St. Johns County's New Hastings Community Center and Library Opens Nov. 13: What Closes Nov. 9 and What Changes

HASTINGS, Fla. - St. Johns County will open its new Hastings Community Center and Library at 401 N. Main St. on Friday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m., following a dedication ceremony, according to an Oct. 30 county announcement. The existing Hastings Branch Library and Health and Human Services satellite office at 400 E. Harris St. will close Monday, Nov. 9, as operations move to the new building. The county also announced an earlier end to computer and printing services, a deadline for picking up holds and temporary changes to due dates and book returns during the transition.

The new facility will contain approximately 10,000 square feet, including a full-service library, children's area, meeting spaces, seed library, drive-up book drop and a Health and Human Services satellite office. St. Johns County said the project was funded by its Board of County Commissioners through federal grants, with additional support from the state. The opening will bring the Hastings library and the county's Health and Human Services satellite office to the same new Main Street location.

New Hastings Facility Opens Friday, Nov. 13

St. Johns County has scheduled the grand opening of the Hastings Community Center and Library for Friday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m. According to the county's announcement, a dedication ceremony will take place before the building opens to the public. The facility is located at 401 N. Main St., Hastings, FL 32145.

The new building will replace the current library location at the Harris Center on East Harris Street. The county's announcement also identifies the Health and Human Services satellite office as part of the move. Both services are scheduled to reopen at the Main Street facility on Nov. 13.

The transition includes a period when the existing location will be closed before the new building opens. St. Johns County said the current branch will close Monday, Nov. 9, with the new facility opening Friday, Nov. 13. That schedule leaves Nov. 9, 10, 11 and 12 as the four days between the closure and reopening.

The county's announcement gives a 9 a.m. start for the Nov. 13 grand opening. It also identifies the services that will move from the existing Harris Center location. The reopening date applies to both the Hastings Branch Library and the Health and Human Services satellite office.

What Is Inside the New 10,000-Square-Foot Building

The Hastings Community Center and Library will have approximately 10,000 square feet of space, according to St. Johns County. The county described the facility as including a full-service library and a children's area. Meeting spaces will also be available within the new building.

The project includes a seed library, another feature identified in the county's grand opening announcement. A drive-up book drop is also part of the new facility. These features are included alongside the library's other spaces and services at the Main Street address.

The county's Health and Human Services satellite office will operate from the new building as well. Its existing office at the Harris Center is included in the announced Nov. 9 closure and Nov. 13 reopening. The new facility will therefore house both library functions and the county's satellite Health and Human Services office.

St. Johns County identified the children's area, meeting spaces, seed library and drive-up book drop as components of the new facility. The announcement describes the building as a community center and library rather than only a replacement library branch. The listed features establish the scope of the project as presented in the county's official opening notice.

Existing Library and Health Office Close Nov. 9

The Hastings Branch Library and Health and Human Services satellite office are currently located at 400 E. Harris St., according to the county. Both are scheduled to close Monday, Nov. 9. The services will reopen Friday, Nov. 13, at 401 N. Main St.

St. Johns County's announcement establishes a four-day closure period before the new location opens. The closure covers Monday through Thursday, Nov. 9-12, with the grand opening scheduled for Friday morning. The county also identified separate service changes taking effect before the main closure.

Computer and printing services at the existing Hastings Branch ended on Monday, Nov. 2. That change came before the Nov. 9 closure of the library itself. According to St. Johns County, patrons also face an earlier deadline for picking up materials already placed on hold at the Harris Center.

The final day to pick up holds at the Harris Center is Saturday, Nov. 7. That deadline comes before the library and Health and Human Services satellite office close on Monday. The county has also announced adjustments to due dates and hold pickup periods associated with the relocation.

Key Dates for Printing, Holds and Reopening

St. Johns County's announcement identifies several dates affecting Hastings library operations during the move. Computer and printing services ended before the current library closes, and the final pickup date for holds comes before the closure begins. The new facility is scheduled to open to the public following the Nov. 13 dedication ceremony.

The published schedule distinguishes between the end of computer and printing services, the last hold pickup day and the closure of the existing location. According to the county, these changes are connected to the relocation of the Hastings Branch Library. The Health and Human Services satellite office follows the Nov. 9 closure and Nov. 13 reopening schedule.

The county's stated dates also establish when the new Main Street facility becomes available to the public. The opening begins with a dedication ceremony at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. The building will open to the public after that ceremony, according to the announcement.

What Happens to Checked-Out Books, Holds and Returns

St. Johns County said materials checked out from the Hastings Branch Library will not be due during the closure. Late fees will not accrue during that period. The county included those provisions in its announcement explaining how library borrowing will be handled while the branch moves.

The announcement also provides an extension for items placed on hold. Hold pickup deadlines will be extended seven days beyond the grand opening. That adjustment is separate from the Saturday, Nov. 7, deadline for picking up holds at the existing Harris Center location.

Book returns will also be affected during the transition. According to the county, book drops at both locations will be inaccessible during the closure. The county also said donations will not be accepted during that period.

The borrowing provisions cover several distinct services at the Hastings Branch. Materials already checked out receive the temporary due-date and late-fee treatment described by the county, while holds receive an extended pickup period. Book drop access and donations are addressed separately in the same relocation announcement.

The new facility includes a drive-up book drop, according to St. Johns County. However, the county's transition notice specifically says the book drops at both locations will be inaccessible during the closure. The stated reopening date for the new library is Friday, Nov. 13.

How the New Facility Was Funded

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners funded the Hastings Community Center and Library project through grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to the county's announcement. The project also received support from the Florida Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services. St. Johns County additionally identified support from the state.

The funding description was included in the county's Oct. 30 announcement of the grand opening. That announcement identifies the Board of County Commissioners and the federal and state sources involved in supporting the project. The county presented those funding sources alongside the facility's scheduled opening and its planned services.

The county's announcement also identified library and Health and Human Services leadership associated with the new facility. Debra Rhodes Gibson is named as the county's Director of Library Services. Shawna Novak is identified as Director of Health and Human Services.

Both departments have operations included in the move to the new community center and library. The library will occupy the facility alongside the Health and Human Services satellite office, according to the county. Both are included in the Nov. 13 reopening announcement.

Where to Find Official Library Information

St. Johns County lists sjcpls.org as the website for its public library system. The county's official website, sjcfl.us, also provides government announcements and updates. The Oct. 30 notice about the new Hastings Community Center and Library was published through the county's official news channels.

The county's grand opening announcement identifies the new address, dedication time, relocation dates and temporary library service changes. It also lists the features planned for the approximately 10,000-square-foot building. The announced opening remains Friday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m., with the dedication ceremony preceding public access.

The new location is 401 N. Main St., replacing the Hastings Branch Library and Health and Human Services satellite office at 400 E. Harris St. The existing location closes Monday, Nov. 9, and the new facility opens four days later. Those dates and the related borrowing arrangements are the schedule published by St. Johns County for the relocation.