Jacksonville Public Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jacksonville Public Library |
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| Start here. Go anywhere. | |
| Established | 1878,1903 |
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Coordinates | 30°19′45″N 81°39′29″W / 30.329055°N 81.657958°W |
| Branches | 20 |
| Collection | |
| Size | 2,354,787 (2015) |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 5.1 million |
| Population served | 813,518 |
| Members | 580,904 (2012–13) |
| Other information | |
| Budget | $32,701,674 (FY2017) |
| Director | Tim Rogers |
| Staff | 500 |
| Website | jaxpubliclibrary.org |
The Jacksonville Public Library is the main library system for Jacksonville, Florida. It serves Jacksonville and Duval County. People from nearby counties like Baker, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns also use it.
It is one of the biggest library systems in Florida. The library has over three million items for you to explore. It is part of the city government. The library system has twenty branches and a large Main Library.
Contents
Library Locations and Branches
Main Library: A Modern Hub
The Main Library is located downtown. It opened in November 2005. This new library is much bigger than the old one. It was designed by famous architects.
The building is huge, about 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2). It can hold one million books! There's also a big parking garage nearby. This makes it easy to visit.
The Main Library has lots of cool technology. It offers 250 public computers. It also has satellite and video conferencing tools. In 2012, it was named one of Florida's top architectural places.
Inside, you can find a bookstore and a cafe. The bookstore is run by the Friends of the Library. It helps support the library.
Regional Libraries: Serving Big Areas
Jacksonville has several large regional libraries. They serve different parts of the city:
- Highlands – Located on Dunn Avenue, serving the Northside.
- Pablo Creek – On Beach Blvd, serving the Southside.
- Southeast – On Deerwood Park Blvd, also serving the Southside.
- Charles D. Webb Wesconnett – On 103rd Street, serving the Westside.
Community and Neighborhood Branches
There are many smaller libraries too. These branches serve local neighborhoods:
- Argyle – Near the Argyle Forest area, serving the Westside.
- Beaches – On A1A (3rd Street) in Neptune Beach.
- Bradham*Brooks Northwest – On Edgewood Avenue, serving the Northside.
- Brentwood – On Pearl St, serving the urban core.
- Dallas A. James Graham – On Myrtle Avenue, serving the urban core.
- Mandarin – On Kori Road, serving the Mandarin area.
- Maxville – On Maxville Blvd, serving the Maxville area.
- Murray Hill – On Edgewood Avenue South, serving the urban core.
- Raiford A. Brown Eastside – On Harrison St, serving the urban core.
- Regency Square – On Regency Square Blvd, serving the Arlington/Regency area.
- San Marco – On LaSalle Street, serving the San Marco neighborhood.
- South Mandarin – On San Jose Blvd, near the St. John's County border.
- University Park – On University Blvd North, serving the Arlington area. This includes Jacksonville University.
- West – On Chaffee Road, serving the Westside.
- Westbrook – On Commonwealth Avenue, serving the urban core.
- Willowbranch – On Park St, serving the Riverside and Avondale areas.
Bookmobile: Libraries on Wheels
Jacksonville was the first library in Florida to have a mobile library. This service started in 1928. For over 75 years, the bookmobile brought books to people. It helped those in rural areas or where there wasn't a branch.
Sadly, the bookmobile service stopped in 2005. This was due to funding changes. However, the library still wanted to help those areas. In 2012, they opened the Oceanway Express. It's a pickup and drop-off spot for library materials.
How the Library is Funded and Managed
The Jacksonville Public Library is part of the city government. It gets money from local taxes. It also receives extra funds from different grants.
The library system is managed by a special board. This is called the Library Board of Trustees. The Mayor of Jacksonville chooses the eleven members. The City Council then approves them.
Board members serve for four years. They can serve a second time if chosen again. The Board makes library rules. They also ask for the yearly budget. They oversee how the library works. And they hire the library director.
Tim Rogers is the current director. He started in January 2018.
Borrowing Books and More
You can borrow many things from the Jacksonville Public Library. This includes books, magazines, videos (DVDs), and audio materials. You can check out up to 100 items at once. Up to 10 of these can be DVDs.
Most items can be kept for three weeks. Some popular books and DVDs are for 7-day checkout. If items are returned late, there are small fines. If your fines reach $10 or more, you cannot check out more items. You can return items to any branch.
You can also place holds on up to 50 items. This means the library will save them for you. They will hold them for 7 days after they tell you it's ready.
Getting a Library Card
Library cards are free for people living in Duval County. This includes Baldwin and the Beaches. Non-residents who work for the city or own a business there can also get a free card.
Other non-residents can get a card for a fee. It costs $25 for three months, $50 for six months, or $100 for one year. If you lose your card, a new one costs $2.
Kids under 18 can get a card with a parent's permission. Parents are responsible for items checked out on their child's card.
The library also partners with Duval County Public Schools. All K-12 students can use their school ID as a "Student Card." This lets them check out up to 3 books. They can also use library computers. There are no fines or fees with a Student Card.
Library History
The Jacksonville Public Library started with two women. They were Misses May Moore and Florence Murphy. In 1878, they began the Jacksonville Library and Literary Association. They wanted to create a free public library.
Their group opened Jacksonville's first free reading room. It was in the Astor Building. Visitors could find books, papers, and magazines there.
In 1883, the group changed its name. It became the Jacksonville Library Association. This new group built Jacksonville's first library building. It was a small, neat building. This building was later replaced. But it was destroyed in a big fire in 1901.
The Carnegie Library: A Gift to the City
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Old Jacksonville Free Public Library
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Postcard featuring the Carnegie Library, ca. 1910.
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | 101 East Adams Street, Jacksonville |
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| Built | 1903–1905 |
| Architect | Henry John Klutho |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003679 |
| Added to NRHP | January 22, 1987 |
Help came in 1902 from Andrew Carnegie. He was a very rich man. He offered $50,000 for a new library. But there were rules. The city had to provide the land. And they had to promise to spend at least $5,000 a year to run the library.
Carnegie believed libraries helped people learn and grow. He wanted communities to take responsibility for their libraries. Jacksonville agreed to his terms. The city council asked local voters in 1902. The idea passed by a small number of votes.
In 1903, the city created a free public library. They also appointed a library board. The building was designed by Henry John Klutho. He was a famous architect. He helped rebuild Jacksonville after the Great Fire of 1901.
Construction started on October 3, 1903. Two years later, on June 1, 1905, the library opened. It had 8,685 books. This was the start of the Jacksonville Public Library. It was also Florida's first library supported by taxes. In 1987, it was added to the US National Register of Historic Places.
The Carnegie library building was two stories tall. It was made of limestone and copper. It had a classic Greek design. Many Carnegie libraries looked like this. They had grand columns and a neat lawn. This showed respect for books.
By 1910, the library was getting too small. So, in the 1920s, a system of branch libraries began. Today, the old Carnegie library building is used by a law firm.
Growing and Expanding the Library System
In 1907, the librarian said the library was becoming a "necessity" for Jacksonville. By 1910, the Carnegie building was too small. So, the library started opening branches.
The first branch was the Wilder Park Library. It opened in 1927. It served the African American community. Then came the bookmobile service in 1928. More branches continued to open and be updated. This led to the library system we have today.
The first large regional library was Regency Square. It opened in 1973. Six new regional branches were built from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Challenges and a New Beginning
In the 1950s, interest in libraries went down. There wasn't enough money to support them. This led to fewer books and older buildings.
But things started to change in 1957. The city approved more money for libraries. A group called the Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library helped a lot. They wanted to get people excited about libraries again.
In 1960, a spot was chosen for a new Main Library. It opened on November 29, 1965. This new building was named after Haydon Burns. He was the mayor of Jacksonville for many years.
The Haydon Burns building was modern for its time. It had bright green tiles and concrete designs. But after almost 30 years, it was getting old. It wasn't big enough for the growing city.
In 2000, Jacksonville citizens voted for the Better Jacksonville Plan. This plan provided money for a brand new Main Library. It also funded six new regional branches. And it improved many existing branches.
The Haydon Burns Library closed in 2005. People wanted to save the unique building. In 2008, it became a historical landmark. Today, it houses the Jessie Ball duPont Center. It still has its famous green tiles.
The 21st Century Library
After some delays, the new Main Library opened. This happened on November 12, 2005. It was a big event for the city. It showed how much the library system had grown.
The new Main Library is a beautiful place downtown. It has special reading rooms. There are hundreds of computers for public use. And it has a huge collection of books and other materials.
What You Can Find and Do at the Library
The library's collection has over three million items. This includes books, audiobooks, CDs, videos, DVDs, magazines, and newspapers. These materials help with school, hobbies, and learning new things.
The library offers many programs. There are activities for children, teenagers, and adults. In 2015, over 3.4 million people visited the library. Almost 178,000 people attended programs.
The Main Library has special collections. These include the Delius Collection and the Genealogy Collection. There's also a Florida Collection. The African American Collection and the Ansbacher Map Collection opened in 2005.
Children's programs are very popular. They include arts and crafts. There are also story times for different age groups. Special programs happen during the summer reading program.
Other services include the Center for Adult Learning. This program helps adults learn to read. Talking Books helps people with disabilities. They provide audio materials. The library also offers computer classes and free WiFi. You can also find English as a Second Language classes.
The Library Online
The Jacksonville Public Library website started in 1993. It first offered an online catalog. Over time, more features were added. Now you can log in to your account. You can place holds and renew items.
The website also gives you access to online databases. These have magazine and newspaper articles. They also have information for business, health, and literature. In 2013, the library launched a new online catalog.
Library Blog
The Jacksonville Public Library has a blog called "ilovejpl.org". The blog shares stories about the library. It connects you with staff and other library users. It shows how lively the library is!
The blog has posts about the community. It also features new books and library events. One cool part is "Find Your Next Read." It gives lists of popular books. You can also get email newsletters about new reads.
Library Podcast
The library also has a podcast called Completely Booked. It started in June 2018. The podcast talks about what's happening at the library. It also has interviews with interesting people from Jacksonville. Sometimes, they interview authors from other places too.
