Learn from Local Experts - Free Adult Programs at the Library this May

Conservation Series Kicks Off May 6

Environmental change and conservation issues increasingly affect daily life in Northeast Florida. Since 2023, the Library has partnered with the St. Johns Riverkeeper, a local nonprofit organization, to offer public programming to help Duval County residents better understand these issues. 

May - June in 2026, this annual Conservation Series expands to include new partners and programs:

• a History Chat on May 6 with the North Florida Land Trust,
• a Screening Room on May 18 and discussion with the Duval Audubon Society,
• a series of five Life Lab community conversations from May 21 - June 27,
• and a Lit Chat Interview on June 27 with author Clay Henderson. 

_{Funding for these programs was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities with funds from The Mosaic Company. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or The Mosaic Company.}

Writer's Lab: Plotting, Planning, and Publishing

Build your book from square one to "The End." Novelist and editor Jessica Hatch presents a 90-minute workshop on the phases of the editing process starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 2, at the Main Library. This immersive workshop is for writers who have a completed manuscript .Participants will receive advice and learn about best practices on self-revision as well as hiring beta readers and freelance editors. A Q&A session will follow.

Learn from Jessica Hatch

What Library Book Clubs Are Reading this May

Are you ready? Summer at Jax Library starts June 1. This year's theme, Unearth a Story™ underscores the joy of discovery that reading brings. So, what better time to visit the Library, stock up on some books, and inspire others in your life to do the same? We're also nearing the halfway point for the 2026 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge. Cross another category off your list.

Join a Book Club

History Chat: The Aquifer, Bears, Agriculture, Marshes & Air Craft Carriers

Guest speaker Ramesh Buch talks about how the North Florida Land Trust has protected over 123,000 acres in Northeast Florida worth $277M since 1999. This program serves as the kick off for the 2026 Conversation Series from 7 - 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, at Pablo Creek Regional Library. An audience Q&A will follow the presentation.

Register for the History Chat

Lit Chat Interview with Thriller Suspense Author Kaira Rouda

USA TODAY, Amazon #1, and international bestselling author Kaira Rouda stops by the Mandarin Library from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, for a 40-minute conversation with Armand Rosamilia, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A. A book signing will follow the Lit Chat, with books available for sale on site by San Marco Books & More. Books can be pre-ordered on their website. 

Meet Kaira Rouda

This program was generously sponsored by the Friends of the Mandarin Library.

The Screening Room: The Little Brown Bird with Duval Audubon Society

Watch and discuss The Little Brown Bird (32 min.) from 7 - 8 p.m. on Monday, May 18, at the Highlands Regional Library. The screening will be followed by a presentation and Q & A with Andrew Schumann, Conservation and Recovery Program Manager, White Oak Conservation and Board Member, Duval Audubon Society. The documentary created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Wildpath highlights the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. 

Attend the screening

Lit Chat Author Talk with Madalina Tanase

In Why do good girls cry?, debut local author Madalina Tanase explores the emotional and physical turmoil that followed her breast cancer diagnosis. Madalina is a college professor, a wanna be mother, and a cancer survivor who moved to US in 2001 from Romania, in pursuit of a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. Since 2008, Madalina has been teaching education classes and conducting research at the University of North Florida. 

Meet the memoirist from 6:30 - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19 at Murray Hill Branch Library. A book signing will follow, with books available for sale on site.

Meet Madalina Tanase

History Chat: Stanton - Florida's Oldest African American School

Since 1868, Florida’s oldest continually operating high school has been destroyed, rebuilt, and moved. It has also gone under several name changes, reflecting the change in focus over the years–Old Stanton High School, New Stanton High School, Stanton Vocational School, and now, Stanton College Preparatory School. Join us from 2 - 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, at Main Library where Ronald Galvin will present an overview of the history of Stanton and describe the process of compiling records and photos to provide material for writing the book with his wife and daughter. 

Learn from Ronald Galvin

This History Chat is made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation and is part of a series of programs exploring and collecting African American history.

Florida Reflections: An America 250 History Series

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of independence, this statewide series invites audiences to look beyond familiar narratives and reconsider Florida’s place in the American story. Led by historians, scholars, artists, and cultural practitioners, the programs explore overlooked Revolutionary histories, the development of democracy in Florida, Indigenous knowledge, and the cultural traditions that carry memory across generations. 

Join us at Southeast Library for:

• Democracy in Florida: A Work in Progress
  • with University of North Florida professor Dr. Steve Noll
  • 7 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 14
• Music, Memory, and Seminole Life in Florida
  • with Seminole Tribe of Florida singer-songwriter and cultural storyteller Rita Youngman
  • 7 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 28

Register for all Florida Reflections Events

_{^{Acknowledgement: Florida Reflections was developed by Florida Humanities and is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250–a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Funding is provided in part through the Thomas M. & Irene B. Kirbo Charitable Foundation, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Community Foundation for Brevard. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or its partners.}}

Writer's Lab: Why They Can't Be Together (Yet)

In this workshop, writers will learn how to design character backstories that create meaningful barriers to love, build those wounds into relationship tension, and craft powerful third-act crises that feel inevitable rather than forced. Through guided exercises, attendees will develop their characters' core wounds, defenses, and emotional breaking points. Amber Warden, president of First Coast Romance Writers, presents a 90-minute hands on workshop starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, at Mandarin Branch Library, on how to build romance conflict and third-act tension.

Learn from Amber Warden

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:

• Butterfly Gardens
  • with UF/IFAS Extension Duval County
  • 6 - 7:15 p.m. on Monday, May 4 at Southeast Library
• Pruning and Trimming: What's the Difference?
  • with UF/IFAS Extension Duval County
  • 6 - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5 at Webb Wesconnett Library
• It's Invasive!
  • with UF/IFAS Extension Duval County
  • 6 - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12 at San Marco Branch Library
• Shade Gardens
  • with UF/IFAS Extension Duval County
  • 6 - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, at Murray Hill Branch Library
• Intro to Small Business Resources at the Library
  • 3 - 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, at Main Library
• How to Build a Disaster Preparedness Kit
  • with News4Jax Meteorologist Michelle McCormick
  • 2 - 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 at Maxville Library
• Weathering the Summer Heat in Florida
  • with Master Gardener Nancy Traver
  • 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 18, at Willow Branch Library
• Biking in Jacksonville
  • with Tanner Pletzke, Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator
  • 6 - 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, at Webb Wesconnett Library
• Spring into Summer
  • with UF/IFAS Extension Duval County
  • 6:30 - 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, at University Park Branch Library
• Lights Out for Bird Migration
  • with Johnna Bellen, Duval Audubon Society
  • part of the 2026 Conservation Series
  • 2 - 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, at Willow Branch Library
• Love Your Backyard Birds
  • with Elizabeth Filippelli, Duval Audubon Society
  • 7 - 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, at Webb Wesconnett Library

Search our events calendar for more workshops offered by our community partners at the Library.