Finance Committee votes to close Maxville Library

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City Council Finance Committee voted Friday to close the Maxville Library, following the recommendation of the Library Board of Trustees.

Mayor Alvin Brown had put money in his budget to keep it open, but the committee cut it and also declined to add 10 hours of operations for the Main Library downtown.

The group Save Jax Libraries issued this statement:

"Libraries suffered yet another blow today for their sustainability. With many urban core libraries already closed to the public on weekends and most libraries closed on Sunday, it will now only get worse. Libraries will lose hours with Maxville Branch Library closing."

Bill Brinton, a library advocate for the group, said a libraries straw ballot on the Aug. 26 election ballot is "now more important than ever to stabilize funding for our libraries and preserve them for future generations."