Library System Director Debra Rhodes Gibson is pleased to announce that the popular Food for Fines program will return this year in St. Johns County libraries and bookmobiles! An opportunity to eliminate most library fines, Food for Fines will run from Monday, November 16 through Monday, December 21. The food items collected will be used to stock the St. Johns County Health and Human Services (HHS) Food Pantry, providing food for St. Johns County families in need.

The St. Johns County Public Library System is excited to announce that Susan Orlean’s The Library Book is the title for St. Johns Reads 2021. Along with the new title, the Library System has decided to move events up a month—St. Johns Reads will now be a January event in coming years.

The COVID-19 outbreak continues to change the way St. Johns County residents are accessing information and entertainment resources. We learned there are new ways of doing things and the library services offered by SJCPLS have transformed into a new way of delivery since the initial closure of our libraries in mid-March. The pandemic also highlighted SJCPLS’ dedication to responding to community needs.

October 18-24, 2020, SJCPLS will be celebrating our seven Friends of the Library groups as part of the annual National Friends of the Libraries Week. The work of the Friends of the Library promotes the fact that our libraries are a cornerstone of community education, providing opportunities for everyone to engage in the joy of life-long learning and connect with the thoughts and ideas of the world.

The St. Johns County Public Library System brings TV’s “GhostHunters” star, Dustin Pari, into your living room (virtually) this Halloween!

The St. Johns County Public Library System is introducing evening hours at all facilities to accommodate the needs of working families and students beginning Tuesday, September 15.

Every parent wants their child to succeed, and one of the simplest ways to ensure a child’s academic success is by making a quick trip to the library. This September, the St. Johns County Public Library System joins with the American Library Association and public libraries across the nation to make sure all children have the most important school supply of all—a free library card.

Through the library’s enhanced virtual programming schedule, SJCPLS is presenting a series of special interviews with two best-selling authors. Conducted by SJCPLS Librarian Harold George, interviews with authors Mary Alice Monroe and Susan Carol McCarthy will be presented on the library’s webpage sjcpls.org, Facebook, and YouTube channels.

SJCPLS is excited to announce that this year’s Summer Reading Program, “The Best Summer” will be presented online from June 1 to August 1. Through the library’s new READsquared website and free app, readers of all ages across the county can log minutes read independently and as a family.