History Chat

This month, catch up with Little House on the Prairie star Dean Butler for the release of his memoir and the show's 50th anniversary. Later in the month. learn how to make your own music fanzine with instructor Daryl Gussin in our Writer's Lab series. He returns later that same day for a Lit Chat Interview about music, zines and finding your community. Plus, there are 15 Library Book Club meetings, three Life Lit skills workshops, and more! 

This month, you have the chance to meet a buzzed-about debut author and an award-winning graphic novelist in our popular Lit Chat Interview series. Or, you can make your first self-published zine or learn how to format any work for print with our Writer's Lab Workshop series. Plus, there are 15 Library Book Club meetings, Life Lit gardening and small business workshops, and more! 

Greenlining is an urban investment and revitalization strategy that aims to address the lingering effects of redlining with equitable, actionable, and sustainable solutions that improve economic development, environmental justice, and quality of life in formerly redlined neighborhoods. Learn more about this initiative and other efforts to educate and empower underserved communities right here in Jacksonville at our next History Chat, live at the Brown Eastside Branch Library on Tuesday, May 28, at 6:30 p.m.

From 1984 to 1992, Marcia Jo Zerivitz traveled 250,000 miles throughout Florida, conducting grassroots research and retrieving the state’s hidden, 250+ year Jewish history, resulting in a major archive and the MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida exhibit that traveled to 13 cities (1990–94) and eventually, Jewish Museum of Florida (JMOF) on Miami Beach. At our next History Chat, she will present highlights from her research and her seminal book, Jews of Florida: Centuries of Stories - the first comprehensive history of the Jews of Florida from colonial times to the present.

This month, we have two History Chat programs, two Lit Chat Author Interviews, two Writer's Lab workshops, 15 Book Club meetings, a Great Decisions discussion, Life Lit gardening workshops, and more! So, whether you like meeting bestselling authors or just fellow book lovers around Jacksonville, there are so many great ways to use your Library card this month!

This April, Jacksonville Public Library is highlighting the life and poetry of Alan Justiss (1943-2011), a celebrated Jacksonville poet whose works have recently been acquired by our Special Collections department. This panel discussion will be moderated by artist and educator, Nestor Gil. They'll talk about Justiss’ life and legacy, read selections of his poetry, and a preview of an upcoming documentary. An audience Q&A will follow the presentation.

Do you have poetry you'd like to share with the world? Do you want to hear from local poets who write creatively about life in Jacksonville? Drop by the Main Library on Wednesday, April 3, during Art Walk for a special Open Mic Night with Taryn "LoveReigns" Wharwood and Hope at Hand, Inc. They'll be set up in the Lounge at 303 North (just inside the entrance on Laura Street). There will also be a poetry zine-making workshop in the Zine Zone (on the First Floor), if you'd like to see your work in print. Then, on April 13, we’ll have a poetry program doubleheader at Willow Branch Library!

Did you know? March 3-9 is Celebrate Reading Week in Jacksonville! This year's theme, Where the Wild Books Are, is designed to take our City's youngest readers on adventures with fictional and real-life animals to show them just how exciting reading and learning can be! There will be programs and events at libraries and locations across Jacksonville all week long. But don't worry, there are also lots of great adult programs!

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.

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.