#Kick Off the New Year with a Bang!
It's going to be a busy January here at the Library! Whether you're resolving to read more, challenging yourself to (finally) write that novel that's been kicking around in the back of your head for years, or just continuing your pursuit of lifelong learning: We've got a great lineup of adult programs this month!
Improve your day-to-day life with one of ten Life Lit workshops, get inspired with a Writer's Lab workshop and Lit Chat Interview featuring bestselling author Jami Attenberg, come together as a community for a thought-provoking Forward Thinking panel discussion, or check out a brand new Library Book Club.
Not only that, a new Jax Stacks Reading Challenge - with a fresh list of 16 categories of books - starts January 1, 2024! Be sure to follow us on Instagram for the fun advent calendar-style Jax Stacks category reveals from December 14-31.
Be the first to know about upcoming Lit Chat author events, Writer's Lab workshops, and more!
Forward Thinking: Together Against Hate
OneJax and Interfaith Center will bring a panel of interfaith leaders to the Main Library on Thursday, January 18 at 7 p.m. for a 60-minute discussion promoting unity in our community. They will address antisemitism and other topics impacting our area including prejudices in faith, race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, gender, and diverse abilities. The program is the fifth and final community panel in a speaker series1 that started in September 2023.
Moderator: Rev. Rebekah McLeod Hutto, Executive Director, Interfaith Center
Panelists: Hazzan Jesse Holzer, Cantor, Jacksonville Jewish Center, Rev. Dr. John Newman, Pastor, The Sanctuary @ Mt. Calvary, Yildirim Sivar, Interfaith Center Board President, Alejandra Amegin, Owner and Founder, Jax Natural Healing and Vive Yoga Studio.
1Together Against Hate is made possible by funding from CSX, the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida: Next Gen B’nai Tzedek Grant Award, and the Team Up Project: a national collaboration between Catholic Charities USA, Habitat for Humanity International, Interfaith America and YMCA of the USA. It is presented in partnership by the Jewish Community Alliance and First Coast YMCA.
Lit Chat Interview with Jami Attenberg
Author and online writing community leader Jami Attenberg will be in conversation with local author and podcaster Nikesha Elise Williams on Saturday, January 20 from 2-3 p.m. live at the University Park Branch Library and live on Zoom. Attenberg is the author of seven novels and the 2022 memoir I Came All This Way To Meet You, as well as the new motivational creativity book 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round.
A book signing will follow the program, with books available for sale on-site.
Lit Chat Interview with Jeffrey Blount
Meet the author of The Emancipation of Evan Walls and the forthcoming Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way on Wednesday, January 31 from 7-8 p.m., live at the Pablo Creek Regional Library. Can't make it in person? The interview will also be live-streamed via Zoom. An audience Q&A will follow the interview. Stay after the program for a book signing, with books available for sale on-site from The Bookmark.
Writer's Lab Workshop: Authors Roundtable
Ready, Reset, Go: Write Now - Saturday, January 6 at 10:15 a.m.
Through a series of exercises, attendees will examine the meaning behind what they want to write or are writing; refine their approach to process, craft, and networking to align with purpose; and create a first-quarter goal to work toward. All genres are welcome to share in the uplift and development of personal growth as authors.
Authors Roundtable is a local 501C3 that supports authors in reaching their highest potential. Meeting on the first Saturday of every month at the Main Library, authors participate in educational forums, workshops, classes, and events.
Planning ahead? Check out what the Authors Roundtable has planned for February and March!
Writer's Lab Workshop: Put Your Creativity First
How can writers best serve their creative processes? Where do you go for inspiration? How important is community to our writing lives? And how can you carve out a creative life for yourself in this business of art? Share your ideas and perspectives and get some practical advice at the Writer's Lab workshop with New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg on Saturday, January 20 at 10:30 a.m. at the University Park Branch Library. Jami is a “writer’s writer,” with decades of experience in pursuit of a creative life.
Life Lit Workshops
Life Lit are free workshops offered by trained professionals and volunteers that focus on improving your day-to-day life. These programs cover a wide range of workshops from gardening to small business needs. No need to bring anything but yourself to participate!
Business & Money Matters:
- Conscious Consumption with EY - Tuesday, January 16, at 6:30 p.m., at South Mandarin Library
- Entrepreneurship Basics with EY - Tuesday, January 23, at 6 p.m., at West Library
- How Money Works with Luke Wittig - Tuesday, January 30, at 6 p.m., at San Marco Library
- Financial Wellness with Ty Grady - Tuesday, January 30, at 6:30 p.m., at South Mandarin Library
DIY Gardening:
- Gardening in Jars - Containers with UF/IFAS - Tuesday, January 9, at 6 p.m., at Murray Hill Library
- Mulches with UF/IFAS Extension Office - Monday, January 22, at 6 p.m., at Argyle Library
- You Can Garden in the Winter with UF/IFAS - Tues., Jan. 30, at 6:30 p.m., at University Park Library
Blue Zones Project Jacksonville:
- Blue Zones 4-Week Challenge - Tuesday, January 16, at 6 p.m., at Bradham and Brooks Library
- Blue Zones 4-Week Challenge - Tuesday, January 23, at 6 p.m., at Bradham and Brooks Library
- Blue Zones 4-Week Challenge - Tuesday, January 30, at 6 p.m., at Bradham and Brooks Library
- Blue Zones 4-Week Challenge - Tuesday, February 6, at 6 p.m., at Bradham and Brooks Library
Novel Pursuits: Library Book Club Meetings in January
The new year brings with it new releases, new challenges, fresh starts, and an all-new Library Book Club! Novel Pursuits meets on the third Saturday of the month at San Marco Branch Library. Where will our fiction collection take you? You'll have to join the club to find out! Book clubs are also one of the best ways to find out what other people are reading (and what they think about the books everyone else is reading). So, what do you say? Join us at your favorite library and let's talk books!
Join a Library Book Club in January!
Adult Reading Challenge + Virtual Book Club
We've got a fresh new set of 16 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge categories coming at you for 2024! While many of the categories are designed to broaden your reading horizons and get you to try something new, others are going to match up with books you're probably planning to read anyway. Either way, you'll have fun and read some great books! To make it easy, we've printed up Jax Stacks Bookmarks to help you keep track of the categories you've crossed off. Pick one up at your local library.
Looking for book recommendations? We will discuss "A Book by a 2024 Lit Chat Author" and "A Book with an Eye-Catching Cover" on Tuesday, January 2 at 6:30 p.m., live on Zoom.
Join the Challenge! Register for the Book Club!
