trip down memory lane.

What To Read If You Love The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Emmy award-winning, Amazon Prime original television show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is finally back with its fourth season airing this Friday, February 18! If you binge-watched the previous three seasons and want to keep the comedy and drama coming while you binge-watch the fourth season, check out this list of must-reads created especially for fans of the hilarious Midge Maisel.

Ten Books To Pump You And Your Family Up For The SuperBowl

Super Bowl Sunday is just days away! It doesn’t matter if you’re a football fan or not, it’s hard to avoid the pre-Super Bowl hype. There are the commercials, the predictions friends, family and colleagues make of who is going to win, the social media posts, the half-time show sneak peeks and of course, books! It’s more than the biggest game in football; it’s an experience and it's an experience the whole family can get it on.

Black History Month 2022

Black History Month (or African American History Month) is celebrated annually in February. It was first created by historian Carter G. Woodson as a week-long event in 1926. Encompassing the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, it highlighted the many achievements that had been made by Black Americans since emancipation. Whether you’re looking for fictional characters or real-life heroes who look like you or you want to learn more about history, the Library has some great options!

2022 Scholastic Art Awards

2022 Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards February 12 through March 5. The Gallery at Main. 303 Laura St. N.

The 2022 Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards Gold Key Exhibition, which features award-winning artwork by middle and high school student-artists from across eight counties, is coming to the Main Library! Hundreds of "Gold Key" (or first-place) paintings, photographs, sculptures, and other mixed-media masterpieces will be on display on the first and second floor Saturday, February 12 through Saturday, March 5.

UPDATE: If you missed seeing this in-person, you can still check out the virtual exhibit here.

Jax Student Poetry Contest

It's Jacksonville's 200th birthday! Add your voice to the celebration... and to history! Jacksonville Public Library invites youth in grades 4-12 to submit an original poem, not to exceed one page in length, celebrating Jacksonville's upcoming Bicentennial. Entries will be accepted online through April 30, 2022 and top winners from three age categories will win a cash prize!

Books To Get Kids Pumped For The Winter Olympics

The Olympics offer an opportunity to teach kids important lessons about resilience, teamwork, discipline, winning, and losing. Learn more about the Olympic history and winter sports featured at the event with this list of children’s books available through the Library. From silly reads to true stories of barrier-breaking athletes, these books will inspire and entertain your own little athletes all year long.

Jacksonville Public Library's Top Checkouts of 2021

Jacksonville Public Library's Most Checked Out Books Of 2021

We tallied the checkouts, measured the hold requests, and crunched the numbers to find out which books Jacksonville residents checked out most from Jacksonville Public Library in 2021. Below you'll find the top 12 checkouts system-wide.