Oceanway's library branch is a bank of lockers outside the Oceanway Community Center at 12215 Sago Avenue W. You can't browse a shelf, use a computer or sign up for storytime there. The lockers only hold books you have already reserved online. In October 2026, the city advertised construction bids for a full branch a few minutes away on New Berlin Road. That makes this a good time to learn the library system that already serves this part of the Northside.
Until the new building opens, Oceanway's library service comes from three places: the lockers on Sago Avenue, Highlands Regional Library on Dunn Avenue, and a bookmobile you can request. Using them well depends on knowing what each one does.
What changed this fall
The Jacksonville Public Library's project page lists the New Berlin Branch Library milestones in order:
- January 2020. City Council approved buying the land from M & M Dairy, Inc.
- July 2022. PQH Design Group was awarded the architectural design contract.
- April 2023. Library staff held community outreach meetings.
- November 2024. Design drawings were reviewed with residents at a District 2 North meeting.
- September 2026. All required permits were secured and the construction bid documents were approved.
- October 2026. The project was advertised to construction companies for bids.
The library lists three steps after that: bidding and contracting, which is underway, then construction, then opening. Construction can be scheduled once the city finalizes a contract with a builder.
The bid stage was a long time coming. In October 2023, News4JAX reported that Northside residents had raised the library with Mayor Donna Deegan and Council Member Mike Gay. Gay told them the library was real and would not take "another century." Three years later, the project has permits and is out for bids.
What the building is designed to hold
The branch will sit at 12210 New Berlin Road on the former M & M Dairy site. It is planned at about 30,000 square feet, with dedicated areas for children and teens plus several meeting rooms and study rooms. The city's proposed capital improvement plan for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 adds computer labs, wireless internet and a drive-up book drop.
The same plan expects the branch to draw 300,000 visits a year. That averages more than 800 visits a day. The city describes Oceanway as an underserved area with no convenient library access and calls it the fastest-growing part of Jacksonville. It also projects 35% growth over the next decade.
The budget has grown along with those expectations. In March 2023, Jacksonville Today reported a budgeted cost of $19.6 million. The city's proposed capital plan for fiscal year 2026–27 lists a total of $26,850,190. That includes $18,850,190 already approved and $8 million proposed for construction this fiscal year, mostly from the city's debt management fund. Of the total, $24.6 million is for construction and $2.25 million for engineering and design. Jacksonville Today's July 2026 budget coverage listed the Oceanway library among the city's major proposed capital projects at the same $8 million.
The size, features and visit projections all aim at a library much larger than anything Oceanway has had. In the meantime, the lockers on Sago Avenue are the closest service.
The lockers on Sago Avenue are the branch for now
The city's capital plan says it directly: apart from the lockers at the Oceanway Community Center, the nearest library to this area is more than 10 miles away. So the lockers are the closest library service most Oceanway households have. Here's how to use them, according to the Oceanway Express Lockers page:
- You need a Jacksonville Public Library card. You can apply online in about two minutes or sign up at any branch.
- Place a hold through the online catalog. Choose "Oceanway Express Lockers" from the pickup location menu.
- Wait for the notice. You'll get a notification when your items are on the way.
- Go after 3 p.m. That's when the courier makes deliveries. A morning stop on notice day can find the locker empty.
- Pick up within seven days. Items are held for seven days from the date on the notice.
- Check the park hours. The lockers are open only while the park is open.
The 3 p.m. delivery time affects planning more than anything else on the list. Holds can come from anywhere in the library system, so the lockers give Oceanway access to the full catalog. They don't offer anything a building does: no shelves to browse, no staff, no programs and no public computers.
When you need a building, drive to Dunn Avenue
Highlands Regional Library at 1826 Dunn Avenue is the closest full branch, and the library describes it as more than 10 miles from the Oceanway area. Its location page lists these hours:
| Day | Highlands Regional hours |
|---|---|
| Monday through Thursday | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Friday and Saturday | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Sunday | Closed |
Weeknights until 9 p.m. are the easiest time to make the drive, especially if you need a study room or the auditorium. Highlands offers curbside pickup for held books, DVDs and CDs, plus an auditorium, conference rooms, and study rooms for adults and children. Curbside is useful when you're already passing Dunn Avenue and don't want to wait until after 3 p.m. for the Sago Avenue lockers.
Highlands also hosts programs the lockers can't. Its early November calendar included a sensory-friendly storytime, Books with Billy reading sessions with a therapy dog, and a drop-in crochet group. The library's events calendar shows the current schedule.
Each option does a different job
| Need | Oceanway Express Lockers | Highlands Regional | New Berlin Branch, as planned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick up reserved books | Yes, after 3 p.m. | Yes, including curbside | Planned with drive-up book drop |
| Browse shelves | No | Yes | Yes |
| Study or meeting rooms | No | Yes | Yes |
| Children's programs | No | Yes | Children's and teen areas planned |
| Computer labs and Wi-Fi | No | Ask the branch | Computer labs and Wi-Fi planned |
Most Oceanway households will end up using both current options: the lockers for everyday borrowing and Highlands for anything that needs a room or a program.
Bringing the bookmobile closer
There's a third option. The library's River City Readers bookmobile lends books and signs people up for library cards. Groups can request a stop by emailing [email protected], according to a Jacksonville Public Library event listing. A neighborhood association, church, community event or organizer of a Saturday gathering in Oceanway can ask for it to come to them.
Keeping track of the New Berlin Road site
The library says it will post updates on the New Berlin Branch Library project page as the project moves forward. The page also has a question form, and the project team will reply within three business days. The next update listed there is a construction contract. After that comes work on the old dairy land at 12210 New Berlin Road.
A new 30,000-square-foot library is one of the larger public projects underway on the Northside, and neighbors are likely to ask how it will affect the area around New Berlin Road. If you'd like to know where your own home stands as the site moves toward construction, Plenti Realty can walk you through it with a Free Home Valuation.
