Adult Programs

Free Writer's Workshops and Opportunities to Get More Readers

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Get help writing, publishing and marketing your own book with FREE Writer's Lab workshops! We've also got a ton of free resources like Pressbooks and Indie Author Project that will help you find new readers and make self-publishing easier. Speaking of which... Indie Author Project's Annual Contest is accepting entries starting April 1 through May 31, 2025. Get the recognition you deserve for writing great books! There's also a prize of $2500 for first place!

Lit Chat Interview with British Actor and Debut Author Paterson Joseph

Paterson Joseph Lit Chat

Paterson Joseph is a beloved British actor and writer. Recently seen on Vigil, Noughts + Crosses and Boat Story, he has also starred in The Leftovers and Law & Order UK and he also plays Arthur Slugworth in the Wonka movie. The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho is his debut novel. Catch the interview between Paterson Joseph and interviewer Kelsi Hasden from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 14 at Southeast Regional Library.

Get Drawn In With a Library Book Club this April

Join a Library Book Club

Millions of people across the country visit their libraries every week. What’s the draw? Well, everything! From young families stopping in for play and storytime, to students exploring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) through hands-on activities, to seniors seeking tech help and everyone in between, libraries of all kinds help us connect the dots from one part of our journey to the next. Get drawn in with a great book and a lively discussion at a Library Book Club this month!

Lit Chat Interview with USA Today Bestselling Author Kelly Mustian

Kelly Mustian Lit Chat

Four years after Kelly Mustian's USA Today bestselling debut novel, The Girls in the Stilt House, started appearing on "must-read" lists and earning starred reviews, the author is set to release her much-anticipated second novel on April 1, 2025. Like her first, The River Knows Your Name is already gathering buzz as a tumultuous and "well-woven mystery."

Watch and Discuss: Great Unsung Women in Computing at Main Library

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In the U.S., women are vastly underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields, holding under 25% of STEM jobs and a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees. Watch the award-winning documentary film series Great Unsung Women in Computing at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, at the Main Library. The screening will be followed by a presentation and Q&A with local engineer and designer, Ania Wilson.

Lit Chat Interview with Fantasy Author Django Wexler at Jax Pop Con

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Are you a fan of Magic the Gathering and tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons? Fantasy author Django Wexler is a featured guest at this year's Jax Pop Con on Saturday, March 22. He takes the stage at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Main Library to talk with fans of fantasy novels about his latest published work. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the interview. Note: A limited number of books will be available for sale on-site from a local bookstore partner, Happy Medium Books Café.

Free Poetry Writing and Fantasy World-Building Workshops this March!

Write Your Story

Are you an aspiring author? Do you have fantasy worlds, epic love poems or even a memoir that you've been meaning to put down on paper? What's stopping you ? Everyone has a story and on March 14, National Write Your Story Day challenges you to tell your story in written form. Jacksonville Public Library loves local authors - so much so that we have free, monthly writing workshops and lots of great books and online resources to help you get your book ready for submission or self-publishing.

Lit Chat Interview with New York Times Bestselling Novelist Jamie Ford

Lit Chat with Jamie Ford

Jamie Ford is a Northwest author most widely known for his bestselling Seattle-based novels. His most recent novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, was an instant New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick. His debut, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Join us from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, at the Southeast Library for 40-minute conversation between author Jamie Ford and interviewer C.H. Hooks, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A.

Join a Library Book Club and Celebrate Reading this March

Join a Library Book Club

Is your family bananas about books? Jacksonville's annual Celebrate Reading Week returns March 2-8, 2025, with appearances by local and nationally known authors, live children's entertainers, your favorite book characters, and much more! The week kicks off with a Book Giveaway for kids, Pre-K through Grade 5, at every Jacksonville Public Library location - thanks to our friends at Children's Literacy Initiative. The week ends with Family Reading Day - an un-peel-ievably cool party we're throwing for the whole family at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville on Saturday, March 8.

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