Join Mayor Donna Deegan, Jacksonville Public Library, and a host of literacy advocates and exhibitors for one big Summer Kick-Off on Saturday, June 8, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Ed Austin Regional Park. Mayor Deegan will take the main stage at 9:30 a.m. to discuss her River City Readers citywide literacy challenge, distribute free books and backpacks, and meet and greet attendees.
Looking for your next beach read? Or a hot summer romance book to read in the air-conditioned comfort of your home? Are you trying to model good reading habits for your kids and teens this summer? The Library has you covered! Not only will you get fun reading recommendations every month (just by checking out the booklists here on our blog), you can also talk with fellow book lovers (and add even more to your to-be-read pile) at a Library Book Club near you!
It can be hard to make new friends as adults. We all get so busy with family, work and other responsibilities. It can be hard to meet new people or strike up a conversation. The great thing about joining a Library Book Club is that you already have something in common with your fellow book lovers. Not only that, you have new books, themes, and characters to talk about every month!
If you haven't joined the Jax Stacks Reading Challenge yet... there's still plenty of time! In April, we're focusing on two of the sixteen challenge categories: "A book of poetry, essays or short stories" and "A book read by a Library Book Club in 2024." How perfect is that?! Not only can you find great recommendations for celebrating National Poetry Month, but if you're already a member of a Library Book Club you've likely already fulfilled at least one challenge category! That means you just have 11 more to go!
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! If you're a parent, you know how important it is for your kids to see you reading for enjoyment. But as adults, we're all reading role models! So, in addition to attending all of these fun, bookish programs and events as a family: Why not join a Library Book Club and model reading for the next generation of bookworms?!
Library Lovers' Day is celebrated on February 14 each year to honor libraries, librarians, book lovers, and anyone who loves libraries. If you're reading this, chances are you love your Library, too!
One of the best things about libraries is - they are a great place to find your community. When it comes to books you're interested in... who better to talk to than friendly, local folks who like the same genres, authors and characters?! If you'd like to meet some fellow bookworms and get some great reading recommendations while you're at it, consider joining a Library Book Club and/or the Jax Stacks Reading Challenge this month!
Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! is designed to raise awareness about the importance of reading and to inspire Florida's students and families to make reading part of their daily routines. This year, the Florida Department of Education has scheduled the celebration for the week of January 22–26. The theme of this year’s Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! is "Believe In Your Shelf – Building Resiliency Through Reading!"
Mayor Deegan’s River City Readers is a citywide literacy challenge for students of all ages. Challenge participants are asked to read 20 minutes a day and to log their reading in Beanstack, a popular reading challenge app. Readers are rewarded with digital badges for logging multiple days in a row and for completing other reading-related activities. At the end of the year, the city’s top young readers are given prizes!
