Jacksonville Public Library Blog

Jax Stacks Book Recommendations: A historical book set in Africa

Welcome to a new month of the 2023 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge! We are going to give you suggestions for each* category in the challenge every month so that you always have a great library book waiting for you when you need it. Plus, you can share what you're reading with other Jax Stacks readers at our monthly Jax Stacks Reading Challenge Book Club. Note: Our April, May and June meetings take place at the Beaches Branch Library!

Celebrate Reading Week

You know the power of a good book. And if you're a parent, you know that it's important for your kids to see you reading for enjoyment. But as adults, we're all reading role models! The more we use the Library, talk about books, and attend awesome author events and book signings, the more literate (and well-read) Jacksonville becomes. That's why we hope you'll celebrate reading with your community starting March 27 through April 1!

Celebrate Reading with NYT Bestselling Author Tommy Orange

March 27 - April 1 is Celebrate Reading Week in Jacksonville! The Jacksonville Public Library is partnering with the Kids Hope Alliance, Duval County Public Schools, READ USA, and several other organizations to showcase the power of reading for kids around the city.

That's why we hope you'll celebrate reading with your community at a special event with bestselling author Tommy Orange!

April Library Programs for Adults: Authors, Writer's Lab and More!

April is National Poetry Month and we are featuring two awesome local poets in our Lit Chat Interview Series. It’s also a great month for Great Decisions, our film and discussion group about current events. And this month we welcome a new book club with a fantastic name – Shelf Conscious Book Club at Maxville! Check out all of our great adult programs happening this month!

25 Habits of Highly Successful Gardeners and More This April

Learn all about container gardening (with native plants) and other habits of highly successful gardeners with help from our friends at the UF Extension Office! And if you want to be the first to know about new workshops and locations, sign up for our Life Lit mailing list on the Library U enrollment page!

Drop Everything And Read in Downtown Jax April 1

Celebrate Reading Week Family Day April 1 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at James Weldon Johnson Park

Join us at James Weldon Johnson Park, across from the Main Library, on Saturday, April 1 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. for Family Reading Day with free book giveaways, fun activities, special guests and more! Come dressed as your favorite book character and join us for a parade around the park. Enjoy fun activities, face painting, balloon twisting, and so much more! Plus, start building your own home library you can read anytime you want with a free Book Giveaway sponsored by READ USA (until they run out)! Free boxed lunch from Firehouse Subs will be provided!

Join a Book Club this April

Join a Book Club at Jacksonville Public Library

April is a big month for readers! Not only are April showers are the perfect excuse to cancel all your plans, stay in and read a great book, but it's also National Poetry Month! Plus, there's World Book Day on April 23! We're also partial to National Library Week (April 23 - 29). This year, the theme is "There's More to the Story" and libraries are full of them (and a lot of other very cool things).

So, what do you say? Want to join us at the Library to talk about books?

Help Your Kids Capture Their Big Ideas and Tell Their Story

Bigger Better Story Ideas: Junior Lit Chat Author Talk with Patricia J. Murphy

March 27 - April 1 is Celebrate Reading Week in Jacksonville! As an adult who loves reading, you already know the power of stories! You also know how important it is for everyone, but especially for children, to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read. Books can be mirrors for a child wondering where they fit in. They can also be windows, giving them a look at the lives of others. When we all have the power to tell our own stories, in our own voices, that's really something special.

Patricia J. Murphy is an award-winning children's author and a passionate literacy advocate who believes in giving children the tools they need to capture their big ideas and share them with the world.

Staff Picks Book Review - Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies by Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy

Library Staff Picks graphic for a book review

“Say you’re sorry”, is one of the first things we are taught in life. As authors Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy point out so clearly, too many of us never learn how to do it well.

Meet Local, Self-Published Zine and Comic Creators

Read Zines at the Jacksonville Public Library

The next Duval Comics and Zine (DCAZ) Fest is coming to the Main Library on Saturday, June 10 from 1 – 5 p.m. Get to know dozens of local creators of independent and self-published zines, mini-comics, small press, alternative press, underground art and DIY media. Located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville, the Main Library boasts the largest public collection of zines in the Southeast.