Jacksonville Public Library Blog 2022 Archive

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.

Happy #LibraryShelfieDay 2022!

Wednesday, Jan. 26 is National #LibraryShelfieDay. The New York Public Library's official definition of a library shelfie is, "A photograph that one has taken of oneself at a library, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam, and shared via social media. Library Shelfie Day is celebrated on the fourth Wednesday of January and began in 2014." Book lovers from all over the world are invited to share their library shelfies on social media!

Writer’s Lab: Indie Author Project, with Emily Gooding of Biblioboard

Do you have an ebook looking for a wider audience? Would you like to get your book into the library but you don’t have a print version? Check out the Indie Author Project for ways to get your book into the hands of more readers!

Lit Chat with Mia P. Manansala

The weather is finally turning colder, and there’s no better time to grab a blanket and a bowl of lugaw and warm up with a cozy mystery! Check out our Lit Chat with Mia P. Manansala to find out how she got into mystery writing and where her series is going next.

Page to Screen: Geek Edition

Comic book superheroes are experiencing a renaissance. But with so many characters, time travel plots, branching timelines, and alternate universes: sometimes it’s helpful to go back to the original source. So, whether you’re looking to fill in some gaps or you want to see what’s next, the Library has you covered.

Lit Chat with Debora De Farias

For some authors, writing is a full-time career, but others, including Debora De Farias, write and publish books while holding down another full-time job! Come hear how she managed it at our next Lit Chat!