Adult Programs

Four years after Kelly Mustian's USA Today bestselling debut novel, The Girls in the Stilt House, delighted readers and started appearing on multiple "must-read" lists and earning starred reviews and garnering praise across the publishing industry, the author is set to release her much-anticipated second novel (on April 1, 2025). Like her first novel, this The River Knows Your Name is already gathering buzz as a tumultuous, "well-woven mystery."

In the U.S., women are vastly underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields, holding under 25% of STEM jobs and a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees. Watch the award-winning documentary film series Great Unsung Women in Computing at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, at the Main Library. The screening will be followed by a presentation and Q&A with local engineer and designer, Ania Wilson.

Pop culture and the ways we engage with it have changed a lot over the years and it's evolving even more rapidly in the age of social media, influencers, review sites, BookTok, Instagram and AI. Discuss the past, present and future of fandom in this 40-minute conversation between a moderator and four panelists, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A.

Are you a fan of Magic the Gathering and tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons? Fantasy author Django Wexler is a featured guest at this year's Jax Pop Con on Saturday, March 22. He takes the stage at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Main Library to talk with fans of fantasy novels about his latest published work. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the interview. Note: A limited number of books will be available for sale on-site from a local bookstore partner, Happy Medium Books Café.

Are you an aspiring author? Do you have fantasy worlds, epic love poems or even a memoir that you've been meaning to put down on paper? What's stopping you ? Everyone has a story and on March 14, National Write Your Story Day challenges you to tell your story in written form. Jacksonville Public Library loves local authors - so much so that we have free, monthly writing workshops and lots of great books and online resources to help you get your book ready for submission or self-publishing.

Jamie Ford is a Northwest author most widely known for his bestselling Seattle-based novels. His most recent novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, was an instant New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick. His debut, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Join us from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, at the Southeast Library for 40-minute conversation between author Jamie Ford and interviewer C.H. Hooks, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A.

Is your family bananas about books? Jacksonville's annual Celebrate Reading Week returns March 2-8, 2025, with appearances by local and nationally known authors, live children's entertainers, your favorite book characters, and much more! The week kicks off with a Book Giveaway for kids, Pre-K through Grade 5, at every Jacksonville Public Library location - thanks to our friends at Children's Literacy Initiative. The week ends with Family Reading Day - an un-peel-ievably cool party we're throwing for the whole family at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville on Saturday, March 8.

Many know James Weldon Johnson as an educator, lawyer and NAACP leader. He was also a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, a diplomat and civil rights leader who traveled beyond U.S. borders to build solidarity with other people of color and marginalized groups around the world. At home and abroad, Johnson fought against Jim Crow segregation, imperialism and other structures of oppression. This March, explore his impact on Jacksonville and the genealogy of Black transnational activism that has shaped the U.S. 

There Was Always Sun Shining Someplace: Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues chronicles the rich history of Black baseball and examines the re-integration of the game. Narrated by James Earl Jones, this hour long documentary, produced by Refocus Digital Media, LLC, features interviews with baseball Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, James ‘Cool Papa’ Bell, Buck Leonard, Judy Johnson, Monte Irvin and Ray Dandridge. Watch and discuss on Tuesday, February 25 at Highlands Library with Armand Rosamilia.

Join us Wednesday, February 12, at 7 p.m. at the Southeast Library for a Lit Chat Interview with celebrated historical fiction author Jennifer Coburn and Jane R. Wood, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A. A book signing will follow, with books available for sale on site by local bookstore the BookMark.