Orange County NC Website
~~ <br />December 9, 2003 <br />During the December 9th special BOCC meeting, the BOCC had heard from the <br />Friends of the Library of the reduction in usable size at the main facility and was <br />concerned. Following the special meeting, a regularly scheduled BOCC meeting <br />was held. Barry Jacobs requested during Board comments that "in reference to <br />the renovation of the library space in the Whitted Building, the Library Task Force <br />needs to be reactivated.... The task force would talk about the future of the <br />library." <br />February 3, 2004 <br />The BOCC reconved the Library Services Task Force of 2004 to review the <br />recommendations from the Library Services Task Force Report of 2000 <br />submitted to the Board of County Commissioners in November 2001. The <br />charge to the Task Force was to "review the November 2001 Report and to <br />subsequently make recommendations to improve library services /facilities in <br />Orange County specifically related to the expansion of the Central Library in <br />Hillsborough and the branch library in Carrboro." <br />August 18, 2004 <br />As part of the re-convened Library Services Task Force, the Chair of the Task <br />Force met with the Archival Task Force to review and evaluate the Heritage <br />Center recommendation of 2001. On page 2, the Museum representative <br />indicated "that the artifacts that are at the Museum will stay at the museum, <br />unless there is a combined Heritage Center /Museum." In this meeting the <br />group defined the organizational structure of a Heritage Center on page 3, "some <br />library services retained, flexible use of the center, gathering space for <br />symposiums and speaker, meeting room(s), small auditorium with kitchen <br />attached, opportunities for artists displays, security including lockers of visitor <br />bags, strict research environment, the assessed value of the collection should <br />equal the amount of security, identify parts of collection that are most valuable an <br />keep in separate area, need adequate staffing including an archivist and a <br />librarian, need an archival preservation and use policy, need non-public space for <br />processing successions. The use policy was discussed extensively." There was <br />support to `unanimously consolidate the collections in an accessible and secure <br />environment, given certain archival policies and procedures are followed.' The <br />group. also, `discussed the possibility of donations from private family collections <br />if the facility were adequate and staffed appropriately. Work should be in <br />partnership with special collections at UNC, communication has already been <br />established.' <br />October 19, 2004 - BOCC received the final report from the Library Services <br />Task Force of 2004. The Final Report addressed the following major areas, <br />among other opportunities: Construction of a new Central Library; Consolidation <br />of the Cybrary and McDougle Branch Libraries in Carrboro; Establishment of an <br />Orange County Heritage Center; and Establishment of a Branch Library to serve <br />the Efland-Cheeks Township. <br />3 <br />