Jacksonville Public Library Blog 2023 Archive

Join a Book Club this October

There's so much to fall in love with about this time of year! Whether it's spooky season, autumn festivals, candied and caramel apples, or the ever-popular Pumpkin Spice Latte (or Pumpkin Spice Iced Chia Latte): There's nothing quite like finding just the right book or a group of people to talk about it with! This October, join a Book Club! Not only will you get some great reading recommendations from fellow readers, but you might just bond with someone over a favorite fall treat (and maybe share a recipe or two).

Let Freedom Read: Banned Books Week Teen Art Contest

Let Freedom Read Teen Art Contest Entries due Sept 25. through Oct. 6

Feeling creative? Want to make an impact? Draw, paint, collage or create a square piece of art expressing your thoughts about censorship, book challenges, and the freedom to read. Join us at Teen Advisory Board or scan and email your entry to JPLYouthservices@coj.net September 25 - October 6.

Reflections on the Holocaust and the Impact Across Generations

Now at Your Library: Americans and the Holocaust Traveling Exhibition What did Americans Know? What More Could Have Been Done?

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. Please note: Because the Main Library will not be closing as usual at 6 p.m. on September 28 and October 12, Holocaust program attendees will have an extra 30 minutes to browse the exhibit or check out books from the Holocaust Collection between 6 - 6:30 p.m. However, the Library will close promptly at 8 p.m. So, there will be no time to browse the exhibit after the program.

Books to Read for Talk Like a Pirate Day

Shiver me timbers and batten down the hatches! September 19 is Talk Like a Pirate Day. If you're looking for some inspiration, the Library has some great books about our favorite scallywags and seadogs. No need to raid Davey Jones' locker. The best part: these books won't cost you a single doubloon! So, check out a book, sing your favorite sea chantey, and "yo ho ho" the whole day long!

Books to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

The Library has an AMAZING collection of books featuring stories and information written by and about people from varied backgrounds, races, ethnicities, life experiences, and viewpoints. We love to share selections that demonstrate the range of our collection all year and we encourage you to explore these books with us! Between September 15 and October 15, we are highlighting books in our collection by and about people in the Hispanic and Latine/Latinx communities.

Staff Picks Book Review - Divine Providence through a Child’s Drawing: On Fateful Meetings in Dan Santat’s Caldecott Winning Picture Book

Staff Picks Book Review book list graphic

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend wasn’t Dan Santat’s literary debut, but it was the book that made him a kid lit superstar. The New York Times bestselling author and illustrator received the Caldecott medal for Beekle at the 2015 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Dedicated to his oldest son, Alek, Santat has described the book as a metaphor for awaiting the birth of his first child. As a matter of fact, Beekle’s name comes from the way Alek would pronounce the word “bicycle” as a toddler.

Junior Lit Chat: Meet Author and Illustrator Dan Santat at Jax Book Fest

Dan Santat is the author and illustrator of over a hundred books for young people including the New York Times–bestselling book After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again). Though he's probably best known for The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, the magical story of a would-be imaginary friend who sets off on a journey looking for the child he's destined to befriend!

Lit Chat Interview with Horror Author Joe Hill at Jax Book Fest

It's almost September, which means -- it's practically Halloween. We're also just weeks away from the return of Jax Book Fest at the Main Library! This year, our headliner is none other than Joe Hill! Many will know him from his many spine-tingling, bone-chilling horror novels like NOS4A2 (or the AMC series of the same name) or the big-screen adaptations of his work. Comic fans know him as the co-creator of the Eisner Award-winning series Locke & Key (now streaming on Netflix). Whatever you know him from... nothing beats getting to pick his brain, in person, at your local library!

Teen Lit Chat with Angeline Boulley - Author of Firekeeper's Daughter

Teen Lit Chat Interview with Angeline Boulley

You probably already know and love Firekeeper's Daughter - the "Indigenous Nancy Drew thriller" novel that set the world (and BookTok) ablaze. Not only was it a Reese's Book Club YA Pick and a TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time Selection... It's getting adapted for TV at Netflix! But did you know Angeline Boulley has a new, bestselling follow-up to her breakaway debut hit? Join us for a trhilling Teen Lit Chat interview with Angeline Boulley on Saturday, September 23 during Jax Book Fest!

Free Writing and Publishing Workshops at Jax Book Fest 2023

Are you an aspiring author? Have you ever wanted to see your own book on the library's shelves? Join us Friday, September 22 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Main Library for FREE writing and publishing workshops, networking with local authors, and more!