Author Talk

We are excited to offer not one but two exciting Lit Chat Interviews this August! We've got a bestselling mystery/thriller novelist and a bestselling historical fiction author! There's also a History Chat exploring Jacksonville's music history and culture and a publishing workshop for all of our aspiring authors out there! We also have gardening workshops, book clubs to join and a few Jax Book Fest updates you might want to check out!

We are really excited to bring a different kind of Writer’s Lab to the Library this month – a three-hour workshop on creating a Dungeons & Dragons campaign with a Wizards of the Coast employee! We also have great summery Lit Chats, gardening workshops for everyone, and 16 book clubs to check out. And, of course, the Jax Stacks Reading Challenge continues (with new prizes up for grabs)!

Summer is almost here and so are a ton of great programs! There are three - count them THREE - awesome Lit Chats in June, a Writer’s Lab doubleheader, and our newest Book Club at Pablo Creek! If you're not sure what to read this summer, we've got some great book recommendations for you on our blog.

In June, we'll announce the dates for Jax Book Fest 2023 and the three authors who'll be headlining that event! Join us at Lit Chats and Writer's Labs this summer and be sure to follow our social media (and read your emails) for the BIG reveal.

May is Preservation Month, a time to celebrate and do our part to save historic places for the purpose of instilling community pride. The theme this year is “People Saving Places," a national high-five to everyone doing the great work of saving places—in ways big and small—and inspiring others to do the same. Jacksonville Public Library is kicking celebrations off with a lively, wide-ranging discussion about Jacksonville's history and architecture with Wayne Wood and Tim Gilmore on Saturday, May 6 at 2 p.m. at the Main Library.

April is National Poetry Month and we are featuring two awesome local poets in our Lit Chat Interview Series. It’s also a great month for Great Decisions, our film and discussion group about current events. And this month we welcome a new book club with a fantastic name – Shelf Conscious Book Club at Maxville! Check out all of our great adult programs happening this month!

March 27 - April 1 is Celebrate Reading Week in Jacksonville! As an adult who loves reading, you already know the power of stories! You also know how important it is for everyone, but especially for children, to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read. Books can be mirrors for a child wondering where they fit in. They can also be windows, giving them a look at the lives of others. When we all have the power to tell our own stories, in our own voices, that's really something special.

Patricia J. Murphy is an award-winning children's author and a passionate literacy advocate who believes in giving children the tools they need to capture their big ideas and share them with the world.

This March, hear about a fascinating and influential (but relatively unknown) figure in Women's History, learn how the group Women Writing for (a) Change takes inspiration and writing techniques from their favorite books at our next Writer's Lab Workshop and join a discussion group on US foreign policy with topics that affect women and girls here in America and around the world!

For Women’s History Month, join us for a discussion about a little-known figure in American history, Anna Marie Rosenberg. Author Christopher Gorham in his book The Confidante highlights the contributions of Rosenberg, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant who became FDR’s “Mrs. Fix-It”. Gorham will discuss Rosenberg and the process of researching her in this Lit Chat Interview.

Lit Chat Interview with Jessica Hatch, Thursday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m. This event will take place live at the Southeast Library and will be livestreamed online via Zoom. Books will be available to purchase on-site from Femme Fire Books or you can bring a copy purchased from your favorite bookseller.

There are many book-related holidays, but the one that’s close to our hearts happens in February. That’s right, we’re talking about Library Lovers’ Month, an annual celebration of libraries (and the bookworms who frequent them).

We're showing our amazing adult customers some appreciation with these exciting programs!