# Summer is for Self-Publishers
Jacksonville Public Library will host the fourth annual Duval Comic and Zine Fest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Main Library, 303 N. Laura St. A celebration of local, independent publishers, the event will feature over 90 local zine and comic creators, a risograph printing activity, a Writer's Lab workshop, a mini-zine making program for teens, a Lit Chat Interview, and more. Get the full event schedule at jaxlibrary.org/DCAZFest2025.
Keep reading for all of this month's free programs and workshops for adults at the Library.
Be the first to know about Lit Chat author events, writing workshops, and more!
# Authors, Books & Writing
Authors Roundtable: Mid-Year Author Check
Authors: Find out how to review and update your business and marketing plan with special guest speaker and attorney, Vivian Williams. This workshop and author networking opportunity is presented by Authors Roundtable of Northeast Florida - a 501c3 that supports authors reaching their highest potential. Note: All genres are welcome.
10:15 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, at Main Library and online
Join Library Book Club this June
Summer reading season is here! Whether you're prepping for your next road trip or you're looking for your next beach read, our Library Book Clubs have some great reading recommendations for you this June. Bonus: If you need people to talk to about all the awesome books you're reading, most of our book clubs are actively looking for new members! Summer is the perfect opportunity to have fun, explore new interests, and interact with fellow readers - all while providing a good model for children enrolled in summer reading programs.
Lit Chat Interview with Kevin Sack
Kevin Sack is a veteran journalist and Jacksonville native who has written about national affairs for more than four decades and has been part of three Pulitzer Prize–winning teams. His debut book, Mother Emanuel, is a sweeping history of the first AME church in the South and a profound story of courage and grace amid the fight for racial justice. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow with books available for sale from Café Resistance Bookstore.
4 to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 20, at Main Library
Did you know that all of our Lit Chat authors' books and any book read by a Library Book Club in 2025 count toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completion? Find out what authors we're hosting and join in on the fun!
Hand Stitch Bookbinding Basics: A How-To for Beginners
At this workshop, Dan Waily will introduce a style of bookbinding that adds an inexpensive personal touch to any comic or zine. You will learn a hand-stitch saddle binding technique using an awl, needle, and wax thread. Each participant will walk away with their own 10-20 page pamphlet and receive a complimentary one-page zine on how to book bind. If you already have a zine made you’d like to bind, feel free to bring your pages with you!
1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, at Murray Hill Branch Library
Writer's Lab: Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win with Emily Malo
Learn how to use self-publishing for activism and social change. Through raw, real conversation, participants will unpack the role of the artist as an agitator and organizer and get into the gritty craft of using zines and comics to disrupt, demand, and inspire. Participants will walk away with a DIY mini-zine packed with their own notes and strategies plus a brand new half-size zine from local activists to inspire their next creative move.
1 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, at Main Library
Lit Chat Interview with Osa Atoe
Osa Atoe is an artist, teacher, and ceramicist operating Pottery by Osa, producing small-batch handmade ceramics. Currently residing in Sarasota, FL, Osa previously lived in Portland, OR, and New Orleans, LA. It was these two cities where she primarily made her zine, Shotgun Seamstress. Osa is also a punk musician who performed in numerous bands including VHS, New Bloods, and Firebrand.
The author will be in conversation with a local interviewer for the first 40 minutes. There will also 20 minutes of audience Q&A and a book signing.
4 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, on the first floor of the Main Library
Writer's Lab: Writing the Killer Hook with Daniel Powell
Learn how to get and keep your audience's attention through great opening sentences, passages, and more. Daniel Powell teaches a variety of writing courses at Florida State College at Jacksonville. He enjoys reading and writing stories across a broad spectrum of genres, but has an affinity for horror, science fiction, and fantasy. He lives with his wife and children near the Timucuan Preserve, where you can often find him jogging those haunted trails.
1 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, at Southeast Library
Lit Chat Interview with Daniel Powell
Join us for a 40-minute talk between local authors Daniel Powell and Tim Gilmore, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A. After the interview, Powell will sign books, with copies available for sale on site from a local bookseller. His stories and essays have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and anthologies. His recent novels include Down in the Sawgrass Boneyard, These Strange Worlds: Fourteen Dark Tales, and In the Walls and Other Stories.
4 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, at Southeast Library
# History & Genealogy
History Chat: The Beginnings of a Bioswale with Jimmy Orth
St. Johns Riverkeeper and numerous partners collaborated to install the City’s first bioswale along Lasalle Street in front of the San Marco Library in 2012. Join us this June to learn how and why it was installed, the challenges confronted along the way, and why these type of green infrastructure projects are beneficial for our river and our communities. Note: This is part of San Marco Branch Library's 75th anniversary celebration.
11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 7, at the San Marco Branch Library
# Other Adult Programs
Life Lab: Improve Your Day-to-Day Life
Grow your own garden or small business and take control of your health, career, and personal finances! Life Lit is now Life LAB - a series of free workshops offered by trained professionals and volunteers, aimed at improving your life. They cover a wide range of topics from gardening to financial literacy to small business needs. No need to bring anything but yourself to participate!
Upcoming Workshops:
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What is a Florida Friendly Yard with UF/IFAS
- 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, at Webb Wesconnett Library
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Entrepreneurship: Elements of a Pitch with EY
- 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, at Murray Hill Branch Library
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Garden Mistakes with UF/IFAS
- 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, at University Park Branch Library
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Entrepreneurship: Elements of a Pitch with FSO Technology Consulting
- 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, at Highlands Library
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One Page Marketing Plan with UNF Small Business Development Center
- 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 26, at Main Library
Search our events calendar for more workshops offered by our community partners at the Library.
