The Jacksonville Public Library at a Glance

Our Vision: Start Here. Go Anywhere.

Our Mission: To connect people with ideas that enlighten, encourage, inspire, enrich and delight.

The Jacksonville Public Library system comprises 21 locations: 20 branch locations and the Main Library downtown, with more than 3 million books, periodicals, DVDs, CDs and other types of materials. The library had 5 million visitors in 2010 with library materials checked out 9.1 million times. More than 200,000 people attended free programs at the library last year.

Governance

The JPL Board of Library Trustees works to ensure the library has the resources it needs to provide quality library services to the Jacksonville community.

The board is composed of 12 voting members and at least two non-voting members who serve in an ex officio capacity. Trustees are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council. Each trustee serves a four year term and may serve a total of two consecutive terms.

Board and committee meetings are noticed public meetings in accordance with the Sunshine Law. The public is welcome to attend.

Jim Selzer is board chair.

Barbara A. B. Gubbin is the Library Director; she reports to the Board of Library Trustees.

Facts and Figures (FY10 figures)

Main Library location: 303 Laura Street North in downtown Jacksonville

Web site: www.jaxpubliclibrary.org

Locations: Main Library plus 20 branches across Jacksonville, all within Duval County

Collection size: 3,023,307 books, periodicals, DVDs, CDs and other materials

Circulation: Library materials were checked out 9,087,192 times last year

Library visitors: 5,029,115

Library card holders: 649,158

Web site usage: 4,873,788 visits

e-library circulation: 56,061 (up 108% from 2009)

Program attendance for children, teens and adults: 198,154 individuals

For every tax dollar received, the Jacksonville Public Library provides $4.04 in value in economic benefit.

Library customers saved more than $100 million last year by checking out library materials rather then buying them.

Last year, residents used the Jacksonville Public Library every 1.5 seconds and our librarians answered 1,050,872 reference questions.

More than 12,000 individuals received job training and placement services through WORKSource at a Jacksonville Public Library location since late 2009.

Three times more people visited our libraries last year than attended live sporting events.

Popular Services

Adult Literacy: The Center for Adult Learning (CAL) offers free confidential instruction to adult students in reading, math, life skills, and English as a Second Language. CAL served 848 individuals last year. In addition to our staff, library volunteers provided 1,858 hours of instruction at four branch locations to English-language learners representing 62 nations.

Talking Books: More than 169,490 audio books were circulated over 2,140 visually and physically impaired customers.

Online databases: Our reference experts can help customers search across a number of the JPL online resources simultaneously to find exactly what they need quickly.

Ask-a-Librarian: Live chat reference online and text reference

Downloadable Media: Hundreds of audio books, e-books, and videos are available at no charge to customers with a valid library card. Titles can be downloaded to a computer or smartphone mobile device, transferred to an e-reader, or burned onto a CD.

Internet Access: Computers at all library locations provide customers with access to free Internet and Web-based email. JPL public computers have Microsoft software including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and children’s educational software.

Non-Profit Resources @ JPL Collection: One of Florida's finest reference collections to assist non-profit organizations seeking information on grants.

Personalized Services:

Personalized Playlists: With this music advisory service, JPL librarians with a passion for good music will handcraft a playlist for you based on your unique tastes and interests. Simply fill out a form and our staff will search out the music you love and provide you with customized recommendations.

Personalized Booklists: Can’t decide what to read next? Let our librarians create a list of books suited to your reading preferences. Fill out and submit this form and you will receive suggestions for your next book.

Book a Librarian: Looking for in-depth research services? Simply fill out this online form for a personal appointment with a librarian.

Special Collections

The Main Library houses many unique reference and research resources to inform, enlighten and educate, including:

African-American Collection
Delius Collection
Digital Library Collection
Florida Collection
Genealogy Collection
Government Documents Collection (JPL is a Selective Federal Depository Library)
Holocaust Collection
Lewis Ansbacher Map Collection

Conference Center at the Main Library

The Main Library operates a Conference Center as a Special Revenue fund and rents space for community and business gatherings. Fees from the Conference Center are used to offset operation and maintenance costs. Consider the Conference Center for your next meeting or special event.

Support Your Library

Public libraries are public trusts. Without the generous support of our customers and community members, the Jacksonville Public Library’s long history of service could not continue. Here’s how you can help.

Capacity Plan

Despite its growth and importance in community and the local economy, the Jacksonville Public Library has faced annual budget uncertainty and significant decreases in its operating budget—even following a large expansion in 2004 resulting from the Better Jacksonville Plan.

In response, the Board of Library Trustees retained a consultant through competitive bid to determine the capacity of the library to provide quality services into the future. The consultant’s recommendations were developed with input from the library, the community, and stakeholders, and are included in, “Past, Present, Future: A Library for the Future for Jacksonville, Final Report of the Jacksonville Public Library Capacity Plan Study.”

On July 15, 2011, the board submitted five recommendations from the report to the mayor and City Council. A brief summary of the recommendations follows. Further details are included in the complete report of recommendations by the board available available at jaxpubliclibrary.org.

1. Delivery of Information: Information and the access to it in all forms strike at the core of the library’s mission. The board recommends the city allow the library to manage its own information technology budget. In addition, a commitment must be made to sustain the library’s collection of physical information in the form of books and other materials.
   
   
2. Facilities Maintenance: All 21 library buildings, including the seven libraries built as a result of the Better Jacksonville Plan just six years ago, are in serious need of a plan to provide better maintenance
   
   
3. Locations: To remedy inequities in library service, the board recommends that two new libraries be established in areas of the city that are currently either unserved or underserved.
   
   
4. Library Revenues and Funding: The board recommends implementation of stable, reliable, and sustainable funding mechanisms, as well as endorsement of targeted capital investments.
   
   
5. Staffing: The board recommends shifting a number of positions from civil service to appointed positions to achieve maximum hiring flexibility.

Revised 8/8/11