[2] 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.

[4] 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.

[5] 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.

[9] 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.

The Board of Trustees comprises volunteers who service as the policy and planning body for the Jacksonville Public Library System.

[14] Patrons of the Jacksonville Public Library may borrow books, most magazines, "zines", videos (VHS or DVD) and audio materials.

The association was populated by various prominent Jacksonville residents and sought to create a free public library and reading room for the city.

Moore and Murphy's association succeeded in establishing their free public reading room, Jacksonville's first, in the winter of 1878–1879.

It was located in the Astor Building, on the corner of Bay and Hogan, and was manned by librarian James Douglas.

"[citation needed] This was replaced in 1894 by a new building that the association shared with the Board of Trade and the Elks Club.

This building, on the northeast corner of Main and Adams, housed Jacksonville's public library until 1901, when the fire on May 3 destroyed it.

He 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.

Two years later, on June 1, 1905, the library was formally opened with George Burwell Utley as librarian and with 8,685 books available.

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.

[31] 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.

The library made use of deposit stations and sub-branches, but space in the Carnegie building became an increasingly rare commodity.

[32] 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.

The main library was named after W. Haydon Burns, mayor of Jacksonville for 15 years as well as governor of Florida.

Due to space and wiring limitations, the building was inadequate for the needs of the growing Jacksonville community.

As of 2015, the building houses the Jessie Ball duPont Center and still has its famous green tile and concrete fins.

[34] 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.

[36] 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.

The new Main Library offers specialized reading rooms, public access to hundreds of computers and an extensive collection of books and other materials.

The current collection includes more than three million books, audiobooks, compact discs, videos, DVDs, magazines, newspapers, and other items.

In the 2021 fiscal year, the Jacksonville Public Library had 1,465,833 visitors and 4,361 hours spent in programs by patrons.

[47] Past exhibitions hosted by the library have featured artwork that serves to highlight Florida's rich cultural and historical heritage.

[48] This piece was originally located on an upper wall of a three-story San Francisco bed-and-breakfast until art curator and collector, Brian Greif, paid to have it removed and arranged for the artwork, valued at an estimated $2 million, to be displayed in public spaces all around the country, free of charge.

The project called for local street artists to make their mark on a series of wooden panels placed outside Phoenix Art Schools in Jacksonville.

Patrons who buy items through the new catalog via Amazon will help the library system earn more materials for their collection.