Are St Johns County libraries worth saving?

Historic City News would like to pass along a word of caution in a year that will no doubt produce some strategic negotiating during the 2019-2020 budget hearings.  In years of stress since 2008, there have been attempts to raid the budget of the St. Johns County Public Library System.  We have public libraries today, but we advise you not to take them for granted.

The County is holding “Visioning Sessions” to determine “the future of the County’s libraries, bookmobiles, and programming”.  When you say that you want to determine the future of the libraries, you are saying you are considering closing one or more libraries.  The same is true, in this statement, for the bookmobiles and other library programs.

Are we also holding “Visioning Sessions” for the Parks and Recreation Department?  There have been threats to close ballfields at night by turning off the lights during past budget negotiations.  How about some visioning the public might buy into; like Visioning Sessions on annual paid beach parking permits?

Three meetings have been scheduled.  It might be a good idea to be reasonably conspicuous at one or more of those meetings, beginning this Sunday, if you want to keep public libraries. 

Residents are invited to any of the following meetings to provide feedback:
• Sunday, March 17 at 2 p.m. | Main Branch Library, 1960 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd.
• Sunday, March 24 at 2 p.m. | Nocatee Crosswater Hall, 245 Nocatee Center Way
• Sunday, March 31 at 2 p.m. | World Golf Village Renaissance Resort, 500 S. Legacy Trail

Library staff will be present during the sessions to engage in discussion with residents and answer questions. Feedback garnered at the sessions will be utilized when creating a strategic plan for the future of the St. Johns County Public Library System.