Completely Booked - Official Podcast of the Jacksonville Public Library

Action News Jax anchor Tenikka Hughes joins us on the podcast to chat about Tenikka's Books for Kids, an annual effort to collect book donations for children who participate in our Summer Learning Program. We chat about her passion for literacy in children, her career as an Emmy-award winning journalist and everything you can expect during the book drive's kick off at Jax Book Fest this Saturday, Feb. 29!

Calli Marie is the author of BAKES and co-owner of BREW Five Points, a coffee shop and craft beer bar in Jacksonville's historic Riverside neighborhood. Calli chats with us about her journey as a baker, becoming a successful business owner and the process of publishing her first book.

Theresa and Todd Rykaczewski are the founders of Word Revolt Art Gallery in Atlantic Beach. It's a non-profit gallery dedicated to hosting free exhibitions and events that benefit artists, charities and the community.

Hello book friends! We're back with another bonus podcast to chat about new releases you'll ♥ this February, plus details on African American History Month programs, free tax help, Book Fest and more.

Stacey Horan is an award-winning author of young adult novels including Inland, Sycamore Lane and The Elixir Vitae Adventures. Stacey chats with us about her journey from corporate lawyer to full-time writer and podcast host. To chat more with Stacey, you can meet her at Jax Book Fest 2020 on Feb. 29 at the Main Library.

Allison McGill is the author of The Adventures of Duke, the Therapy Dog: Duke Finds a Home. Based on a true story, this picture book for children shares the tale of a rescue dog and his new life with a happy ending. She chats with us about her writing process, starting her own publishing company, and upcoming projects she has on the horizon.

We were off this Monday, so we dug into the archive and pulled a great podcast from earlier last year!

On this episode, we chat with former Times-Union photojournalist, Bruce Lipsky. He's captured 35 years worth of Jacksonville's history– the good, the bad, and the ugly– and today, he shares some of those experiences with us.

Steve Williams is well known throughout Jacksonville as the CEO of Harbinger Sign, the owner of Florida Mining Gallery, and a hard-core advocate of the arts and development in the urban core. He chats with us today about Mapping Jax, an initiative to inspire, preserve, educate, and advocate for our city's natural and built environments.

Tim Driscoll is a film producer here in Jacksonville, and has been a major force in cultivating the local film community. Today, he chats with us about JAX Film Bar Mondays, a casual meetup group that brings producers, actors, directors, writers, and technical experts together.

Happy New Year, book friends! Shawn Norton from the Readers' Advisory Committee joins us again to chat about new releases coming to the library this January. If your New Year's resolution is to read more, this podcast is for you.