Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Jake Lair, Chapel Hill School Board member Lisa Stuckey, McDougle staff member Bob <br />Stocking, and Friends of the Carrboro Public Library Heidi Perry and Evelyn Daniel. The first <br />issue that they addressed was for the library services contract at McDougle Elementary School <br />library. The contract had expired in 2000. The workgroup made proposals for changes to the <br />contract. The changes in the proposal included the increase of hours from 20-26 per week, <br />which would add Saturday hours and make the hours Monday -Friday consistent with 3:30- <br />8:30 p.m. They also made suggestions to the school board for janitorial services. They also <br />suggested increasing payment of the media and technical support at McDougle from $1,000 to <br />$1,500 annually. They suggest that the contract be revised so that revisions can be made <br />annually. It would be set to renew annually if revisions are not brought up. The workgroup <br />recommends referral of the contract to the County Attorney. <br />The second item is that they recommended that the Orange County library services <br />be located at the Century Center in Carrboro, which is also to be called a Cybrary. These <br />services would provide Internet access to the public, provide access to online databases <br />provided by the State library, and also provide access to connections in Hillsborough and the <br />McDougle school library. They ask that the Board move quickly in getting this library service <br />running. <br />The third recommendation is that consideration be given for an Orange County <br />branch library in Carrboro's central business district. This location is served by public <br />transportation and is centrally located to several underserved population groups. The <br />establishment of this library should result in the consolidation of the existing services at <br />McDougle school and the proposed services at the Century Center. The workgraup is asking <br />that the recommendation be forwarded to the Library Services Task Force that has been <br />reconvened by the Board and to consider placing funds for establishing this library in a future <br />bond referendum by the County. <br />Commissioner Brown spoke in support of the extended hours and the proposed new <br />library in Carrboro. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked what the Town of Carrboro's role would be if there <br />were a library located downtown. She asked if the group considered an alternative model that it <br />might be a Town library that the County would contribute ta. Diana McDuffie said that they <br />talked about this a lot. She said that in North Carolina there are six municipal libraries -Chapel <br />Hill, New Bern, High Point, Greensboro, Kings Mountain, and Southern Pines. All of these <br />places are larger than Carrboro. This is typically a function of the County. They believe that <br />what they need in Carrboro and the southwest portion of the county is an Orange County library. <br />She said that this library could take some pressure off of the Chapel Hill Library. <br />Diana McDuffee said that she saw an article in the Durham paper about their county <br />library where there was a picture of a man studying some books in the Durham County library <br />while he stayed in a homeless shelter next door. The man talked about how he came to the <br />library every day and studied words in hopes of improving his skills so that he would make a <br />good impression on job interviews. The article talked about how the county library served the <br />people who stayed in the shelter next door. She thinks this is what our public library should do <br />also. A library at this location could serve IFC clients. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked far more clarification on the role of Carrboro in this <br />library and Diana McDuffie said that the role of Carrboro could be put up for more discussion. <br />There has been space put aside in the Century Center to house the Cybrary to get a start an <br />library services in downtown Carrboro. <br />Chair Jacobs said that as the County Commissioners' representative, he took a <br />contrary position to that of Carrboro and they left it unresolved understanding that they had <br />resolved the issues regarding McDougle and the Cybrary. There were different viewpoints <br />about the type of partnership that it should be with Carrboro and the County. <br />Diana McDuffie said that she would hesitate to say that Carrboro would ever be able <br />to contribute 50°~ capital or operating expenses of a library. Chair Jacobs said that they left it <br />