Agenda - 11-05-2013 - 7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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31 Lucinda Munger said she knows the Board has been working with the Cedar Grove Community Center, and this group has coalesced around the idea of a casual sort of an internet cafe with access to library databases. She also suggested some children's programming, computer classes, and other informational classes. Commissioner McKee said this is a community need. He referred to page 16, focus area 4, item 5, regarding the Chapel Hill library. He noted that this section does not list interoperability or a common library card to be used in both libraries. He said this is and has been a point of contention. Chair Jacobs said he asked about the timeframe for completion of the Cedar Grove Community Center, and it is 6 months prior to Lucinda Munger's projection. He suggested she amend this timeline. Lucinda Munger said these timelines can be adjusted as construction commences. Commissioner Gordon said she was surprised to see this because she thought staff was tasked to develop services in rural Orange County. She said it seems staff has a plan for the Cedar Grove Community Center, but nowhere else in Orange County. She thought the task was for all of Orange County Lucinda Munger said the report was focused on the Northern Human Services Center because it is a county owned facility, and there aren't any other governmental centers staff could plan for at this time. She said that the smaller community centers often cannot offer internet service. She feels this is a good start to offering services in rural Orange County. Commissioner Gordon said she wanted to see the overall plan for Orange County for library services. She said this piecemeal approach is not what she expected. Commissioner Pelissier said she is impressed with this plan, as it addresses the concerns of the Board of County Commissioners and it is comprehensive but flexible. She said the collaboration with elected officials is an excellent idea. She said this reflects staff's forward thinking on library services. Commissioner Gordon said this report is much improved from the last one the Board saw in the spring. She said, when it gets to data collection, the Board does need to see those performance measures in the budget as well as in the plan. She said there need to be more detailed explanations of methods and more concrete examples of metrics. Commissioner Gordon said there is one place where the part -time specialist is discussed and then another section where the full -time communications specialist is discussed. She noted that hiring should be part of the budget process, not part of the plan. She said that her expectation is that the strategic plan should be an overall plan for the County, and then the Public Affairs Office would be in charge of communications, rather than just one position for the library only. She would question hiring a communications specialist for just the library. Commissioner McKee said he agreed with expanding library services throughout Orange County, but he feels there are two issues that raise the Northern Human Services Center high up on the list. He said the first is the proposed tower location at the Walnut Grove solid waste center, which will increase broadband availability. He said the second factor is the location of that center, which is in the center of the northern third of Orange County. He said this is an area that is currently underserved. Commissioner Price agreed with Commissioner McKee. She said the community continues to ask for services to return to that location. She commended what is in the report about the siting of library services in rural northern Orange County, and she commended the entire plan. She said it is obvious that communication is happening, and someone is doing a really good job with that. Lucinda Munger said this is due to the person in the communications position now, Ms. Shepherd. She said this person is responsible for their community public relations, and she does a great job.