Agenda - 01-23-2007-9d - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning Introduction In January, 2004, the Orange County Board of Commissioners appointed a Library Services Task Force to review the recommendations a previous task force had submitted to the County in 2001 and to "subsequently make recommendations to improve library services and facilities specifically related to the expansion of the Central Library in Hillsborough and the branch library in Carrboro." Specific areas of interest were the potential for co-location of a new central facility with the Orange County campus of Durham Technical Community College (DTCC) and combining the operations of Carrboro's McDougle Branch Library and Cybrary into one branch library facility. The Task Force held its first meeting in May, and identified four areas of interest to be investigated: ¦ Co-located central library with DTCC Orange County Campus ¦ Carrboro facility • Need for Orange County archival repository ¦ Linking of all public-libraries in Orange County, including the Chapel Hill Public Library, technologically The Library contracted with Dale Gaddis, Library Consultant, in July, 2004, to assist with the work of the Task Force, as follows: • Identify critical issues that need to be addressed regarding library facilities, needed and desired functions to be housed in the new headquarters facility, and priorities regarding service development throughout the county • Determine the space requirements of a new headquarters library facility which will adequately address community needs and priorities for library services and meet accepted public library standards, using a 15-20 year planning time frame • Analyze issues raised by the possibility of combining the headquarters library with a community college library, with recommendations regarding a joint use library facility, and identification of potential needs for other library facilities in the county within the same time frame. The Task Force and Consultant reviewed the work of the previous task force. The Consultant gathered and documented for the Task Force more recent planning and statistical information regarding Orange County and the Library. She met with the Library Director to get her perspective on the project and gain an understanding of administrative and financial issues and structures. She met with Barbara Baker from DTCC and documented the expectations of the college regarding a joint use facility. She facilitated meetings with library staff and the Task Force to identify critical issues that needed to be addressed regarding library facilities and services. It became evident from this initial research that the recommendations requested by the Board of County Commissioners needed to be part of a larger vision for the county as a whole. As a result, the Consultant developed, for Task Force review, facility planning criteria and recommendations which addressed countywide development of library facilities. The Library Director initiated a parallel process during the same time period to investigate the need for an 13 6