Do You Believe in the Power of a Story Well Told?
Join us on Saturday, March 7, at the Main Library for an unforgettable musical experience as the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville presents Music Inspired by Literary Giants, a free concert inspired by some of the greatest stories ever written — in honor of National Reading Month. Under the direction of Dr. Marguerite Richardson, this family-friendly performance is part of their 10th anniversary season.
Before the concert, local musician and music educator Tony Steve will also present a History Chat on the impact of Holst & Tchaikovsky on present-day Hollywood, the game industry and more. Read more below or search our events calendar for all adult programs.
Be the first to know about upcoming events!
Great Decisions: A World Affairs Discussion Series
The Foreign Policy Association—a non-partisan not-for-profit—created Great Decisions to serve as a catalyst for developing an awareness, understanding, and informed opinion on U.S. foreign policy and global issues. Today, it is the country's largest world affairs discussion program taking place in libraries, schools, and community centers across the United States. Each program includes a 25-minute video, followed by a discussion, facilitated by local subject-matter expert.
There were a total of eight discussion topics in this series. The last two are scheduled for March:
-
Ukraine and the Future of European Security
- with Richard Reiter, Retired Foreign Service Officer & UNF Professor
- 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, at Webb Wesconnett Regional
-
America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy
- with Patrick Connell, Retired Foreign Service Officer & UNF Professor
- 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, at Southeast Regional
Continue learning: Find book suggestions for each topic on our blog.
History Chat: Memphis Wood, Jacksonville's "First Lady of Art"
Memphis Wood was a long-time resident of Mandarin who excelled in many aspects of art, including drawing, painting, pottery, and jewelry. She is probably best known for her unique and colorful work in fabrics and textiles. Though she died in 1989, her strange and often brilliant work is finding interest from a new generation. Tim Gilmore joins us from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 2, at the South Mandarin Branch Library to explore the life and work of this celebrated local artist. An audience Q&A will follow the 40-minute presentation.
What Library Superfans are Reading in February
March is full of reading-focused holidays including National Reading Month, Read Across America Day, and E-book Week. What better way to foster or sustain your love of reading than by discussing great books with fellow readers at a Library Book Club? There are over a dozen book clubs to choose from, including one that meets live on Zoom.
Reminder: The 2026 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge started on January 1 and one of the 16 challenge categories is "A book read by a Library Book Club in 2026." Not only that, members read and discuss books that satisfy other challenge categories, making it even easier to complete 12 books in a year.
History Chat: The Impact of Holst & Tchaikovsky on Film and Multimedia Scoring
Gustav Holst and Piotr Tchaikovsky are important figures in the world of classical music composition. Their music is a staple of concert halls across the globe. What is sometimes overlooked is how their influence continues in the work of leading composers for cinema and other multimedia projects like video games. Learn more at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at the Main Library. Our guest presenter Tony Steve is a prominent percussionist, composer, and music educator in Jacksonville known for his work at Jacksonville University and with the Jacksonville Symphony.
Music Inspired by Literary Giants with the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville
Walk through worlds of poetry, romance, fantasy, and heroism—and let the orchestra carry you from the shores of Whitman’s America to Verona, Paris, Agrabah, and the Shire. Readers, dreamers, families and all who believe in the power of a story well told: Join us from 4 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, in the Multipurpose Room in the Conference Center at Main Library.
Repertoire:
- Holst — Walt Whitman Overture in D Major
- Tchaikovsky — Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
- Alan Menken — Aladdin Suite
- Selections from Les Misérables — arr. Lowden
- Howard Shore — The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Symphonic Suite
Register for this free concert
Writer's Lab: Writing Killer Dialogue
Dialogue moves a story forward. It reveals speakers’ identities, intentions, and psychologies. It tells readers where speakers are from and where they’re going. In other words, dialogue is also plot, character, and setting. In this 90-minute, hands-on workshop from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 14, at the Main Library, we’ll work on techniques to make dialogue achieve all that it can.
Lit Chat Author Talk with Kadeem Locke
Kadeem Locke is a Jamaican-American writer, born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. An avid anime watcher, video game player, and reader. Check out his debut fantasy novel Demonology: The Bond. Meet the author at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23 at University Park Branch Library. A book signing will follow the interview, with books available for sale on site.
Writer's Lab: Writing the Romantic Comedy
Learn the basics of structuring a romantic comedy story or screenplay in this 90-minute hands-on workshop with Hurley Winkler. Using clips from classic rom coms like When Harry Met Sally and You've Got Mail, you'll discover ways of crafting romantic characters and scenarios for the page and screen. No writing experience required to join! from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 at Beaches Branch. Note: This event is currently full but you can join the waitlist.
Life Lab: Improve Your Day-to-Day Life
Life Lab is 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:
-
Rediscover Nature with Nature Journaling
- with UF IFAS Extension Office
- 6 p.m. on Monday, March 9, at Southeast Library
-
Gardening Mistakes
- with UF IFAS Extension Office
- 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10 at Murray Hill Branch Library
-
Pollinator Gardens
- with UF IFAS Extension Office
- 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10 at San Marco Branch Library
-
Attracting Wildlife
- with UF IFAS Extension Office
- 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 at University Park Branch Library
-
Biking in Jacksonville
- with Tanner Pletzke, the Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator Jr.
- City of Jacksonville's Transportation Planning Division
- 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24 at Willow Branch Library
-
African American Genealogy: Telling the Story of Slavery and Families
- with C. Ann Staley, CG®, CGL®
- 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25 at Dallas Graham Branch Library
- made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation
Search our events calendar for more workshops offered by our community partners at the Library.
