Reading Challenge

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.

February is Library Lover's Month - a time to celebrate libraries and the people who use them. So stop in and check out a book (or twelve). If you're a book lover, you might also consider joining one (or more) of our Library Book Clubs. It's a great way to meet people and get more book recommendations. If you're busy or just looking for more accessible options, we've got plenty of digital apps and resources like Libby, hoopla Digital and Kanopy that you can use from home.

Are you signing up for the Jax Stacks Reading Challenge in 2025? We've got 16 brand-new challenge categories. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new or cross a book you've been meaning to read off your to-be-read list! Just make sure it fits one of the categories! The challenge is simple: You pick the 12 categories that interest you most and just start reading. Of course, one of those categories is "A book read by a Library Book Club in 2025." So, just by joining one of these groups, you're already 1/12 of the way to completing this challenge!

Join us on Friday, December 6, from 1-3 p.m. at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Riverside for a spirited discussion of Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer! There is no charge for admission if you're registered for the book club. We'll start off by taking a tour of the Spirit in the Land exhibit before talking about the book. Plus, find out what books our Library Book Clubs are reading and discussing!

Did you know? This month is "Nonfiction November." If you normally stick to fiction, this could be a good time to branch out. If it's your favorite genre, what better way to celebrate than to pick up a few books read by Library Book Clubs this month? Some of these groups read and discuss nonfiction every month! Whether you're partial to History, True Crime, Biography or Memoirs... you have a few options!

Hey, Book Club fans: It's National Book Month! Celebrate reading and talking about books with your favorite book club. Of course, our free Library Book Clubs continue this October with some great book discussions. And if you can't get enough reading and recommendations: There's also still time to finish the 2024 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge!

Hey, Book Club fans: We've got some exciting news from the Library Foundation of Jacksonville! Members of library and community book clubs throughout Duval County are invited to a first-of-its-kind event with New York Times and international bestselling author Madeline Martin on Saturday, October 19 from 1-4 p.m. in the Conference Center at Main Library.

Summer may be winding down, but our Library Book Clubs keep heating up with the best book recommendations and discussions! And if you can't get enough reading and recommendations: There's also still plenty of time to finish the Jax Stacks Reading Challenge and pick up a few books from one of the three #1 New York Times bestselling authors who'll be headlining Jax Book Fest 2024.

Looking for some great reads and good company? Find your community at a Library Book Club this July. Whether you're participating in our Jax Stacks Reading Challenge or you just want to know what other book lovers in Jacksonville are reading (and discussing), you're bound to find something to enjoy!

Join Mayor Donna Deegan, Jacksonville Public Library, and a host of literacy advocates and exhibitors for one big Summer Kick-Off on Saturday, June 8, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Ed Austin Regional Park. Mayor Deegan will take the main stage at 9:30 a.m. to discuss her River City Readers citywide literacy challenge, distribute free books and backpacks, and meet and greet attendees.