Jacksonville Public Library Blog

Friends of the Mandarin Library Summer Book Sale

Friends of the Mandarin Library Book Sale May 31 and June 1

Start your summer reading with a book sale that's too hot to miss! The sale will include gently used adult fiction, nonfiction, children and young adult titles, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, jigsaw puzzles, vinyl records, and more. Both days of the sale are open to all, but membership is encouraged and appreciated.  You can join at the door for $10. Proceeds from sales and memberships are used to enhance programs and services at the Mandarin Library.

History Chat: Greenlining Jax with Dante Jennings

History Chat: Greenlining Jax with Dante Jennings. Graphic includes a photo of a shotgun house.

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.

Launch & Grow Your Substack: A Writer's Lab with Hurley Winkler

Launch and grow your Substack. Writer's Lab workshop with Hurley Winkler.

Are you looking to start an email newsletter for your readers, business, friends, or strangers? Learn about newsletter content strategies, the benefits of Substack over other social media platforms, and monetizing your newsletter. Writer's Lab: Launch and Grow Your Substack Newsletter with Hurley Winkler on Tuesday, May 21, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Regency Square Library.

These Are the Star Wars Books and Free Comics You're Looking For

May the Fourth Be With You (Star Wars Day). Graphic includes an image of a Mandalorian reading a book on being a better dad.

Whether you’re celebrating Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you!), Free Comic Book Day, attending the Beaches Library Comic Fest or just looking to revisit your favorite characters in a galaxy far, far away: the Library has the books and comics you’re looking for! Plus, hear a special message from Bo-Katan Kryze and the Armorer, who visited the Main Library back in March!

Celebrating Children's Book Week with FREE Books for Kids

Celebrating Children's Book Week Banner

Children's Book Week takes place every year in May. The purpose of this event is to promote the love of reading and to encourage children to explore the wonderful world of literature. This week-long celebration is marked with various activities and events across the country, including book readings, storytelling sessions, and book fairs. Of course, i you're looking for great stories, storytimes or a chance to meet a children's book author, Jacksonville Public Library is the perfect place to start looking!

Children's Books Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, commemorates the Mexican army's victory in 1862 in the Franco-Mexican War. Also known as the Battle of Puebla Day, it's a relatively minor holiday in its home country. In the United States, however, it has become a day to celebrate Mexican heritage, food, and culture - especially among Mexican Americans or in areas of the country with large Mexican American populations.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Asian Pacific Heritage Month 2024

Every May, we are encouraged to celebrate the Asian-Pacific American community's rich heritage, history, and hopes, as well as their many contributions to our country. Jacksonville Public Library has an AMAZING collection of books featuring stories and information written by and about people from varied backgrounds, races, ethnicities, life experiences, and viewpoints. Throughout the month, the Library will highlight books in our collection by and about Asian-Pacific Americans including here on our blog, through book displays, and on Beanstack.

History Chat - Jews of Florida: Centuries of Stories

Jews of Florida: Centuries of Stories History Chat

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.

Art Tours at the Main Library

Main Library Art Tours. Photo shows a volunteer giving a tour, pointing off screen to a mural.

Augusta Savage, Al Held, Kathryn Freeman, Lee Adams, Jerry Uelsmann. Did you know that works by these artists and many more are on permanent display at the Main Library? Main Library offers small group tours showcasing the beautiful public art and architecture on the first Wednesday and one Saturday a month!

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