Teamwork Makes the Dream Work @ Your Library

After an almost 30-year wait, the St. Johns County Library System, in partnership with two county departments, is moving forward with 4 new libraries, projected to open over the next 3 years. The overall project plans co-locate the library with another county department to reduce the cost of infrastructure and overall operating expenses. All four projects are funded with a combination of local, state, and federal funding sources

Debra Rhodes Gibson
Debra Rhodes Gibson is the Director of the St. Johns County Public Library System in St. Augustine, FL. She was born and raised in the Detroit metro area and received her Master’s in Library Science degree from Western Michigan University, specializing in outreach services. Originally a “Daughter of Detroit”, she has worked in libraries in Ohio, Virginia, Florida, and Texas prior to arriving in St. Johns County in 2007.

During her nineteen years of service in St. Johns County, she has experienced significant growth in county demographics and requests for additional library service outlets. SJCPLS currently has six branch libraries, with three new building projects in the design/build phases and a fourth project scheduled to open in summer 2026. In addition, the Bookmobile Services Dept. provides library service through two bookmobiles to assisted living facilities, schools and daycares, and areas of the county currently not served by a free-standing library facility. SJCPLS has 102.9 FTEs and a total operating budget of $12.4 million for FY2026. She looks forward to serving St. Johns County residents through expanded public service hours and additional library outlets.