Jacksonville Public Library Blog

Children's Books That Spark Change

Books that spark change: Children's Book Week

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, young people across the country participate by attending events at schools, libraries and bookstores or by celebrating at home and engaging with book creators both online and in person. This year’s theme speaks to the power that books and stories have to inspire positive change. Books can spark change within an individual reader, a family, a classroom, or a whole community.

Join a Library Book Club this May

Join a Book Club at Jacksonville Public Library

May is a really fun time for comic book fans. The first Saturday of the month is Free Comic Book Day (at participating comic book retailers). Over 2000 stores take part annually! Of course, you can check out comics for free any day at the Library (or download them instantly on your favorite device with Hoopla)! Plus, you can meet other comic fans at Willow Branch Library for ComiClub to talk about a wide variety of comics and graphic novels. In addition to superhero comics, they also discuss horror, slice-of-life, nonfiction, and other genres! Beyond the Panel, another graphic novel book club is coming soon to Pablo Creek Library!

Adult Programs at the Library this May: Authors, Writer's Lab and More!

May is Preservation Month, a time to celebrate and do our part to save historic places for the purpose of instilling community pride. The theme this year is “People Saving Places," a national high-five to everyone doing the great work of saving places—in ways big and small—and inspiring others to do the same. Jacksonville Public Library is kicking celebrations off with a lively, wide-ranging discussion about Jacksonville's history and architecture with Wayne Wood and Tim Gilmore on Saturday, May 6 at 2 p.m. at the Main Library.

The Ins and Outs of Operating a Small Business Franchise

Is 2023 the year you... Make your hobby a side hustle? Start your own business? Or work on taking your business to the next level? In April, we're looking at franchises. Is your business ready to expand? Or are you thinking about buying into a franchise? We have some books and other resources you should check out!

National Library Week, April 23-29, 2023

National Library Week (April 23 - 29, 2023) is a time to celebrate our nation's libraries, library workers' contributions and promote library use and support. The theme for National Library Week 2023 is "There's More to the Story," illustrating the fact that in addition to the books in library collections, available in a variety of formats, libraries offer so much more.

Geek out at Beaches Library Comic Fest

Beaches Library Comic Fest 2023. Saturday, April 22. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Join us Saturday, April 22 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Beaches Branch Library for a celebration of comics, superheroes, anime, manga, gaming and all things pop culture!

Kids Books to Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is a celebration! The natural beauty and resources we all enjoy here on the First Coast are something to behold. When was the last time you visited the riverfront, our amazing beaches or the Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens? Earth Day is also a reminder and a call to action. So many plants and animals call the Earth home! Every generation must do its part to protect it. Even the youngest kids can get in on the fun! For ideas and tools, check out these books about kids who are doing small (and big) things that make difference every day!

Discover the Roots of the Most Critical Issues Facing America

Great Decisions is a program created by the Foreign Policy Association. It is America's largest discussion program on world affairs. Each meeting begins with a 20-minute video on a discussion topic followed by a facilitator-led discussion on global issues.

Attend whichever meetings interest you! Topics for the Great Decisions 2023 series include War Crimes, Climate Mitigation, Politics in Latin America, Global Famine, China and the US, Economic Warfare, and more.

Celebrating Jax Poets: Interview with Jessica Q. Stark and Dorsey Craft

Lit Chat Author Interview with Jessica Q. Stark

Jessica Q. Stark is the author of Buffalo Girl (BOA Editions, forthcoming April 2023), Savage Pageant (Birds, LLC, 2020) and four poetry chapbooks, including INNANET (The Offending Adam, 2021). Savage Pageant was named one of the “Best Books of 2020” in The Boston Globe and in Hyperallergic. Her poetry has most recently appeared or is forthcoming in Best American Poetry, Poetry Society of America, Pleiades, The Southeast Review, Carolina Quarterly, The Boiler, Tupelo Quarterly, Glass Poetry Journal, among others. She is a Poetry Editor at AGNI and is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of North Florida.

Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage with Wayne Wood

Join us for a lively, wide-ranging discussion about Jacksonville's history and architecture, highlighting Wayne's new "Bicentennial Edition" of his local classic book, Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage, as well as several of his previous books. Interviewed by Dr. Tim Gilmore, a colorful and prolific author in his own right, Wayne will present little-known facts about Jacksonville's buildings and will discuss his all-time favorite landmarks in the city.