Jacksonville Public Library

Located downtown near City Hall and Hemming Plaza, the Main Library opened in November 2005, replacing the Haydon Burns Library.[3] Designed by the firm of the 2011 Driehaus Prize winner, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the new library is almost three times the size of the Haydon Burns building. Jacksonville's Auchter Company was responsible for construction. The North Laura facility is 300,000 square feet (28,000 m²) with the capacity to hold one million books. A 600-space parking garage across from the library building on Duval Street makes the Main Library easily accessible. State-of-the-art technology offers 250 public computers, satellite, and video conferencing capabilities with infrastructure to support future technologies. On April 18, 2012, the AIA Florida Chapter placed the Jacksonville Public Library – Main Library on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.[4]

In addition to the Library and the Conference Center, the Library building hosted a bookstore and a café. The BOOKtique bookstore, run by the Friends of the Library, opened concurrently with the Library.[5] In 2013, the BOOKtique was closed to make way for The Lounge @ 303 North, an event space in the library's lower Conference Center level.[6] After a year and a half of litigation and construction, on May 14, 2007, Shelby's Café opened inside the concession space in the Main Library.[7] The concession stand closed in 2011.[8]

• Highlands – Dunn Avenue, serving the Northside.
• Pablo Creek – Beach Blvd between Hodges and Kernan serving the Southside.
• Southeast – Deerwood Park Blvd serving the Southside.
• Charles Webb Wesconnett – 103rd Street serving the Westside.

• Argyle – Near the Argyle Forest subdivision serving the Westside.
• Beaches – A1A (3rd Street) in Neptune Beach.
• Bradham and Brooks – Edgewood Avenue serving the Northside.
• Brentwood – Pearl St serving the urban core.
• Bill Brinton Murray Hill – Edgewood Avenue South serving the urban core.
• Brown Eastside – Harrison Street serving the urban core.
• Dallas Graham – Myrtle Avenue serving the urban core.
• Mandarin – Kori Road serving the Mandarin area.
• Maxville – Maxville Blvd (near Normandy Boulevard and Highway 301) serving the Maxville area.
• Regency Square – Regency Square Blvd serving the Arlington/Regency area.
• San Marco – The San Marco Branch on LaSalle Street serves the San Marco neighborhood
• South Mandarin – San Jose Blvd near the St. John's County border.
• University Park – University Blvd North serving the Arlington area including Jacksonville University.
• West – Chaffee Road serving the Westside.
• Westbrook – Commonwealth Avenue serving the urban core.
• Willowbranch – Park St serving the Riverside and Avondale areas.

Jacksonville was the first library in Florida to offer a mobile library service, established in 1928.[10] For over 75 years, the Jacksonville Public Library continued this service of providing accessible materials to rural residents and areas where a branch had not been established. However, due to funding cuts, the bookmobile was discontinued as of October 2005.[11]

After the discontinuation of the bookmobile service, the library looked for ways to continue servicing the area where the mobile branch had been primarily operating. In 2012, the library opened the Oceanway Express location to provide limited service to customers who have no geographically-close library branch. The pickup/drop-off service is located near the Oceanway Community Center in northwest Jacksonville.[12]

Old Jacksonville Free Public Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Postcard featuring the Carnegie Library, ca. 1910.
Show map of Florida Show map of the United States
Location	101 East Adams Street, Jacksonville
Coordinates	30.32762°N 81.65602°W / 30.32762; -81.65602
Built	1903–1905
Architect	Henry John Klutho
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.	86003679[19]
Added to NRHP	January 22, 1987[19]

Help for rebuilding came in 1902 in the form of Andrew Carnegie, who offered $50,000 for a new library, provided that the city had a building site and appropriated at least $5,000 a year for library support.[20] Between 1883 and 1929, Carnegie funded 2,509 libraries in the United States and Europe.

Carnegie believed cultural organizations, such as libraries, helped raise up the working class. Carnegie never provided total funding for any project; he believed local authorities should make their own effort and demonstrate the self-determination to which he attributed his own spectacular success. The strings attached to the Carnegie gift were that the community would provide the site, and that the elected officials—the local government—promise to pay to staff and maintain the library, guaranteeing to spend annually at least 10 percent of the amount of the original Carnegie gift. The community was required to draw from public funds to run the library—not use only private donations. Carnegie wanted these libraries to be part of the fabric of public life and the responsibility of the community. Only those determined to sustain them and make them grow would receive a Carnegie gift.[21]

Jacksonville agreed, and the city council put the issue to local voters in 1902, and it narrowly passed 640 to 627. In January 1903 the city passed an ordinance establishing a free public library and the city council appointed a public library board of nine men, led by Duncan Fletcher.[22] The building was designed by New York City architect Henry John Klutho.[20] Klutho rebuilt Jacksonville after the Great Fire of 1901.[23] Klutho's style of architecture is known as the Prairie School. Although Klutho's work was influenced by that of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis H. Sullivan, it was his own.[24]

On October 3, 1903, ground was broken for the Carnegie library on the northeast corner of Adams and Ocean. Two years later, on June 1, 1905, the library was formally opened with George Burwell Utley as librarian and with 8,685 books available. Known officially as the Jacksonville Free Public Library, it was the beginning of the Jacksonville Public Library. It was also the first tax-supported library in Florida. On January 22, 1987, it was added to the US National Register of Historic Places.[25]

The library was two stories tall, made of limestone and copper. Its design was Classic Revival Greek Ionic, typical of Carnegie libraries, and featured four columns on the facade. Many Carnegie libraries were built in this Neoclassical style with imposing pillars and a tidy lawn, conveying reverence for the printed word.[26] It has been described as nearly fireproof, with wood only in the floors, doors and sash. By 1910, the library was outgrowing itself. The library made use of deposit stations and sub branches, but space in the Carnegie building became an increasingly rare commodity. Thus, in the 1920s a branch system was inaugurated which continues to flourish to this day.[27] Today the Carnegie library building houses a law firm and it is known as the Bedell Building.[28]

In 1907 George Utley said that the library was "fast becoming securely established as a part of the municipal fabric, and is considered more and more a necessity and less and less a luxury by the citizens of Jacksonville.

By 1910 the library was outgrowing itself. The library made use of deposit stations and sub branches, but space in the Carnegie building became an increasingly rare commodity. Thus, in the 1920s a branch system was created.

The first branch, the Wilder Park Library, opened November 14, 1927, on the corner of Lee and Third street for service to the African American community. This was followed by a bookmobile service on October 30, 1928. Branches continued to open, renovate and modernize, resulting in the current library system of a Main Library and 20 additional branches. The original branch library was replaced on June 22, 1965 with the Graham Branch Library. The first large regional library was the Regency Square branch, which opened in 1973. Six new regional branches were built throughout the city in the 1970s – 1990s. In 1999 the original regional branch, Regency Square, reopened after undergoing a two-year renovation.

Haydon Burns Library (1965–2005), ca. 1968.

In the 1950s, public interest in the libraries faded, along with adequate budget support. Lack of funding led to low book stocks, poorly trained staff and poorly maintained buildings. As Librarian Joseph F. Marron stated in an annual report, "Impending institutional bankruptcy was a phrase being applied to this first tax-supported public library in the state of Florida."

However, when the city commission and city council approved a 19 percent increase in the libraries' operational budget for 1957, the Jacksonville Public Libraries began to revive. The Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library, formed in 1956 with the intent of inspiring interest in libraries, are credited as a major influence in bringing about the increased budget.

In March 1960, the city approved a location for the new Main Library, the site of old City Hall, along with 60 additional feet of property previously occupied by the Windle Hotel. In March 1964, ground was broken at 122 North Ocean Street. On November 28, 1965, the new building was dedicated, and the next day opened to the public.

The Main Library was named after W. Haydon Burns, mayor of Jacksonville for 15 years as well as governor of Florida.[20] The structure was designed to be both aesthetic and useful. The library featured bright green tile and concrete fins on the exterior. As one newspaper reporter said of the library, "the ultramodern showplace is a symphony of color, texture and functional design."[20]

After nearly 30 years of operation, the Haydon Burns building was showing its age. Due to space and wiring limitations, the building was inadequate for the needs of the growing Jacksonville community. In September 2000, the citizens of Jacksonville voted for the Better Jacksonville Plan, which provided funding for a new Main Library building, six new regional branch libraries and improvements at most existing branches. After closing, the city was preparing to sell the former library to the Atkins Group for $5 million. The Atkins Group planned to tear down the library to build high-rise condominiums. This was met with a backlash, as preservationists and citizens wanted to save the unique 1960s piece of architecture.[29] In 2008, the Haydon Burns Library was designated as a historical landmark. As of 2015, the building houses the Jessie Ball duPont Center and still has its famous green tile and concrete fins.[30]

Jacksonville Main Library – Downtown

After suffering delays due to the 2004 hurricane season and contractors' difficulties, the system prepared for the opening of a new Main Library in late 2005.[31] In September 2005, the Haydon Burns library closed its doors for the last time to allow staff to move to the new Main Library due to open later that year.[32] Accompanied by a week-long promotion and a full day of parades and other events, on November 12, 2005, the new Main Library opened to the public.[33][34] The opening was a historic event for the library system and the City of Jacksonville, marking the completion of an unprecedented period of growth under the Better Jacksonville Plan. It adds to the city's architectural and cultural landscape and provides a gathering place downtown for the community. The new Main Library offers specialized reading rooms, public access to hundreds of computers and extensive collection of books and other materials.

The Jacksonville Public Library currently runs a blog titled "". The blog states "With our blog stories, we hope to connect you with the staff and customers of our living-breathing-changing library. We’ll do our best to take you behind the scenes of the oldest information source in town and show you just how lively this centenarian really is!". The blog includes posts concerning the community, new books, library happenings, and resources available to library patrons. One feature of the blog is the Find Your Next Read section. Different lists of popular books are provided, as well as the option to have newsletters concerning popular new reads delivered through email, courtesy of NextReads. The blog is an example of the library's dedication to keeping up-to-date and providing its patrons a variety of different resources.

At the bottom of the website for the Jacksonville Public Library, there is a link that leads to the library's podcast called Completely Booked. Started in June 2018, this podcast discusses not only what is currently going on with the Jacksonville Public Library, but includes interviews "with interesting and inspiring local Jacksonville residents."[48] There have also been podcast episodes where they interview non-local authors as well. As of December 2020, there have been around 80 episodes with audio lengths varying from thirty minutes to an hour each.