#Your Library is Your New Favorite Performance Venue
Ready for something magical, inspiring, and a whole lot of fun? Live from the Library is a series of engaging and educational performances - happening all summer long at your local libraries! Designed for children ages 5-12 and their families, you'll meet and learn from exciting musicians, clever scientists, caring animal handlers, crafty magicians, and more!
Please note: Attendance is limited and is first-come, first-served. Please arrive early. Check-in starts 30 minutes prior to the start of the program.
Need a reminder?
Add any event to your iCalendar, Google Calendar, Outlook or Yahoo! Calendar. Just click on the event you're interested in and find "Add to Calendar" under the date and time.
#Book Recommendations
#Adventures with Animals
Clarks Critters provides fun and educational reptile shows for all ages.
Jacksonville Zoo is back with a "Choose Your Own Adventure" style experience.
Wild Wonders presents "Scaly Sensations" which includes local and exotic reptiles.
#Adventures with Magic
Art-Z-Faces returns for a magic-filled balloon show adventure.
Dadician the Family Magician shows how imagination can fill your life with magic!
#Adventures in Music & Movement
Jazz It Up! With Noteworthy Live Band and explore various styles and genres of jazz.
Learn teamwork and unity through Caribbean cultural drum and dance with Grow Youth Universal.
#Adventures in Science
Take a journey through underwater forests with award-winning STEM author Jennifer Swanson.
Or learn about LEGO robotics from the scientists and engineers at Shiva Robotics Academy.
Get More Book Recommendations
Throughout the summer, you'll find great, themed books on display and hear amazing stories of adventure at storytimes and other library programs (for all ages)! If you're looking for even more book recommendations, you can always Request a Personalized Booklist from library staff or get the hottest titles in your favorite genres sent right to your inbox with The Book Hookup. It's all FREE!
For a DIY experience, NoveList Plus helps parents, teachers, and librarians improve literacy and engage young readers. You can find read-a-likes for popular books and series, search by grade or reading level, or find books based on a genre and theme.
#Read 20 Minutes Per Day
Jacksonville Public Library is a proud member of ReadJax, a community effort to improve third-grade reading outcomes. Throughout the summer, you'll find great, themed books on display and hear amazing stories of adventure at storytimes and other library programs (for all ages)! We’ve also adopted the slogan "Twenty Minutes a Day Paves the Way" because research has shown that reading (and being read to) just 20 minutes a day can:
- Provide time for parents and caregivers to bond with children
- Expose children to as many 1.8 million words per year
- Help students reach the 90th percentile on standardized tests
- Prepare pre-kindergartners for school
Let's Get DUUUVAL Reading!
You'll also find great book recommendations and reading-related challenges when you download Beanstack and sign up for Mayor Deegan's River City Readers citywide literacy challenge! With the Beanstack app, it's easier than ever before to keep track of your reading. All you have to do is read at least 20 minutes per day and log those reading minutes online. You'll be awarded 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 will be given prizes!
Getting Started
- Go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Download and open the Beanstack Tracker app.
- Choose At my library, school or bookstore.
- Using the Find a Site search bar, type Jax Library or River City Readers
- Select Jax Library River City Readers (FL).
If you're visiting us in person this summer, you're sure to come across posters, bookmarks, and other marketing materials promoting the Adventure Begins at Your Library theme featuring the beautiful artwork by Juana Martinez-Neal & Rob Donnelly. Please note: ADVENTURE BEGINS AT YOUR LIBRARY™ is a Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) trademark which may only be used with prior written permission.
