Why I Believe the World Golf Village Area Needs a Public Library
There are some things I believe every growing community should have.
Good schools. Parks. Safe places for families to gather. Opportunities for children to learn and grow.
And very high on my list is a public library.
The World Golf Village area and the communities surrounding it are growing tremendously. Communities such as SilverLeaf continue to expand, with new neighborhoods, new schools and more families moving into this part of St. Johns County every year.
When I look at how quickly SilverLeaf and the surrounding areas are growing, I keep coming back to the same question:
Should not the World Golf Village area have a public library of its own?
I strongly believe the answer is yes.
This is something very close to my heart, and it is something I hope our community can help make a reality one day.
Why Libraries Mean So Much to Me
I have always loved libraries.
For me, a library has never been simply a building filled with books. There is something special about walking through the doors of a library and knowing that knowledge, imagination and opportunity are available to everyone inside.
I think about children discovering their first favorite books. I think about students working on school projects, teenagers finding a quiet place to study, parents taking their children to story time and people of all ages having a welcoming place where they can read, learn and explore.
A library does not ask who you are or how much money you have. You walk through the door, and an entire world of knowledge is there waiting for you.
That is why libraries have such an emotional place in my heart.
Jorge Luis Borges famously wrote:
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
I understand that feeling completely.
Our Community Is Growing
The growth around World Golf Village is impossible to miss.
SilverLeaf alone has brought so many new neighborhoods and so many new families into this part of St. Johns County. More homes continue to be built, new schools are opening and thousands of children are growing up in this area.
These are not simply houses being added to a map.
These are families putting down roots. These are children who will grow up here. These are communities that will continue to need schools, parks, recreation, public services and places that encourage learning.
That is why I believe a public library in the World Golf Village area would be such an important investment in our future.
Today's libraries are much more than places to borrow books. They offer children's programs, educational activities, technology, research resources, study areas, community programs and services for people at almost every stage of life.
A library can become one of the anchors of a community.
As Cicero wrote more than two thousand years ago:
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
The world has changed enormously since then, but the importance of having a place to learn has not.
I Wanted to Understand How St. Johns County Works
I also realized that simply saying “We need a library” is not enough.
If I wanted to advocate for one, I needed to better understand how St. Johns County works, how decisions are made and how services such as libraries are funded.
That was one of the main reasons I attended SJC 101 in 2026.
SJC 101 is a free, twice-annual, 12-week civic education program hosted by St. Johns County. It gives local residents and business owners an inside look at county government operations, departments and constitutional offices. Class sizes are capped at 30 participants, allowing attendees to learn more directly about how local government works.
I joined the program with a particular interest in understanding how the St. Johns County library system works and how it receives funding.
The experience gave me valuable insight into how county services are planned, how funding decisions are made and how community needs become part of the larger conversation.
It also reinforced something that I believe is very important:
Community participation matters.
A new library requires planning, funding and decisions by county leaders. It also helps when there is clear evidence that residents in an area value, use and support library services.
That is one reason I feel so strongly that we should support the library resources already serving our community.
The Bookmobile Is an Important Part of This Effort
Until we have a library in the World Golf Village area, the St. Johns County Bookmobile is an especially important resource.
I want more families to know about it.
I want more parents to bring their children.
I want more children checking out books.
And I want more residents making the Bookmobile a regular part of their family's routine.
There is another important reason participation matters.
The more our community uses and supports library services, the more clearly we can demonstrate that there is real demand for them in this growing part of St. Johns County.
One family visiting the Bookmobile may seem like a small thing. But many families consistently using it, checking out books and supporting its programs can tell a much bigger story.
It shows that people here value library services.
That is the momentum I want us to keep building.
Please Consider Joining Friends of the Bookmobile
This is where I am asking for your help.
I have been distributing membership forms for Friends of the Bookmobile of St. Johns County, Inc., and I am attaching the membership form to this Community Update so that anyone interested can easily participate.
Friends of the Bookmobile helps support Bookmobile programs and services through membership, volunteering, fundraising and advocacy.
The membership levels currently shown on the form are:
Friend — $25
Book Lover — $50
Senior Lifetime — $250
Lifetime — $500
There is also an option to make an additional donation.
If you live in SilverLeaf, World Golf Village or anywhere else in St. Johns County and believe public libraries are important, I sincerely encourage you to consider becoming a member of Friends of the Bookmobile.
To me, membership represents more than a financial contribution. It is also another way of saying:
We care about our libraries. We support our libraries. We want strong library services for our growing communities.
The more people who become involved, the stronger that message becomes.
Please Use the Bookmobile Too
Membership is only one part of the effort.
Please use the Bookmobile whenever you can.
Bring your children. Let them choose their own books. Encourage them to get excited about reading.
Tell your neighbors about the Bookmobile. Tell families who are new to SilverLeaf. Share the information with friends and other parents.
And if you know someone who loves libraries, please share the Friends of the Bookmobile membership information with them as well.
Every visit helps.
Every membership helps.
Every family that participates helps demonstrate that library services are valued in our community.
Imagine a Library at World Golf Village
I often imagine what having a public library in the World Golf Village area could mean for all of us.
Imagine parents in SilverLeaf and surrounding communities being able to take their young children to a nearby library for story time.
Imagine elementary and middle school students going there to find books for school projects.
Imagine high school students meeting there to study.
Imagine children's programs, educational activities, computers, meeting rooms, quiet reading spaces and shelves filled with books only a short drive from our neighborhoods.
Most of all, imagine children growing up with that library as part of their childhood.
They may remember receiving their first library card. They may remember walking through the children's section and choosing books to take home. They may discover an author, a subject or an idea that stays with them for the rest of their lives.
Years later, some of those children may bring their own children to that same library.
That is how a library becomes part of the story of a community.
And that is what I would love to see happen here.
This Is About More Than Books
Libraries strengthen communities in ways that can sometimes be difficult to measure.
They encourage children to read.
They support education.
They provide access to information and technology.
They create opportunities for lifelong learning.
They give students somewhere to study and families somewhere to discover things together.
Most importantly, they make those resources available to everyone.
Neil Gaiman once wrote:
“Libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication.”
A growing community needs places where curiosity is encouraged and knowledge is accessible.
Let Us Keep the Momentum Going
I know that a new public library does not happen overnight.
It takes planning. It takes funding. It takes cooperation with St. Johns County. And it takes a community showing that library services matter to the people who live here.
That is why I do not want us to lose momentum.
Right now, there are two very simple things we can do:
Use the St. Johns County Bookmobile.
Become a member of Friends of the Bookmobile.
The membership form is attached to this article, and I sincerely hope you will consider joining.
As SilverLeaf and the communities surrounding World Golf Village continue to grow, I hope we can continue making our interest in library services visible.
And I hope there comes a day when I can publish a Community Update on NamasteJAX with a headline I would absolutely love to write:
World Golf Village Is Getting a Public Library!I cannot tell you how happy I would be to write those words.
Until that day comes, I will continue supporting our library system, encouraging families to use the Bookmobile, sharing Friends of the Bookmobile membership information and doing what I can to keep the need for a World Golf Village library in the conversation.
Because to me, a library is not simply a building full of books.
It is an investment in our children, an investment in education and an investment in our community.
And it is an investment that can benefit generations of families who call this area home.
Meena