Skip to content

Blog

Community Meals for the Holidays and Beyond

The Jessamine County Public Library is grateful to all the organizations working to improve access to nutritious food here in Jessamine County.

According to God’s Pantry Food Bank, the most recent report from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap project shows food insecurity in Central and Eastern Kentucky at “historic highs.”

Feeding America says households become food insecure when they “cannot access enough food due to a lack of money and other essential resources.”

Map the Meal Gap’s 2025 study, which was based on 2023 data, found 7,400 food insecure people in Jessamine County. In other words, 13.7% of our residents lacked enough food, many of them children.

The community meals listed below are one way local organizations are trying to help. These meals are open to all.

Visit our Food Assistance webpage to find information about food pantries serving Jessamine County.

more: Community Meals for the Holidays and Beyond

Celebrating 50 Episodes of Prompt to Page

On this special edition of the Prompt to Page writing podcast, we look back at some of our best moments so far.

In the four years since the podcast first aired, writers of all genres—poets, novelists, graphic novelists, children’s and YA authors, and nonfiction writers—have discussed their favorite writing prompts.

On this episode, past guests share tips on using writing prompts, finding time to write, nurturing your creativity, and more. Listen below!

more: Celebrating 50 Episodes of Prompt to Page

Tales with Scales

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 107

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

On this episode, we discuss books with dragons. It’s one of the prompts on the Summer-Fall Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge.

Our picks include a slow-burn romantasy, a speculative fantasy that takes place during the 1950s and 1960s, and a YA sci-fi and fantasy mashup.

more: Tales with Scales

Prompt to Page with Rachel Elliott

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 49

For graphic novelist Rachel Elliott, drawing comes more easily than writing. “I think prompts really help me make that move from drawing a goofy kid, drawing a talking animal,” she says, “into…what is this story about?”

Rachel shares a writing prompt that helped her understand her main character in The Real Riley Mayes. She also discusses her love of drawing Martin Short, the importance of the freedom to read, and her upcoming workshop at JCPL, Inventing Comic Characters for Teens.

more: Prompt to Page with Rachel Elliott

Discussing The Dark Library with Mary Anna Evans

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 106

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

On this episode, we talk to Mary Anna Evans about her book, The Dark Library.

Want to discuss the book in person? Join us at Book Club: The Dark Library on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 pm. The first 10 people to register may pick up a free copy of the book at the Customer Service Desk.

Reading The Dark Library (or another book set in a library) is one of the prompts on the Summer-Fall Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge.

Plus, if you read the book and 1) attend our Book Club discussion of it or 2) listen to this episode of the Books & Bites podcast, you’ll earn a free square of your choice!

more: Discussing The Dark Library with Mary Anna Evans

Prompt to Page with Kevin Holm-Hudson

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 48

Don’t think your writing is important? Singer-songwriter and music professor Dr. Kevin Holm-Hudson disagrees.

“I think that’s  a positive contribution to the atmosphere, to society, to the planet,” he says, “to create something where there had been nothing.”

On this episode, Kevin discusses his songwriting process. Whether you write songs, prose, or poetry, Kevin’s favorite writing prompts will inspire you to create something new.

more: Prompt to Page with Kevin Holm-Hudson

Get Live, Online Tutoring with HelpNow

Students of all ages can get live, online homework help with HelpNow from Brainfuse. It’s free with your library card!

Are the Tutors Humans or AI?

HelpNow tutors are real people with proven tutoring or teaching backgrounds in their fields. They are professional tutors, retired teachers, graduate students, and college instructors.

Who Can Use HelpNow?

Tutoring is available for kindergartners through adult learners.

more: Get Live, Online Tutoring with HelpNow

Prompt to Page with Fenton Johnson

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find motivation to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 47

Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame author Fenton Johnson doesn’t believe in writer’s block.  ”Fighting with the white page over a week, a month, a year, sometimes 10 years,” he says, “that’s what we call writing…. That’s just part of the process.”

Fenton shares several writing prompts that can help you move beyond the blank page. He also discusses his most recent book, At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life. Listen below!

more: Prompt to Page with Fenton Johnson