In June 2026, the replacement library that San Carlos waited decades for was described as dead for lack of funding. That leaves the existing branch at 7265 Jackson Drive in charge for the foreseeable future, and much of what's on its shelves and its program calendar depends on folding tables of used books. The next sale starts tomorrow.
The lot at Jackson and Golfcrest
The current San Carlos Branch Library is an 8,200-square-foot, one-room building from the 1970s, and it hasn't been meaningfully updated in decades. Times of San Diego described a visit in June 2026: shelves along the back wall, round tables with outdated computers, and a play area full of kids.
The plan was to replace it with a 25,000-square-foot library that had meeting rooms, computer labs, and separate spaces for children and teens. That size needed more land. The parking lot next door had been earmarked for the library for 28 years, but the City couldn't build on it right away because of environmental problems left by the Arco gas station that once stood there.
On August 5, 2023, more than 300 patrons and neighbors gathered for what the San Carlos Friends of the Library called the "We Bought the Lot" celebration. After 28 years, the City owned the parcel at the corner of Jackson and Golfcrest, and the two lots together were to become the site of the new branch.
How the money moved
The project made steady progress on paper and kept falling short on money. Here is the sequence from the public record:
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Lot purchased; $5 million allocated from Navajo-collected developer fees; City seeking state and federal grants to cover "a large funding gap" | District 7 2023 Year in Review |
| June 2024 | $4.7 million added in the City's Fiscal Year 2025 budget | San Carlos Friends of the Library |
| January 2026 | Councilmember Raul Campillo's budget priorities list the library at $6.5 million, only "should additional revenue sources become available" | CD7 budget priorities memo |
| June 2026 | Early-2026 construction start missed; $36.3 million still needed; City says it doesn't expect funding soon | Times of San Diego |
The 2024 money was meant for a specific stage. As the Friends group quoted from Campillo's newsletter, it represented
"the completed funding necessary to perform design, permitting, and initial construction activities such as removal of hazardous material and contaminated soils."
Then came the City's budget gap. Times of San Diego reported a $118 million shortfall heading into the 2026 budget. At the June community planning group meeting, a representative from Campillo's office said plans for a new library were dead for lack of funding. Some residents were frustrated to hear that $5 million the City had set aside for the library, which the Times dated to 2024, had been moved to help close the gap. The City's project page still says "In design," with an estimated cost of "TBD." The minutes from the Navajo Community Planning Group's September 10 meeting show no library item.
The old branch came through the cuts with its hours intact
The same budget that drained the library fund didn't cut San Carlos's library hours. Six libraries took reductions: Central and the branches in University Heights, Allied Gardens, La Jolla, Point Loma and Rancho Bernardo. San Carlos's nearest neighbor took one of the bigger cuts. The Allied Gardens/Benjamin branch has been closed Mondays since August 29, 2026.
Under the citywide schedule that took effect August 29, San Carlos is open:
- Tuesday: 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Wednesday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday and Monday: closed
Tuesday evening is the only time either branch is open after 6 p.m., so a Monday book run no longer works at either one. The San Carlos Recreation Center, a few blocks away, did lose time under the budget. It drops to 40 operating hours a week.
What keeps the room stocked
San Carlos Friends of the Library says used-book sales are its main source of revenue, and that money goes to library materials, equipment and programs. With the capital project stalled and no new building coming, that sales table is the most direct way the neighborhood pays for what's inside the current branch.
The next sale is this weekend. Friends members get a presale on Friday, November 6, at 1 p.m., and the public sale opens Saturday, November 7, at 9:30 a.m. The Friends group also holds its annual membership meeting at the branch this season.
The parking issue is part of the same story. One resident told Times of San Diego the branch lot is already tight and hard to get a spot in during summer. On a sale morning, it helps to arrive early or walk over.
The calendar inside one room
The book-sale money pays for the programs below, and the branch runs a full schedule for its size. Here are the dated and recurring listings from the San Diego Public Library events calendar and the Friends site, in order from publication day:
- Storytime for Toddlers & Preschoolers, Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., including today, November 5.
- Craft Circle for adults, Thursdays at 2 p.m.
- Mind/Body Fitness for Older Adults, a Wednesday 10 a.m. series.
- Friends presale and book sale, November 6 and 7.
- San Carlos Youth Chess, open to ages 18 and under, second and fourth Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. The listed dates are November 10, November 24 and December 8.
- Lego Builders Club for kids 6 and up, second and fourth Saturdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., with an October–December flyer on the Friends site.
- The library book club, third Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. That works out to November 19 and December 17, and the September–December reading list is posted.
- Art Reception: Scott Allen, and in December, "A Treasury of Christmas Humor with Richard Lederer." Check the calendar for times.
Plan around the holiday closures. The library is closed Wednesday, November 11; Thursday and Friday, November 26–27; Thursday and Friday, December 24–25; and Thursday, December 31. Because the branch is also closed Sundays and Mondays, Thanksgiving week and Christmas week each have only three open days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Listings can change, so check the calendar before you go.
Where the library question goes next
The neighborhood's regular public forum for questions like this is the Navajo Community Planning Group, which meets on the second Thursday of each month except August and December. Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. at 4772 Alvarado Canyon Road. That puts the next one on November 12, assuming an agenda is posted. It's also where the "plans are dead" message was delivered in June. The lot at Jackson and Golfcrest is still the planned site, and $36.3 million is still the gap. The San Carlos neighborhood page and our earlier look at what's changing at Mission Trails this fall cover the other public projects in this part of the city.
Steven Sladek keeps up with San Carlos projects like the library on Jackson Drive because they shape what living here is like day to day. If you're curious how this corner of the neighborhood is valued right now, start with a free home valuation, and we'll walk you through it.
