St. Johns County officials and community members gathered Friday morning for a ribbon‑cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the new Hastings Community Center and Library at 401 N. Main St. The modern facility replaces the former Hastings High School building, which will soon become a campus for First Coast Technical College.
Features for families and neighbors
The 10,000‑square‑foot branch includes a bright children’s room, flexible meeting areas, and a “Library of Things” section where card‑holders can borrow games, a Dungeons & Dragons starter kit, and other non‑book items. The adjacent Health and Human Services office operates a food pantry, providing essential assistance to families in need.
Local leaders praise the project
Branch manager Brad Powell, who has overseen the library for 16 years, called the new building a “big sense of relief” and said, “We love our new building.” He noted that the century‑old high school was showing its age and that the new location better serves a growing community.
Mel Longo, a member of the St. Johns County Library Advisory Board, highlighted the importance of Friends of the Library groups, especially as Amendment 3 threatens future library funding. “I assume everyone here today is here because they value libraries,” Longo said. “The only way to do that is for the people here to join the Friends of the Hastings Library.”
Debra Rhodes Gibson, the county’s Library Systems Director, emphasized the center’s role in supporting Hastings as it continues to evolve, noting that the library will be a hub for education, recreation, and community engagement.
Faith‑based education partner welcomes the resource
LaKeisha Chestnut, director of Hastings’ Carter Academy—a Christian learning center offering pre‑kindergarten and child‑care—expressed excitement about the proximity of the new library. “This is a resource that we’ve needed, and it just gives the kids something out of the day‑to‑day that we provide,” Chestnut said. “We’re just excited about utilizing it and the children’s programming.”
Hours and services
The library opens Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m. It closes at 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays; and at 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The Health and Human Services office shares the same weekday hours but closes at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and is closed on weekends.
With six library branches serving roughly 350,000 residents, St. Johns County’s new Hastings location adds valuable capacity, especially compared with neighboring Alachua County, which operates 12 branches for about 300,000 people.
The opening of the Hastings Community Center and Library underscores the county’s commitment to providing educational resources, family‑friendly spaces, and essential services to a growing population, reinforcing the role of libraries as cornerstones of strong, faith‑centered neighborhoods.
Original reporting: Jacksonville Today — read the source article.
