teens

Feeling frazzled with back-to-school prep? Need a calm reset to face the upcoming year? Bring a friend, take a break and DECOMPRESS at Jacksonville Public Library! You’ll enjoy snacks, explore new ways to unwind, connect with other teens and pick up some fun giveaways from local organizations!

Ever wanted to run your own Dungeon & Dragons adventures? Learn how to write, craft, and play in a world of your own making! Join us in the Teen Room at the Main Library on select Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays June 5 - July 12 for drop-in crafts, one-shot writing clinics, session zero prep and more at a DM Summer Academy just for teens (ages 12-18). If you're still new to D&D or just have no interest in running games, you can still stop by on Drop-In D&D days to play and give our DMs-in-training some practice!

Whether you write love sonnets in secret, perform your own lyrics on stage, rock the mic at slam poetry or just really enjoy sitting down with a good poetry collection and a cup of tea - April is your time to shine! And what better place than the Library to get your poetry fix?!

Join us this month at the Library for drop-in activities, Lit Chat author events, and more! 

November is International Games Month, a celebration of games and gaming culture in libraries around the world. It’s also the perfect opportunity for libraries, like ours, to showcase their game collections and related programs and activities like our Drop-In Dungeons & Dragons!

Ryan Estrada is an author and an adventurer who has spent 8 years traveling the world. He has lived and visited over a dozen countries and his work is heavily inspired by his experiences and the cultures and people that he has met in his travels. Ryan will join us from his home in South Korea to tell us all about these experiences and how he creates his work!

It's Jacksonville's 200th birthday! Add your voice to the celebration... and to history! Jacksonville Public Library invites youth in grades 4-12 to submit an original poem, not to exceed one page in length, celebrating Jacksonville's upcoming Bicentennial. Entries will be accepted online through April 30, 2022 and top winners from three age categories will win a cash prize!

CALLING ALL TEENS: Join us for an Animal Advocate Mini Camp this summer and explore ways to help all animals lead happy, cruelty-free lives. You'll get tools and tips, talk with other teens and even make pet toys to donate to local shelters. Make a positive impact in the lives of ALL our furry (and even those not-so furry) friends.

Arab-American Heritage Month honors the rich culture and contributions of those Americans who trace their lineage to one or more of the 22 Arabic-speaking countries found throughout North Africa and Southwest Asia. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Mosaic.” Like all of us, each and every piece of a mosaic is unique. The books in this list are about finding your place in the larger world - as a young adult and Arab-American. Will you find a piece of yourself in their stories?

April is National Poetry Month! This 25^th annual celebration of poets and poetry was launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996 to remind us that poets have an integral role to play in our culture. And what better time than Spring to promote artists and an art form that’s given us so much beauty? Whether you’re looking for a new poet, revisiting old favorites, or composing your own haiku, freeform poem, rhyme, or blank verse: the Library’s collection is a great place to find something that resonates with you.