Jacksonville Public Library Blog

Junior Lit Chat with Author Brittany Jones + Book Giveaway

Step into a world where bravery, teamwork, and a pair of magic shoes unite for thrilling adventures that are sure to ignite readers' imaginations! Mike the Friendly Firefighter: The Wild Car Fire by Brittany D. Jones follows the extraordinary journey of a Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Engineer, who discovers that his job goes far beyond extinguishing flames. The first 50 children in attendance will receive a FREE copy of Mike the Friendly Firefighter: The Wild Car Fire, along with some other goodies!

Lit Chat with Emily Rath author of Jacksonville Rays Romance Series

Are you ready to fall in love with the international bestselling Jacksonville Rays hockey romance series? Local author and TikTok sensation, Emily Rath, joins us for a Galentine’s Day chat with local novelist Jessica Hatch live at the Library! They will talk about all things romance, the Jacksonville Rays, and what it's like to be BookTok famous.

Writer's Lab with Jessica Hatch: Not Your Mama's Romance Novels

Novelist Jessica Hatch will show you how to use (and subvert) the genre's most popular tropes, decide between "closed door" or spicier love scenes, get your Nora Ephron on by infusing humor into your romance, and write in a way that is authentically you - while still appealing to the market. Hatch is the author of two contemporary romance novels: My Big Fake Wedding and How to Keep a Husband for 10 Days.

The Screening Room: Watch and Discuss Just Another Bombing?

The Screening Room: Just Another Bombing?

Released in 2024 by Hal Jacobs, Just Another Bombing?: This is Donal and Iona's Story takes audiences on a poignant journey through a little-known incident of the 1960s Civil Rights era. Iona Godfrey King and her son Donal Godfrey share their deeply moving account of surviving the Klan bombing of their home with three other family members on February 16, 1964, in Jacksonville, Fla. The reason for the bombing? Six-year-old Donal was the first Black student to enroll in the neighborhood Lackawanna Elementary School. Watch and discuss at the Bill Brinton Murray Hill Branch Library this Black History Month.

2024 Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards: Gold Key Exhibition

The 2024 Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards Gold Key Exhibition opens officially on Saturday, February 17, and runs through March 10. Hundreds of "Gold Key" (or first-place) paintings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed-media masterpieces will be on display in the galleries on the first and third floors of the Main Library (and the Teen Room). You might need to make more than one trip to see everything! If you just can't wait for opening day, there's a special preview night during Art Walk on February 7!

Batter Royale Dessert Decorating Showdown for Teens (Ages 12-18)

Cookies and creativity will clash this February! Battle Royale is back for another batch! This semi-annual Dessert Decorating Showdown returns to take over Teen Advisory Board February 12 - 23. Are you up for the challenge?

Celebrating Black History, Art and Culture this February at the Library

Every February, Black History Month prompts us all to learn from and about our history. It is also a time to celebrate the historical, artistic, culinary, scientific, and other achievements of Black Americans. Throughout the month, the Library will highlight books in our collection by and about people in the African American community including here on our blog, through book displays in your local library, and via reading challenges for all ages on Beanstack. The Library and our Friends Groups also have several events and programs planned, starting on February 1.

February Art Walk: Early Preview of NE Florida Scholastic Art Awards

Celebrate our community's deep pool of creative talent with us on the first Wednesday of each month in Downtown Jacksonville! The Main Library stays open until 9 p.m. for the festivities! We are conveniently located directly across from James Weldon Johnson Park, one of Art Walk's two major hubs of activity. Not only that, there is usually local art on display, zinesters meeting and collaborating on the first floor, tabletop gamers doing one-shot adventures, and special drop-in activities going on in the Teen Room.

History Chat: The Life of Captain James W. Floyd with Jerry Urso

History Chat: The Life of James W. Floyd with Jerry Urso

Saturday, February 10, at 2:30 p.m., learn about the exciting life of Captain James W. Floyd with Jerry Urso, live on the fourth floor of the Main Library (Ansbacher Map Room). Urso is the Grand Historian of the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida. His subject, Captain James W. Floyd, was a celebrated (and decorated) hero of the Spanish-American War, a business owner, and a civil rights activist from Jacksonville who met with President Warren G Harding.

A Place for All People: African American History Exhibit

Organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Friends of the Brentwood Public Library, Inc. in collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, “A Place for All People” highlights key artifacts that tell the rich and diverse story of the African American experience. The exhibit runs through Black History Month at the Brentwood Branch Library with a Grand Opening Reception on Thursday, February 1 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.