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1 <br /> RANGE COUNTY <br /> NORTH CAROLINA <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Board of County Commissioners <br /> Bonnie Hammersley, Orange County Manager <br /> Travis Myren, Orange County Deputy Manager <br /> FROM: Erin Sapienza, Interim Library Director Orange County <br /> Susan Brown, Library Director Chapel Hill <br /> DATE: February 28, 2022 <br /> SUBJECT: Library Services Task Force Update <br /> BACKGROUND: At its October 19, 2021 meeting, the BOCC received a request to <br /> establish a Library Services Task Force to study issues relating to County funding for <br /> municipal library services and interoperability between the Orange County Public <br /> Library and Chapel Hill Public Library. <br /> The request arose from two different petitions. On April 20, 2021, Commissioner <br /> Jamezetta Bedford petitioned the BOCC to "connect with Chapel Hill to determine the <br /> existing situation, the costs of creating/expanding interoperability, etc." On May 19, <br /> 2021, the Chapel Hill Public Library Advisory Board petitioned Town Council to "create a <br /> task force to study, develop, and recommend an equitable and sustainable approach to <br /> County funding for library services." On August 31, 2021, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam <br /> Hemminger sent a letter to BOCC Chair Renee Price to request formation of a task <br /> force to work on both of these issues. <br /> On September 28, 2012, the Town of Chapel Hill and the County entered into an inter- <br /> local agreement regarding the funding of the Chapel Hill Municipal Library and improved <br /> interoperability of library services. The inter-local agreement between Orange County <br /> and Chapel Hill expired in 2017. In early 2015, a work group met to discuss the terms of <br /> the inter-local agreement and pro-actively renew the agreement. The work group was <br /> unsuccessful at revising or renewing the agreement. <br /> Town of Chapel Hill Mayor requested the following task force members: <br /> • Chapel Hill Library Director <br /> • Town of Chapel Hill Library Advisory Board Chair <br /> • Friends of Chapel Hill Library Board Chair <br /> • Town Council Liaison <br />