HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-12-2006-9e. ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRAGT
Meeting Date: December 12, 2006
Action Agenda
Item No. q- e,
SUBJECT: Creation of a New Library Services Task Force
DEPARTMENT: Library & Manager's Office PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
1.10/19/04 BOCC Abstract with 2004
Task Force Final Report
2. Library Consultant's Report - 2004
3. Excerpt from October 19, 2004 BOCC
Minutes
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Clerk's Office, 245-2130
PURPOSE: To consider the creation of a Library Services Task Force to. review and update the
2004 Library Services Task Force Report presented to the BOCC on October 19, 2004.
BACKGROUND: In January 2004, the BOCC formally re-convened a Library Services Task
Force and charged it with reviewing its original .work from November 2001 and making
recommendations on improving library services/facilities -especially as they related to the
Central Library in Hillsborough and the branch library in Carrboro - by the fall of 2004.
The Task Force conducted a total of twelve meetings extending from May through October. In
July 2004, consultant Dale Gaddis, retired Durham County Public Librarian, was retained to
prepare a needs assessment of Orange County library facilities. Her report, issued in
September 2004, provided background material for review and recommendations by the Task
Force.
The 2004 Task Force Final Report, provided at Attachment 1, addressed the following major
areas, among other opportunities: Construction of a .new Central Library; Consolidation of the
Cybrary and McDougle Branch Libraries in Carrboro; Establishment of an Orange County
Heritage Center; and Establishment of a Branch Library to Serve the Efland -Cheeks Township.
A copy of the consultant's report is included at Attachment 2. Minutes from the BOCC
discussion of the Task Force Report, presentation, and public comments are provided at
Attachment 3.
With the authorization of the Expanded County Campus Proposal on November 2, 2006 (which
includes a new two-story public library building of 23;454 sq. ft.), and along with consideration of
establishing a Heritage Center within the space the present central library would vacate at the
Whiffed building, the BOCC briefly discussed on December 4th revisiting and updating the 2004
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Library Services Task.Force Report to incorporate new information and to address the
remaining elements. The brief discussion centered on establishing a task force that would
move expeditiously so that recommendations could be considered by the BOCC during the
2007-2008 budget process. ~ .
Staff has since consulted with the Chair and Vice Chair, and the following is proposed as it
relates to the creation of a new Library Services Task Force to review and update the 2004
Report:
A. Membership: Members of past Library Services Task Forces are welcome and
encouraged to apply for appointment to the new Library Services Task Force. The
Clerk's office will be responsible for advertising this volunteer opportunity to the
community. Attempts will be made to assure that the appointments represent a
cross section of the community, including geographic balance. All members' views
would carry equal weight regardless of whether the matters at issue are located
inside or outside a member's jurisdiction. At the December 4th meeting, the BOCC
designated Commissioners Barry Jacobs and Mike Nelson to serve as BOCC
liaisons to the new task force.
B. Composition: There are currently no specifications on composition. However, this
may be a topic of BOCC discussion and approval when task force members are
appointed at a January 2007 BOCC .meeting.
C. Other Jurisdiction Participation: The Clerk's Office will be responsible for
contacting the Towns to request participation of elected official representatives to be
designated by each municipal governing board.
D. Charge: A proposed charge will be discussed in conjunction with the future
appointments to the task force at a January 2007 BOCC meeting.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with the creation of a new
Library Services Task Force other than the general administrative and staff costs associated
with advertising for potential task force members.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board:
1) Receive the attached background information;
2) Provide any comment and direction to staff, including any possible guidance related
to materials that staff would provide at a future BOCC meeting relative to the Task
Force's composition, charge, and timelines; and
3) Authorize the Clerk to: a) contact the Towns regarding potential representatives on
the task force; b) contact past Library Services Task Force members regarding their
potential interest in applying for appointment to the new Task Force; and c) begin
advertisement to the public for potential appointees to the new task force.
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ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 19, 2004
Action Agenda
Item No. ~~ G
SUBJECT: Library Services Task Farce Final Report
DEPARTMENT: Library
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N} No
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Task Force Final Report
2. Consultant's Repart
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr, Evelyn Daniel, Chair, Library
Services Task Force
Barry Jacobs, Chair, BOCC
Brenda Stephens, Director, ext 2528
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: The Library Services Task Force has completed its charge and will present its
Final Report to the BOCC.
BACKGROUND: In .January 2004, the BOCC formally re-convened a Library Services Task
Force and charged it with reviewing its original work from November 2Q01 and making
recommendations on improving library services/facilities -especially as they related to the
Central Library in Hillsborough and the branch library in Carrboro - by the fall of 2004.
The Task Force conducted a total of twelve meetings extending from May through October. A
consultant, retired Director of Durham County Public Library Dale Gaddis, was retained by the
Task Force (with financial assistance provided by the BOCC, the Friends of the Orange County
Library and Friends of the Carrboro Library) in July to prepare a needs assessment of Orange
County library facilities. Ms. Gaddis' report was issued an September 30, 2004, and provided
material background far review and recommendations by the Task Farce.
The Final Repart at Attachment 1 addresses the following major areas, among other
opportunities as described:
• Construction of a new Central Library (including pros/cons on co-location at the planned
Durham Technical Community Cogege satellite campus Waterstane site);
Consolidation of the Cybrary and McDougle Branch Libraries in Carrboro;
• Establishment. of an Orange Catanty Heritage Center; and
• Establishment of a Branch Library to serve the Efland -Cheeks Township.
A copy of the consultant's report is included as Attachment 2.
The Chair of the Library Services Task Force, Dr. Evelyn Daniel, will make the presentation to
the BOCC.
FINANCIAL. IMPACT: At this point, Caunty staff has not conducted a thorough analysis of the
direct ar indirect costs associated with any of the recommendations by the Task Force. The
BOCC would ultimately need to discuss and determine the averaH magnitude and relative
priority of any future capital project proposal alongside various funding scenarios far
development/constructian and an-going operational costs. The Library currently holds
$920,000 in a NC Gollection Endowment Fund grant that can be used as a capital contribution
towards a Heri#age Center.
RECOMMENDATiON(S}: The Manager recommends that the Board receive the Final Report
as information and provide feedback and direction to the Task Force and/ar Caunty staff as
desired.
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Library Services Task Force, Reconvened 2004
Final Report & Recommendations
October 19, 2004
The Library Services Task Force was appointed in January 2004 and charged by the
BOCC
"to review the Library Services Task Force report of November 2001
and to make recommendations to improve library services/facilities in
Orange County specifically related to the expansion of the Central
library in Hillsborough. and the branch library in (:arrboro.
"Potential areas of study far the Task Force were: 1) pursue ca-
lacation of a new facility for the Central Library in Hillsborough with
the Orange county campus of Durham Technical Community college
scheduled to open in Fa112006, and 2) possibly combine C'arrboro
library operation of a Cybrary and the McDaugle Branch Library,"
Members of the Task Farce were: Barbara Baker, DTCG; Bridget Booher, Friends of the
Orange County Public Library; Keith Caok, At-Large; Evelyn Daniel, Library Services
Task Force 2001; Amy Efland, Hyeoneechee Board of Trustees; Mike Gering, Town of
Hillsboz'augh; Barry Jacobs, Board of Orange County Commissioners; Jessica Kem,
Chapel Hill Public Library Board of Trustees; Senator Ellie Kinnaird, At-Large; Nerys
Levy, Friends of the Carrboro Library; Diana McDuffee, Carrboro Board of'Aldermen;
Heidi Perry, Friends of'the Carrboro Library; Jeffrey Schmitt, At-Large; Brenda
Stephens, Director ofHyconeechee Library System; Lisa Stuckey, CHCCS; Kathleen
Thompson, Director of the Chapel Hill Public Library; James Ward, Town of Chapel
Hill.
Commissioner Barry Jacobs convened the first meeting and reviewed the charge and
informed the group that the task force recommendations were to be completed and
submitted by October 2004.. Evelyn Daniel was elected chair.
All meetings were held at the Central Library conference room in the Whiffed facility.
May 18, 2004
June 7, 2004
,Tune 28, 2004
July 6, 2004 -Consultant with Library Director
.Tiny 12, 2004 -Consultant with LSTF members
July 20, 2004 -Orange County Library Staff met with the Consultant
July 26, 2004 -with Consultant
August 9, 2004 -with Consultant
August 18, 2004 -Archival Task Force, subcommittee of the LSTF
September 7, 2004 -with Consultant
September 20, 2004 -with Consultant
October 12, 2004
~O
In June 2004, the BOCC approved hiring a library consultant to provide
recommendations on the size needed for a library headquarters facility for Grange County
and guidelines on co-locating library facilities using professional library standards and
community needs, Dale Caddis, retired Director of Durham County Public Library was
engaged as the consultant. Her final report was delivered on September .30, 2004 and is
attached.
The Task Farce members and consultant have thoroughly investigated the charge and
reviewed the consultant's report and recommendations. Members have worked very
diligently to provide this report in a short period of time.
Below ar'e the recommendations that we are making:
1) That Orange County adopt a fang range library facility plan that takes into
consideration the needs of the entire county and is based on 20 year population
projections, (Long-Range Libr aty Facility Plarttring, Recon:mettdatiatt #1, pgs 11-13)
2) That the Orange County Public Library develop a comprehensive 3 - 5 year strategic
action plan that places priority on achieving a vision of countywide equitable library
services and resources for all citizens of Orange County. (Long-Rattge Libraryy Facility
Planning, Reconunettdation #l, pg 1.3)
:3) That a new Orange County Central Library be constructed in the vicinity of
Hillsborough, a central location for the County, The recommended size range of the
facility is between 30,000 - 65,000 square feet based on the equations provided by the
consultant using design population estimates for 2025. (Long-Rattge Z,ibt~aty Facility
Plattttittg, Reconuttendatiot: #3, pgs 13-17)
Pursuant to our charge, the Task Force investigated the advantages and disadvantages
of a ca-heated facility on the DTCC site in Waterstone.
Advantages:.
- The site is centrally located and would be convenient to the needs of'the
total county population;
- A substantial synergy between DTCC students and county residents would
be realized;
- The tax burden would be reduced through facility cost sharing and co-use
of the land;
- Users of fihe new facility would have access to a larger, broader collection.
Public library patrons would have access to other DTCC resources;
students would have access to a significantly larger collection;
- The dual collections of a combined public and canrmunity college library
would etuich the experience of students in the proposed middle college
high school program;
Disadvantages:
- There are unresolved issues related to DTCC restrictions /expectations
about maximum square footage far a new library facility;
- Concerns have been expressed about the loss of the Orange County Public
Library from Central Hillsborough;
If a new central library is constructed at Waterstone, the Taslc Force recommends that a
library presence continue in central Hillsborough in conjunction with the proposed
Orange County Heritage Center (see recommendation S below).
4} That the Carrboro Library Workgroup recommendations be supported and that a
southwest regional branch library be established combining the collections, staff, and
services presently located at McDougle Middle School Carrboro Branch and the Century
Center Cybrary~ This branch should be centered in the town of Carrboro. (Long-Ravage
Libr°aty Facility Planni~tg, Recommendation #4, pg 17)
5) That an Orange County Heritage Center be establislz.ed to make accessible the local
history materials now located in the central library as well as appropriate materials from
other archival collections in the county such as froze NG Room of the Orange County
Public Library, Burwell School, Carrboro Branch Library archives, Orange Caunty
Historical Museum, and Hillsborough Historical Society, The Orange County Public
Library currently holds $120,000 in a NC Collection Endowment fund for use as a capital
contribution toward this facility. (Long-Range Library Facility Planning,
Recommendation #3, pg 16)
6) That the Chapel Hill Public Library be recognized as a significant partner in, and
primary service provider af, library services to southeastern Orange County.. (Lo~rg-
Range Lib~•a~y Facility Planning, Recommendatiart #8, pg 19)
7} That the Orange County Public Library establish a branch library to serve the central
west area of the county centered on Cheeks Township, that will accommodate the future
population growth of this area over the next 10 - 20 years A possible synergy might be a
co-located facility with Middle School #.3 ofthe Orange Caunty school system,. (Long-
Rarrge Lib~~a~y Facility Planning, Reeomrrrefldation #S, pgs 17-I8)
8} That the population in the northwest area of the county centered on Cedar Grove
Township be served by the Cedar Grove Branch Library in the Northern Orange County
Human Services Center. This branch library needs to be monitored and plans be
considered to expand the library facility in the future. (Long-Rarrge Libr°ary Facility
Planning, Recorrzl~:entlatio~z #d', pg 18)
9) That the rural community be evaluated for the establishment of cybraries or small
branch librazies to provide access to library resources at these mare distant sites. (Long-
Range Lib~•a~y Facility Planrtiftg, Recommendation #7, pgs I5-19)
These recommendations were approved by the Library Services Taslc Force Members an
October 12, 2004.
Grange ~~unty ~'ulblic Ililbrary
Long-Range Library Facility
Planning
r.T~lrUllg~'1 ~Q2~
Dale Gaddis
Library Gansuitanfi
9epfiennber 2004
vi
Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction
Findings
^ Library Systems Serving Orange County
a Disparities and lnadequacies of Library Service
^ Orange County Demographic Trends
^ Effect of Chapel Hill Public Library on Countywide Library Development
^ Access to Orange County Historic Resources
Recommendations
^ Adoption of Long-Range Library Facility Flan
a Proposed Population Criteria for Facility Design
^ Strategic Planning
^ Construction of New Orange County Central Library
^ Facility Size
^ Location in Waterstone Development
^ Joint Use Library with DTCC
• Orange County Heritage Center
• Hillsborough Cybrary or Neighborhood Branch
^ Construction of New Carrboro/Southwest Regional Library
^ Establislunent of Branch Library to Serve Cheeks Township
^ Monitoring of Growth of Cedar Grove
^ Use of Rural Community Nodes as Outreach Sites
^ Recognition of Chapel Hill Fublic Library as Significant Paztner
Appendices
^ A: Orange County Libraty Facilities -Space Planning Spreadsheet
^ B: Service and Space Needs Summary- Central Library
^ C: Proposed Orange County Central Library-Square Footage by Area
^ D: Meeting Notes Regarding Proposed Joint Use Facility with DTCC
^ E: Space Needs Summary -Heritage Center/Cybrary
^ F: Space Needs Summary - Can:boro/Southwest Regional Branch
^ G: Space Needs Summary - Efland-Cheeks Branch
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Cfrange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
Executive Summaary
Irr January, 2004, the Orange County Board of Commissioners appointed a Library Services
Task Force to review the recommendations aprevious task force had submitted to the County
in 2001 regarding library services and to "subsequently make recommendations to improve
library services and facilities specifically related to the expansion ofthe 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 Farce began its work in May and contracted with library consultant Dale Gaddis in
July to assist with needs assessment and development of recommendations.
It became very evident from the outset of the work of the Taslt Force that the
recommendations for the central library and the Carrboro facility needed to be part of a larger
vision for the county as a whole. As a result, the recommendations being presented are more
comprehensive in scope than originally requested, Details are submitted only for the areas of
priority identified in the charge from the Board of County Commissioners; however, if the
County is to be successful in addressing these areas, it is important for the County and library
administration to recognize and address the broader planning issues,.
Srrnurrnry of Significant Findings
^ The population of~the county as a whole values education and is supportive of library
services, but it is confused by the current system of library governance and funding
responsibilities.
^ The development of library services for Orange County residents has been
fragmented at best, resulting in great disparity in the level of library services provided
throughout the county.
^ The facilities and resources of the Orange County Public Library system are
significantly below the standard required to provide effective public library services.
Library staff has been creative and resourceful in "malting do" with very limited
resources,.
^ The population is growing at a high rate, with signif cant growth in the number of
older residents arzd residents moving here from other countries, The central library
has not been enlarged in over 20 years, despite the growth in population during the
same period.
^ The residents of the county depend heavily on the Chapel HiII Public Library to
supplement the resources of the Orange County Library for their library needs, The
presence of this library, operated by a separate jurisdiction, affects the planning of
countywide library services.
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Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning I j
^ Orange County is proud of its history and rich in historic resources that are preserved
by a number of institutions in Hillsborough, including the public library. Public
access to these resources is limited, however.
Recorunte~rdations
1. That Orange County adopt a long range library facility plan as proposed in this
document, which takes into consideration the needs of the entire county and 20 year
population projections,
2. That the Orange County Public Library develop a comprehensive 3-S year strategic
action plan, which places priority on achieving a vision of countywide library service
and .continues to address the inequities in service and resources available in the
county,
.3. That a new Orange County Central Library be constructed adjacent to or within the
Town of Hillsborough. The proposed library would continue to serve as headquarters
for the Hyconeechee Regional and Orange County Library systems and serve as a
reference services center for the county as a whole, as well as provide general public
library services, programs, and collections serving all ages. It is estimated that given
the current 20-year population projections and a design population of 100,000, a
65,000 square foot facility would be needed.
^ That the County pursue locating the proposed facility in the Waterstone
development
^ That the proposed library provide library services for students of Durham
Technical Community CoIlege, depending on further negotiations between the
County and DTCC
• That an Orange County Heritage Center be established in Hillsborough's historic
district to make accessible the Local history materials now located in the central
library as well as appropriate materials from other archival collections in the
coluzty
^ That, if the proposed central library is located outside of downtown Hillsborough,
the Heritage Center include neighborhood branch library services for the residents
of downtown Hillsborough, including Internet Access, a small popular collection
and children's materials for check-out, and children's programs
4. That the Orange County Public Library combine the collections, staff; and services.
presently located at McDougle Middle School aild the Century Center, and establish
one branch library facility to serve the Tawn of Can:boro, western unincorporated
areas of the Chapel Hill Township, and the southern area of Bingham Township. It is
estimated that given the current 20-year population projections and a design
population of 40,000, a newly constructed facility of 25,000 square feet would be
needed.
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Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Pianning
5. That the Orange County Public Library establish a branch library to serve Cheeks
Township, its size dependent on the timing of the opening of the library and
subsequent changes in population projectians for the township. It is estimated that,
given the current 20-year population projectians, a newly constructed facility of
10,000 square feet would be needed., The Library should continue to investigate co-
lacation in the new Efland-Cheeks Middle School in the short terns if public library
user service needs and space requirements can be met with that arrangement.
6. That the population growth in the Cedar Grove Township be monitored and plans be
considered to expand the library facility in the Orange County Services Center as
indicated.
7.. That rural community nodes be evaluated for the establishment of cybraries to
provide access to more distant librazy resources; ar, alternatively, reestablish
boolanabile service with Internet access to county areas not served by an accessible
library facility.
That the Chapel Hi11 Public Library be recognized as a significant partner in the
provision of librazy services to the County.
^ That the allocation of County funds to the Chapel Hill Library reflect the role of
that Library in providing county services.
^ That a study be undertaken to determine the feasibility of,joint computer
operations of the Orange County Library System with the Chapel Hill Public
Library,
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Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
Introduction
In January, 2004, the Orange County Board of Coznmissianers appointed a Library Services
Task Force to review the recommendations aprevious 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 Cazrboro.." Specific areas of interest were the potential for ea-location of a
new central facility with the Orange County campus of Durham Technical Community
College (DTCC) and combining the operations of Canboro'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 far Orange Caunty archival repository
^ Linking of all public libraries in Orange County, including the Chapel Hill Public
Library, technologically
The Library contracted with Dale Gaddis, Libxary Consultant, in .Tiny, 2004, to assist with the
work of the Task Foz~ce, 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 Caunty
within the same time frame.
The Taslc Force and Consultant reviewed the work of the previous task force. The Consultant
gathered and documented for the Tas1c Force mare recent planning and statistical information
regarding Orange Caunty 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 structtiz'es. 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 Farce 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 Taslc 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
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Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
Orange County archival repository and determine resources that would be housed in such a
repository.
Findings
The 2001 Task Farce identified inequities in service in the various areas of the county and
noted that the funding level from the County was significantly below the state average. It
endorsed minimum standards for public library service and recommended policies to guide
library development. Specific recommendations included the following:
^ That the operational funding for Orange County public libraries be increased to
the state average level of funding by 2004
^ That new library projects be initiated simultaneously in the northern and southern
parts of the Caunty and be viewed as complementing rather than competing
^ That the Boards of the Hyconeechee Regional Library and Chapel Hill Public
Library meet at least annually and explore areas of cooperation
^ That an Orange County Heritage Center be built to house historic and public
records
Since 2001, operational funding has increased but it still lags behind the state average, as
noted below. A branch library has been opened in Cedar Grove and a cybrary in Carrboro.
Members ofboth the Hyconeechee and Chapel Hill Library Boards are active members of the
current Task Force. An Archival Taslt Force has been formed to pursue the establishment of
the Heritage Center.
Although there leas been progress, this study has found that significant inequities persist and
funding remains a challenge. Specific findings are as follows:
a Tlie popttlatiorr of the cauzty as a fvlioCe values edrrcatiou and is supportive of library
services, brct is carrfirsed by the crrrre~rt systeu- of Library govern:artee and firrtdirrg
respo~rsibi[ities.
This theme was reiterated a number of times in the planning meetings held with Task Force
members and library staff..
Residents of Orange County are served by three library systems: the Hyconeechee Regional
Library, the Chapel Hill Public Library, and to a minimal degree, the Central North Carolina
Regional Library, which operates the Mebane Public Library serving both Alamance and
Orange County residents of Mebane. As a result, library service planning for the county as a
whole has been fragmented, there is great disparity in the level of services provided, and the
public does not have a clear understanding of library goveznance and funding
responsibilities..
The Orange County Library system is part of the Hyconeechee Regional Library system,
which serves Orange, Caswell and Person Counties, As such, residents of Orange Caunty
have free access to the services in Caswell and Person Counties. The system receives funding
from the County, the State, and a small appropriation from the Town of Carrboro.
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Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
The jurisdiction of the Orange County Library system includes all areas of Orange County
exclusive of the Town of Chapel Hill, altlxough services are extended free of charge to
Chapel Hill residents. The system includes a central library located in a 12,650 square foot
facility in Hillsborough, the Cedar Grove Branch Library located with other Orange County
services on Highway 86N, the Carrboro Branch Library co-located with the media center in
the McDaugle Middle School, and tlae Carrboro Cybrary recently opened in downtown
Carrboro.
An analysis of registered borrowers of the Orange County Library system by township
residence in 2001 indicated that the luglzest percentage of library borrowers lived in the
Cheeks, Hillsborough, and Chapel Hill Townships, with the majority of the Chapel Hill
Township registrations representing Carrboro Library borz~awers. Furkher analysis indicates
that not only do the borrowers from Cheeks and Hillsborough represent a large percentage of
the total library borrowers, but a relatively high percentage of the total populatian of these
townships (46% and 50% respectively).
Although the central library is housed in a facility with other Orange County government
offices, it has gained an identity as "Hillsborough's library," rather than "Orange County's
Library." It is the sense of the Task Force that this identity has contributed to the lack of
understanding among tlxe public of library governance and funding responsibilities.
The progress made in the last several years to extend aiid improve services to the Town of
Carrboro has been the result of approaches from Carrboro residents directly to the Board of
Commissioners. Although the resulting services are under the auspices of the Orange County
Library administration, acompetitive tension appears to leave developed that could interfere
with library progress overall if the Caunty does not assume a more comprehensive approaclz
to library service alld facility development.
Tlie developrrreut of library services for Orar:ge Caunty residents leas Geen fragrrrented
at best, resulting irr great disparity in the level of IiGrary services provided tltrouglrorct
the carry:ty.
a Tlie, facilities and resources of the Orange Caunty .Public Library system are
sigrrifcarrtly belofv the standard required to provide effective prrGlic IiGrary services.
Library staff /ras been creative arrd resorrrcefrrl in "nrakirrg do" fvitli very lirrrited
resor~rces.
Chart #1 compares the resources available in 2002-2003 to Orange County residents from tlae
Central Library with those at the Chapel Hill Public Library and in the State as a whale,. It
demanstrates the disparity in available resources and the inadequacy ofresources in relatian
to state averages and professional standards, 2002-2003 is the most recent year that
comparative figux'es are available for North Catalina as a whole.
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Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
Chart #1: Orange County Librmy Resources Corrrpnr•erl to State Averages artd Staurlards
2002-2003
Resources Ur•arrge Cotrrtty Chapel Hill NC
Ce~riral Libra Public Libra Avera e/Grridelines
fistimated Population 71,225 50,540 8,323,375
(est.2002) total NC o ulation
Books per capita 1..01 2.75 1.88
Basic Standard = 2
Reader'seats/1,000 .88 1.8 Not Available
po ulation Prof: Standard = 3-5
Full-time equivalent .27 1.22 1
staff/2,000 po ulation
S uare foota a/ca ita .18 .S4 Standard = .65
Registet'ed 19.8% 50% 50%
borrowers/% of
population
Circulation er ca ita 2.02 15.55 5.38
Library income per $10.12* X38..40 $18..88
ca ita
Local Government $8.16* $33.03 (Town & $15.55
revenues er ca ita Coun )
*Tncludes funds to support the Carrboro and Cedar Grove Libraries
Despite a number of very positive attributes of the Orange County Library -the quality,
creativity and initiative of library staff, its programs and outreach efforts, and its local history
collection, among others -- facility space, staffing levels and collection size are significantly
below average and do not come close to meeting professional standards.
Steps have been taken in the last several years to extend services beyond the central library,
including opening the Carrbora Libraz'y, the recent opening ofthe Carrboro Cybrary, and the
opening of the Cedar Grove Library. The library administration has made a concerted effort
to find creative and collaborative ways to offer library services and utilize existing space,.
These steps have helped to bring the system a bit closer to the North Carolina average both in
resources available and in per capita use, but the system still lags significantly behind the
norm. Still using the estimated population in 2002 as a basis {i.e. not adjusting for population
increase since then):
• Space per capita has risen to .31 square feet
• Books per capita has risers to 1.2
• Reader seats per capita has risen to 2.97 (the Carrboro Branch has 120 reader seats
compared to G.3 at the central library)
• Librazy card registration as a percentage of population has risen to 30.6% (current
year f gures)
• Total library income per capita for 2004-2005 has risen to $12,02
• Local revenues (Orange County and Carrbora) has risen to $11.04 per capita
o Tlie population is grorvisg at a ltigh rate, with siguificaut growth in ilre rrrr-uber of
older r•esidertis and residents r~toving Here frorrr other cort-:tries. Tlie central library Irtts
l~
9
~~
Orange C:aunty Library Lang-Range Facility Planning
not been enlarged irr aver 2D years, despite tl:e groivtlr irr popudation daring the same
periarT
Orange~County's current central library facility was opened in 1981; since that time the
population exclusive of the Town of Chapel Hill has grown 59°/a from 45,017 to 71,429 in
2000, with na expansion of the library.. Even in 1981, the facility did not meet the standard
for an adequately sized central library.
Looking forward over the next 20 years, the total population of the county is projected to
grow to approximately 170,000, with an estimated 65,400 of this population residing in the
town of Chapel Hill. This will bring the service population of the Orange County Public
Library system to mare than 100,000.
!"Ihnrt~f2• Pnm~lntinn Prniertinn~_ 2000-2025 (Linear Analysis)
Townshi /Munici alit 2000 2010 2020 2025
BINGHAM 6,181 7,295 8,408 9,000
CEDAR. GROVE 4,930 5,812 6,694 7,150
CHAPEL HILL 79,274 93,625 107,976 115,350
Town of Carrboro 16,782 21,415 26,047 28,400
Town of Chapel Hill 46,798 54,178 61,558 65,400
Unincorporated 15,694 1$,033 20,371 21,550
CHEEKS 7,064 8,186 9,307 9,900
EI`~TO 6,092 6,913 7,734 8,150
HILLSBOROUGH 11,639 13,159 14,679 15,450
Town of Hillsborough 5,446 6,660 7,873 8,500
Unincorporated 6,193 6,500 6,806 6,950
LITTLE RIVER 3,047 3;824 4,601 5,000
TOTAL COUNTY 118,227 138,814 159 399 170,000
Source: Orange County Planning Department (ZUZS figures extrapoiatea aycansunanr rrom rota altu two Nlujt:cuulla~
Other demographic trends of particular note for Orange County library planning include the
growth f gures by age and the growth of the Hispanic population. The population of the
county is aging, with the highest percentage growth figures occurring in the 45-59 age range
(baby boomers). This population in 2000 represented 17,6% of the total population, up from
11,9% in 1990. The juvenile population from 5-14 also is growing faster than the overall
average, as is the population over 75~
Ian 2000, fine Hispanic population represented 4.5% of the total population, up from less than
one percent in 19$0. In 2000, 12.3°/a of Carrbaro's population was Hispanic. The "Shaping
Orange County's Future" study projected that the Hispanic population will increase to 9% of
the total population by 20:30. The Asian population likewise is growing; in 2000, it
represented 4.1% of the total population.
o Tlie residerrfs afYlte corer:ty depend heavily orr the Chapel Hill Public Library to
srrpplenrerrt the resources of the Orange Cararty Library for their Library needs. Tlie
10
Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
presence of tJ:is library, operated by a separate, jurisdiction, affects the planrrirrg of
cortntyfvide Jibrary services.
A contributing factor to the fragmented approach to countywide library service development
is the presence of an independent municipal library serving a significant portion of the
population, the Town of Chapel Hill. The Chapel Hill Public Library is funded by the Town
with a supplemental appropriation from Orange County and a per capita appropriation from
the State. It operates out of one 27,319 square foot facility an Estes Drive. The Town
recently passed a bond referendum to expand the library facility to 75,000 square feet.
The Chapel~Hill Library offers services free of charge to all residents of Orange County..
Analyses of the Chapel Hill registration and circulation records conducted in 2001 indicated
that 4.3% of registered borrowers lived outside of the Town of Chapel Hill, wifih the majority
of these in Canrboro and South Orange County (Ruth O'Donnell, Chapel Hill Public Library
Five Year Services Plan: ZD41-2006 ar:d Lang Ter»~ Facility Needs Through 2010, page 11).
In determining the proposed size for' the expanded library facility, the Library tools into
account the use coming from these residents outside of the Chapel Hill town limits. It is
important that Orange County take into account the contributions this library and the Town
of Chapel Hill are making to serve the southern area of Orange County as it proceeds with
plans for library service development in other areas of'the county. The residents ofGhapel
Hill could have a significant impact an the County's ability to move forv~ard with these
plans,
o Orange Cottrrty is prortd of its Iristory and rich in historic resources tl:at are preserved
by a rrnruber of irrstitrrtiorrs irr HiJJsbororrglr, incJrtdirrg the prrbJic library. PrrbJzc access
to these resources is Jirrrited, ltorvever.
Orange County was established in 1852, acid Hillsborough is presently celebrating its 250`"
anniversary. The area was the center of political activity during the Colonial and
Revolutionary War years and is the location of many historical buildings and sites, The
community has placed priority on collection and preservation of'llistorical materials.. The
Hillsborough Historical Society, the Orange County Historical Museum, the Burwell School
historic site, the Alliance far' Historic Hillsborough, and the Public Library all maintain
collections of historical materials. Public access to these materials, however, is limited. Even
in rile public library, not all of the materials are cataloged and dedicated assistance with the
collection is available only with the help of a weekly volunteer.
~2.ecomrnendations
a That Orange Cortrrty adopt a long range library, facility plan as proposed in this
docrurrent, yvlriclr taJces into consideration the -:eeds of the entire corurty and ZO-year
paprrlatiorr projections.
Irt planning for new library facilities, it is recommended that total county access to services
be considered and that the resources of the Chapel Hill Library be taken into account. It
ig
11
Orange County Library Lang•Range Facility Planning
should be made clear to the residents what the overall plan is as parts of it are implemented
and how they will be served by the plan regardless of the location of their residence. It is also
important that the facilities and resources be part of a coordinated system of services and that
the public be made aware of the connections among t17e libraries.
It is also recommended that, optimally, 20-,year population projections be used in
determining locations and sizes of facilities. Buildings should be built to accommodate
growth in collections and services as the population grows over the life oftl7e building.
Moreover, it often takes S years or more from the time a plan is conceived until a building is
opened, thereby reducing t17e planned growth allowance for the completed facility.
The consultant has proposed the following facilities to serve the projected Orange County
population, with suggested design populations far each facility:
^ Central Grange County Library
o The recommended design population is 100,000. This figure was determined
by taking the 2025 projected population for the entire county and subtracting
the projected population of the Town of Chapel Hill. Alternatively, if the
following facility is designed as recommended and serves as a regional
reference center, the central library design population could be reduced to
65,000.
^ Regional Branch Library Located in Carrboro
a It is proposed that t17is facility be designed to serve the Town of'Carrbaro,
western areas of the Chapel Hill Township, and the southern area of Bingham
Township. It is also acknawiedged that t17e branch will liltely experience use
by residents of northern Chatham County_ The resulting recommendation is
that the design population be 40,000. This figure was determined by taking the
2025 projected population for the Town of Carrboro and adding 25% of the
projected population of the unincorporated areas of the Chapel Hill Township,
50% of the Bingham Township and 1,600 residents of Chatham County.
^ Branch Library to Serve Cheeps Township
o The recoxrunended design population is 10,000, the projected 2025 population
of the tawnsl7lp.
^ Chapel Hill Public Library
o The Town of Chapel Hill has already approved the expansion of the current
library facility to serve a design population of 93,000. This figure was
determined by taking the projected 2025 population of the Town of Chapel
Hill and adding 32% of the projected populations of the Chapel Hill Township
outside of the town limits and of the Bingham Township (Robert H. Rohlf;
Chapel Hill Prtblic l,zbrary: Recorrnr:ended Libr°ary Building Pr•agrarrr, p.ii).
^ Cedar Grave Branch Library
o Although this plan does not include a recommendation to expand the Cedar
Grove Library, it should be noted that the projected 2025 population is 7,150.
The Orange County Library should continue to monitor demographic trends in
this area of the county and expand services as necessary to respond to the
growth.
I ~i
12
Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning . `~ b
NB: These figures include overlap, in recognition that residents will likely use znoz•e than
one facility because of complementary services and ease of access to their particular
residence,
a Tltat the Orange County Public Library develop a conrprelrerrsive 3-5 year strategic
action plan, which places priority arr achieving a vision of cornrtyrvide library service
acrd contirrrres to address the inequities in service and resources available in the
CO/rtrty.
This particular study and its recommendations focus on facilities, not on resources and
services. A major finding in this study (and in the 2001 study) is that facilities and the size of
staff and collections are inadequate to serve .the population outside of Chapel Hill, A strategic
planning process to develop an action plan to address inadequacies in resources and to
establish service priorities over the next three to five years as new facilities are developed is
an essential step that should begin very soon.
o Tliat a new Orar:ge County Central Library be corrstrrrcted adjacent to or zvitlrin the
Town of Hiltsbororrglr. The proposed library'fvould continue to serve as headquarters
for the Hycorreecliee Regional and Orange C'orrnty Library systems and serve as a
reference services center, for the county, as well as provide general public library
services, pragranrs, and collections serving all ages. It is estimated that given t1:e
cnrrerrt 20 year population projections mrd a design population of 100,000, a 65,000
square foot facility would be needed:
^ Tlrat the County prrrsrre locating the proposed facility irr the Waterstone
development
^ Tlrat tl:e proposed library provide library services for strrdeuts of Drrrl:aru
Technical Corrtrurrnity College, deper:rling au frrrtlier negotiations between the
County and DTCC
^ Tliat an Orange County Heritage Center be established in Hzllsbororrgh's historic
district to make accessible the local history materials now located in the central
library as well as apprapr•iate rrraterials franc other archival collections irr the
county.
^ Tliat, if t/ie proposed cerrtr•a1 library is located outside of rlowntorvrr Hillsborortgli,
the Heritage Center include rreiglrborltood branch library services for the residents
of downtoivrt Hillsborough: Internet access, a small popular coltectiorr acrd
children's materials for check-orrt, and clrildrerr's programs.
There is an immediate need for a new headquarters library facility for Orange County that
also serves as the central library providing in-depth reference resources as well as general
public library services. As mentioned, the existing facility was too small when it opened 2.3
years ago. Deficiencies cited during the planning process included, among others, lack of
shelving space (for atoo-small collection), shelving too high for children, cramped space that
interferes with work efficiency and public comfort, inadequate restroam facilities, and
structural weakness 1zmiting usability of space. Parking is limited, inconvenient, and unsafe.
The facility is on aloud-locked site with no room for expansion.
13
Orange County L.i6rary Long-Range Facility Planning
Facilit~Size
In determining the proposed size of the facility, its proposed functions were talten into
account as well as the design population, The consultant used two methods to determine the
size: a formula-based worksheet designed by Anders Dahlgren, recognized library building
consultant, and a more detailed worksheet, prepared by the consultant, which allocates space
to library functions and areas. In each case, a basic set of requirements was used that was
determined by considering the design population and North Carolina standards, including
needs and desires identified in planning sessions, addressing needs of Durham Technical
Community College students, looking at statistics for other libraries in the state, and
reviewing the building program for the Chapel Hill Public Library.. See Appendix A.,
Standard guidelines for space allocation were applied to these requirements. Appendix $
summarizes space requirements using Dahlgren's worksheet. The spreadsheet in Appendix C
breaks down the space by function and provides a tool for applying alternative space and
service scenarios..
Both calculation methods used indicate that a building of approximately 65,000 square feet
would be required to serve through the year 2025. The consultant also calculated the
required size for the alternative design population of 65,000, mentioned on page 12, Using
this scenario, a facility of at least 48,000 square feet would be required.
Location in the Waterstone Development
The County Commissioners requested that tl~e Taslc Force investigate the possibility of co-
locating apublic library on land being purchased for the Orange County Center of~Durham
Technical Community College.
The location in Waterstone Development offers a number of advantages. The location is less
than thuree miles from the present central library facility. It is in an area targeted for
development by the Orange County Plaruiir-g Department and will be accessible using public
transportation. The development plan includes single family and multi-family 1lousing,
offices, a day care center, a continuing care retirement center, retail establishments,
restaurants, and a hotel.. Users could walls and bicycle to the library from the homes and
businesses in the development, The area already is a destination point far Orange County
residents due to nearby retail establislunents. The Waterstone development will bolster that
identity. A library in such a location has the potential for heavy use, The presence of DTCC's
Orange County Center would contribute an additional built-in user population of community
college faculty and students. Also planned is a "middle college," with a student population of
100-150 high school students, another built-in user population..
A very vocal concern expressed during planning sessions about the Waterstone site, is that it
would remove the library, a significant public amenity, from its downtown Hillsborough
location contributing to Hillsborough's becoming "a dougluaut community;" i.e. empty in the
center with all attractions on the perimeter. This concern is addressed with the
recommendation to co-locate a neighborhood branch library with the proposed Orange
County Heritage Center if the central library is constructed in Waterstone,
a~
14
Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
~a
Joint Use Library
Durham Technical Community College has approved the purchase of twenty acres of land in
the Waterstone Development for an Orange County Center. The County Commissioners have
proposed a faint use library facility far that site. The consultant has identified a number of
advantages of this arrangement, but also has discovered that it may not serve well the long-
term needs of either institution nor fulfill Commissioner expectafiions regarding financial
savings.
hn addition to adding abuilt-in user population of faculty and students, the library's location
at DTCC's Orange County Center offers these advantages:
® The County may not have to purchase a separate site for a new library
^ The College could possibly contribute towards the operation of the proposed library
(although the amount would require negotiation)
^ The collection required to support the proposed curriculum of the local campus is
typically found in public library collections, so the need to duplicate resources would
be reduced
^ Students would have direct access to a larger, broader library collection than would
otherwise be available at the center
^ Resour'ces purchased specifically to support the curriculum would be available to the
general public
• Communication between faculty and public library staff could be enhanced
^ The library could potentially have access to other resources at the Center (e.g.
classroom and meeting space; student internships}
A number of significant concerns and questions regarding the co-location proposal have
surfaced, however, and would need to be addressed as plans proceed:
^ A major concern for the college is the space that might be required for the public
library facility and its impact on availability of land for future expansion of the
community college
• Likewise, expansion acreage far the public library would be limited (even if a library
facility were to be built that is smaller than the recommended size, land for future
expansion should be available)
• There is a possibility that perceived financial benefits and savings of the arrangement
will not be fulfilled
o A question mark exists as to whether the land on which a public library
constructed by the Caunty can be considered part of the required County
match for the State bond funding for the college, especially considering the
suggested size of the library facility
o The College is currently using its North Durham Center as the model Far
determining operational costs it would consider helping to underwrite; this
model will need to be reviewed in light of actual needs once tl~e library
becomes operational
^ Students will expect resources and services not normally offered in a public library
setting so the Library will need to plan for them (e.g. class reserve collections,
bibliographic instruction classes, etc„)
• The library must be sufficiently staffed to be able to serve the needs of bath the
general population and the college population
15
a3
Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
The design of the facility should take into account the different needs of the various
user populations, so that all will feel welcome
Appendix D summarizes a discussion with the Vice President of DTCC_: regarding same of
the above issues and specific, requirements the Library would need to fulfill in its role as a
community college library.
Orange County Heritage Center
The 2001 Library Task Force recommended the establislunent of an Orange County Heritage
Center to consolidate and preserve historical materials and to make them readily accessible to
researchers,. This recommendation. is reaffirmed in this report.
If a site is selected for a new Central Library in the downtown area, it is recatrunended that
the Heritage Center be housed in that library,. If not, previous discussions identified the
location of Hassell and Try, an Streets as a preferred location. A building constructed there
and designed to reflect the historic character of the community would contribute to the appeal
of the downtown area, Another option is to locate the center in the current library facility,
thus reducing construction casts, If this option is chosen, environmental concerns must be
addressed and the facility renovated to be conducive to the preservation of archival materials.
One concern noted by staff is the amount of light coming into the main reading area,
resulting in deterioration of~printed materials.
The Archival Task Force is in the process of inventorying materials that might be housed in
tlae facility. The types of materials already identified include books, periodicals, various
types of primary and secondary historic documents, maps, photographs, and organizational
records. Other possible resources include video and audio recordings, including collections
of oral history, In addition to housing the resources, the facility will require staff and
materials processing space, space for researchers, gathering spaces for sympasiurns and
speakers, display areas, and security including lockers far visitors' bags.
A private trust fund in the amount of approximately $120,000 is available to support the
North Carolina Collection ofthe public library and could be applied to the establislnnent of
this center.
Hillsbarou~h C brarw or' Neighborhood Branch
It is also recommended that, if a new central library is constructed outside of the downtown
area, the Heritage Center house a small neighborhood branch library to serve residents of
downtown Hillsborough. A substantial number of the current users of the Orange County
Library live downtown and value being able to walk to the facility. In addition, it would offer
service convenience to users of the Heritage Center and the opportunity for shared staff,
program room, and equipment.
It is estimated that a facility of 8,000 to 10,000 square feet would optimally serve both of
these functions (see Appendix E); however, a final determination on size depends on
decisions still to be made regarding the materials to be housed in the Heritage Center and the
goals for future collection development. A note regarding digitization of materials: rt is
lb
al~
Orange County Library Long-Range Fneiliry Planning
unlikely that space requirements will be substantially reduced by the electronic formats.:
Space-will still be required for the preservation of original valuable documents and materials
not easily digitized.
o That tke Ormrge County Public Library cornbir:e the collections, staff, and services
presently located at McDougle Middle Sclrool acrd the Century Center, arrd establislc
one branch library facility to serve tlce Toivrc of Carrboro, western rurincorporated
areas of tlce Chapel Hill Township, mrrl the sorrtltern area of Bingham Township. Xt is
estimated that given tlce current 20 year population projections, a newly constructed
,facility of ZS,000 square, feet wotttd be ueerled.
Residents of Carrboro have for many ,years depended on the Chapel Hill Public Library for
library service and have been seeking a more accessible public library facility. To respond to
these requests, the Orange County Public Library first opened a branch in the media center at
McDougle Middle School. More recently, with support from the Town of Carrboro, it has
added a Cybrary downtown to complement hours and services at the school.
Although the present facilities are innovative approaches to addressing critical needs for
library services, access and resources are limited. The public library at the Middle School
operates only during the hours school is not in session. The opening of the Cybrary is an
attempt to increase access and extend hours available, but staffing, collections, and services
are very limited.
The Carrboro Library Wozkgroup has recently recommended that astand-alone branch
library of 6,000-8,000 square feet replace these two facilities.. As the Orange County Library
Task Force reviewed this situation with the consultant, it agreed that the need for service
extends beyond the town limits of Carrboro and determined that the design population for a
new facility should include the broader region of Southwest Orange County and discussed its
potential role as a regional branch library similar to those in Walce County.
As with the central library, the consultant developed a set of basic requirements for the
branch using the proposed design population (including 20-year projections for the broader
Southwest Orange population) and identified potential functions to be accommodated in the
facility. Appendix A itemizes these requirements and functions. Appendix F calculates the
proposed size of the facility based on the set of requirements and functions. The resulting
optimal size for a newly constructed facility is 25,000 square feet.
Alternatives to constructing a facility of this size immediately include the following:
M Leasing a smaller facility and moving to larger facilities as needs indicate
^ Constructing a smaller facility but locating it on a site which has space for an
expanded facility
^ T/tat the Orar:ge County Public Library establislc a brmcclz library to serve Cheeks
Township, its size dependent on the tinrirrg of the openirsg of the library and srrbsegrrent
changes in population projections for tl:e to~vrrsliip. l't is estimated that, given the
current 20 year population projections, a newly constructed facility of Y0,000 square
17
Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
feet would' be needed. Orange County should continue to irrvestigate co-lacatiar of the
brooch in the new Eflar:d-Clieeks Middle School irr fire short term if public library riser
service creeds and space regrrirenrents can be n:ei fvitlr drat arrangement.
Cheeks Township is expected to experience considerable growth aver the next 20 years,
particularly along I-85 in the areas of Efland and Mebane. The area is home to commuters
wha warlc as far away as Greensboro in one direction and the Research Triangle Parlc in the
other. The County has targeted this area for economic and industrial development. With the
opening of new companies, residential population may exceed projections.
The 2001 Library Taslc Force identified the area as a site for a library branch. 50% of the
population of fihe Township had Orange County Library cards at that time and there was
considerable vocal support far a local branch. The Task Force then r~ecomrnended that
services be provided in alibrary co-located with the Efland Cheeks Elementary School. This
facility turned out not to be conducive to a co-located arrangement. A new Efland Cheeks
Middle School is now planned for the area with the passibility that a joint use facility be
considered during the design phase. This could provide an opportunity to address the service
needs of the township sooner rather than later; however, as with the Carrboro situation, it
may provide only an interim solution depending on file planning criteria used, Lessons
learned from the co-location experience at McDougle Middle School should be applied so
that public access is not limited: The computer system should ensure that public hibrary
patrons are part of the larger public library system and have easy access to all resources in
the system.
As with the other facilities desczibed above, the consultant developed a set of basic
requirements for this branch using a proposed design population based an 2025 projections
and potential functions to be accommodated in the facility. Appendix A itemizes these
requirements and functions Appendix G calculates the proposed size of the facility based on
the set of requirements and functions.
^ Tliat the population grafatlr in the Cedar Grove Toivnslrip be rnanitored acrd plans be
cortsirlered to erparrd fire library facility in the Orange Corrrrty Services Cer:ter as
indicated.
The Cedar Grove Library opened in 2004 in a facility pausing other Orange County services.
It serves a very rural area ofthe northenl county.. The facility is adequate to address current
demand; however, the population over a 20-year period is projected to grow to a bevel that
could warrant service expansion during this pezYOd.
^ Tlzat rural conenurnity modes be evaluated, for fire establislunerrt of cybraries to provide
access to more distant library resources; or, alternatively, reestablisle bookmobile
service with Internet access to corurty areas not served by arc accessible library facility.
The 1998 Cncidelines far Nartlr Carolina Public .Libraries recommend that 90% of the
service population be no more than a 15-minute drive from a library and that those wha lack
regular transportation to a library be served by a bookmobile oz• other outreach service. The
a~
18
Orange County Library Long-Range Facility Planning
Orange County Library currently operates an outreach service to preschools and retirement
facilities in the county.. Large areas, particularly in the northern county, are not served by
accessible facilities or outreach services. This study did not identify any particular areas that
required services, but the Planning Department has identified in its land use plan "rural
community activity nodes" whirh could provide a logical location fox future cybraries, These
nodes are defined as "land focused on designated road intersections which serves as a nodal
crossroads for the surrounding rural conununity and is an appropriate location for any of the
following uses: church, fire station, small post offrce, school, or other similar institutional
uses and one or more commercial uses.."
a Tlrat the Clrapel Hill Public Library be recognized as a sigrrifrcant partner irr the
provision of library services to the Corruty.
^ Tl:at allacatiarr of Carurty, firnds fo the Clrapel Hill ,C.ibrary reflect the role of drat
Library in providing county services.
^ That a study be urrdertakerr to determine the feasibility of joint canrputer operations
of the Orange County Library Systeu: tvitli the Clrapel Hill Frrblic Library.
The Chapel Hill Public Library has for many years bean a mainstay of library services in
Orange County and has offered services free of charge to Orange County citizens who reside
beyond the town limits. In return, Orange County has provided an annual appropriation to the
Town for the operation of the library. This appropriation currently is $250,000. In light of the
Town's plan to expand the library and its recognition in the planning that the library will
continue to serve a substantial number of residents beyond the town limits, it is important
that the County maintain and consider expanding its operational support.
The computer networking of alI of the libraries in the County would improve access to' all
resources and bring a greater sense among county residents that one's local library is part of a
larger whole. Ideally, the Chapel Hill Public Library would be included in this network. The
complexities and costs associated with combining the systems may not be feasible, however,
and require detailed study by uz expert in the field.
0(~0
19
~1CGe~~~"-~i~,~ /O/lQlb~ ,I~O~GG /t/I.n~.s o~7
debt. The ads on television are showing that new school s will be built as a result of this, and he
said that this is not true. He did not vote for this.
Commissioner Gordon asked for clarification on this. Rod Visser said that if you have a
district with a tax base of $10 mil lion, and certain improvements are made and a few years later,
the tax value goes up to $20 mill ion, the county tax rate that would be applied against the
original $10 million would still come to the general county coffers. However, the tax revenue
that would come from the increased value of $10 million would be sequestered and would be
used to pay the debt service on the bonds.
Chair Jacobs pointed out that in the New s and Observer today there were three pieces
on this. One was very critical in saying that there is not necessarily any guaranteed payback.
Commissioner Carey said that he recognizes that if this passes, the language has only
changed slightly from the past two failings and this does not require local governments to take
action, but only enables them to. He thinks Orange County would never use it because there
are other options. He recognizes t hat smaller counties may need this option. He said that the
NCACC has to represent all entities in the state and they typically support things that give
counties options. '
c. Library Services Task Force Final Report ~""
The Board received the Final Report from the Library Services Task Force and provided
feedback and direction to the Task Force and/or County Staff.
Chair Jacobs served on this task force. H e asked the members present to stand. He
introduced the Chai r of the task force, Evelyn Daniel. He said that the last time the Board
specifically visited this issue was in 2000. There were iss ues of access at that time, as well as
finance, and they were brought up short with the Governor's sequestering of funds. I t was only
this year that the branch library in Cedar Grove and the Cybrary in Carr boro were opened.
These were outgrowths of the 2000 report. He pointed out page 15 and the statement, "Orange
County's current central library facility was opened in 1981; since that time the population
exclusive of the Town of Chapel Hi II has grown 59% from 45,017 to 71,429 in 2000, w ith no
expansion of the library. Even in 1981, the facility did not meet the standard for an adequately
sized central library."
Evelyn Daniel thanked the Board for allowing her to serve on this task force. She said
that they were able to hi re a consultant, Dale Gaddis, who is the retired Director of Durham
County Public Library. She said that the task force was charged to review the November 2001
report and to recommend improvements to Orange County libraries, particularly to examine the
co-location option for a central library and to consider combining some branches in C arrboro.
The task force endorsed the minimum standard for library services from the 2001 report. The
report recommended increasing fundi ng for the central library to the state average by 2004, and
the County Commissioners were able to increase this. It is still somewhat below state average,
but it is progress.
The third recommendation was to add a library in the northern and southern parts of the
County, and this was done with the Cedar Grove branch and the Cybrary in Carrboro.
The fourth recommendation was to create an Orange County Heritage Center to collect
historical materials.. This has not yet been done.
She said that, with their consultant, they examined library services very thoroughly.
They met with a number of groups. She summarized the findings.
Findings:
- There is confusion with citizens about the current system of library governance and
funding responsibilities. There is also confusion about the Chapel H ill Library, which is
municipal, and the H illsborough library, which is a County library.
- There continues to be a disparity i n the level of library services for the population.
Members of the northern part ar a less well served than the southern part.
- The central library facility is substandard, and so there is heavy dependence on the
Chapel Hill library.
- Access to historical records is very limited.
She made reference to the substandard central library facili ty, and pointed out some
statistics. The state standard says that there should be two books per capi to in the County
library. There are only .88. The state standard says that there should be ful I-time equivalent
staff members of one for each 2,000 members of the population, and there ar a only .27. The
state guideline for the income per capita is $18.88, and in 2002 the income for the central library
was $10.12. This has been increased in 2004 t o $12.02.
She made reference to the population projections and s aid that they need to look 20
years into the future. They antici pate, from Planning Department estimates, that the popul ation
they need to plan for is 100,000. The antici pated highest growth is w ithin the ages of 45-59.
The juvenile group of 5-14 is al so growing faster than the average. The Hispani c population is
also growing.
After examining a lot of data and collecting opinions from citizens, the task force has
nine recommendations to make to the County C ommissioners:
1. Adopt along-range 20-year facility plan. This includes a new central li brary, a southwest
regional branch in Carrboro, a nor thern branch in Cedar Grove, a western branch to
serve Cheeks, and the Chapel Hil I Public Library to serve the southeast region.
2. Develop a 3-5 year strategic action plan for equitable I ibrary services and resources for
all County residents.
3. Construct a new central library in the Hil Isborough vicinity. The recommended size,
according to the consultant, is 65,000 square feet. The curreht facility is only 12,750
square feet. The task force recommends a size of betty een 30,000-65,000 square feet.
If a library were built w ithin the Waterstone development, the task force would
recommend keeping a library presence in central Hillsborough. There are many
advantages to co-locating a I ibrary with the satellite campus of Durham Tech in the
Waterstone development.
4. Establish a southwest regional branch in Carrboro. They endorse the recommendations
from the Carrboro Library Workgroup. They would like a freestanding library building
that would combine the collection, staff, and resources in the C arrboro branch library in
McDougle and the new C ybrary. The 20-year population projection would call for a
facility of 25,000 square feet.
5. Establish an Orange County Heritage Center for historical and archival material. There
is about $120,000 i n endowment funds set aside for this purpose.
6. Recognize Chapel Hill Public Library as a significant partner in providing County library
services and as the primary provider in southeastern Orange County. This would mean
maintaining the current County funding I evel of $250,000 and considering expanding this
amount.
7. Establish a branch library centered on Cheeks Township to serve the central west area.
This is on the I-85 corridor near Efland and Mebane. There is a poss ible co-location
with the new middle school #3.
8. Monitor the Cedar Grove branch library and consider possi ble future expansion.
9. Evaluate the rural community for library access, possibly through establishing cybraries
or small branch libraries. The state guidelines say that 90% of the service population
should be no more than a 15-minute drive from a library. There are areas in the County
that are farther than that.
ag
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Amy Efland served on the Library Services Task Force as a representative from the
Board of Trustees. She supports the recommendations of the task force 'as presented. She
said that the central library has served the community well, but the task force agrees that the
citizens served deserve more than a conference room with a maximum capacity of 20 people,
one bathroom for the patrons, and half of the I ibrary's audio collections stored on the floor.
They are recommending enhancement of library services to provide a solid foundation for long
learning in the County that is continually growing.
Lisa Stuckey served on the Carr boro Library Task Force as well as the Orange County
Library Task Force. She was the C hapel Hill-Carrboro City School Boar d liaison. She supports
the report. She thinks that the middl a college program at Durham Tech would be a wonderful
thing.. She said that the committee as a whole w as concerned about moving the library out of
downtown H illsborough. They saw that a way to resolve this dilemma was to have a small
library presence within downtown Hillsborough attached to the Orange County Heritage C enter.
She said that she is a constant user of the library and she is grateful that the County is looking
into this.
Jeff Schmidt complimented Evelyn Daniel for a job wel I done. He said that it is all
about the quality of life i n Orange County. He said that the Board of County Commissioners
and their predecessors have done a lot of wonderful things to bring Orange County to the
forefront and to provide a quali ty of life. He thinks this is a fair and balanced report. He thinks
the services provided presently are not representative of what the County C ommissioners would
like to see the citizens have available to them.
Rachel Royce is a mother of a three-year old that loves the library. Her son is also bi-
lingual (Spanish and E nglish). She said that they were concerned that the county library may
be moving because they can walk there. The toddler hour is very important to them to meet
other people and to use the library. She said that her son is cone erned that the library stays
strong. She read a letter on behalf of some concerned citizens as follows:
19 October 2004
To the Board of County Commissioners:
The matter of relocating the Orange County Central Librar y out of the county seat in downtown
Hillsborough, as has been recently proposed by t he Library Task Force, has rightly alarmed
many county residents. How ever, we are not categorically opposed to all plans for county
library expansion - or even relocation.
Like many of our downtown neighbors and county resident friends, we beli eve that Orange
County's Central Library belongs in the administrative and geographic hub of Orange County -
in downtown Hillsborough, the 250 year-old county seat. A library is "the soul of the community"
and rightly belongs in the body of the town. The library in H illsborough has been a centerpiece
of the town for decades; relocati ng it altogether or diminishing i t greatly would tarnish the
traditional townscape and also erode community vitality. Let us learn from the sad examples of
other historic town centers that have suffered the effects of sprawl sapping the life out of them.
However, we recognize that the C entral Library has expansion needs that may exceed the
capacity of the Whiffed Center. We are also aware that, should the Whiffed Center be upgraded
and enlarged for this purpose, it w ould likely generate significant additional traffic in the historic
3a
district. Thus, if the county's Central Library functions are indeed to be moved out of town, w e
propose the following:
John Delconte finished reading the 1 etter from this point.
That a full service Neighborhood Library be created to replace the Central Library, and
that such a facility include a full complement of books, newspapers, magazines,
computer terminals, a community meeting room, and other amenities necessary to serve
the county's adults and children in downtown Hillsborough.
That an Orange County Heritage Center be established alongside the Neighborhood
Library in which documents, maps, photographs, and other items relevant to the history
of Hillsborough and Orange County can be brought together under one roof in a
centralized, state-of--the-art facility.
We believe it is essential that these two facilities be co-located in the current Central Library
building. This structure, amuch-loved former school, has occupied a commanding presence in
the townscape since 1922. It i s the very essence of civic architecture, and one of the I andmarks
that gives Hillsborough such a powerful sense of place.
If the needs of Orange County require tha t the Central Library be relocated to a suburban site,
establishing a Neighborhood Library and Heritage Center would both ease the I oss to our
community and assure that providing f or Orange County's continued growth does not end up
imperiling the tow n where it all began:
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Campanella
John Delconte
Mary Ann Peter .
Holly Reid
Rachel Royce
Cathleen Turner
John Delconte said that he came across H illsborough in the late-90's and was
immediately attracted to i is centrality, cohesiveness, and compactness . He felt that this
community was such a jewel that he has worked on several committees and boards to preserve,
and if possible, to improve its vitality. For example, he currently serves on an economic
development task force to improve the quality of li fe in the County. One of the priorities is t o
work to improve urban vitality by keeping a full functioning library in the center of the highest
population center in the northern par t of the County. He said that the current library is a
downtown meeting space that serves as the soul of the County, a centralized full functioning
library space, and an urban center where all walk s of life can come together. He said that
moving the library to an affluent suburb would result i n a net decrease in services to the people
that need it most.
Commissioner Gordon asked staff to run cost figures for the recomm endations of the
task force and the potential sources of revenue.
Commissioner Halkiotis suggested putting thi s on the upcoming agenda for the
discussion of space needs. He agrees with the recommended size of a central library. He said
that they have known for a long time that they do not pay as much attention to delivery of library
services in Orange County as they should. H e also thinks the County should have discussions
~~
with the Town of Hillsborough about contributions to the library. He thinks the report is right on
the money. He agrees that there should be a presence in dow ntown, but this space is
inadequate. He is embarrassed at the level of services provided, in comparison with other
counties that are not as resourceful as Orange County.
Commissioner Carey sai d that he appreciates that the first recommendation is a long-
range plan. He thanked the tas k force.
Commissioner Brown said that one group that has put the need for li braries in Orange
County always in the forefront is the Friends of the Carrboro Library. When she read the report
she thought about what the vision is of the Board of County C ommissioners. She has always
felt that the County should increase the contributi on to the Chapel Hil I Library. She would like
for Chapel Hill to see it as a collaborative effort with the County. She would also I ike the school
systems to be more collaborative.
Commissioner Gordo n said that it was fair to say that the County C ommissioners are
committed to quality of life issues, and the library is one of those. The Boar d will take the
recommendations very seriously .
Chair Jacobs said that there has been a lot of collaboration. H e noted that Carrboro,
who in the past has been rather stingy in its contributions, has stepped up wonderfully with the
Cybrary and has been a complete partner in funding. He agrees that Hillsborough needs to
decide how serious it is about library services. He has always thought that there should be a
branch library and a her itage center in downtown Hil Isborough. He thinks the Board can start to
look at this in terms of space needs and tal k about who is going to work on the long-range plan.
John Link confirmed that the Board wanted to have this as an item for discussion on
October 25`h as part of the discussion of looking at the funding policy for capital. He said that, if
you take 40,000 square feet for a proposed library, not taking into ac count where it would be,
and multiplied it by $150 per square foot, it would be $6 mill ion.
8. Public Hearings
a. Orange County Hazard Mitigation Plan -Public Hearing and Decision
The Board held a public hearing and considered adoption of the Orange County Hazard
Mitigation Plan and directing staff to submit it to the State in compliance with the November 1,
2004 deadline..
Planning Director Craig Benedict introduced Per dita Holtz, Planner in the Planning
Department, who has been heading up thi s project for about a year and working with the towns
and Emergency Management Services.
Perdita Holtz said this is a joint effort with the Towns of Carrboro and Hill sborough. She
said that local hazard mitigation plans are required by federal legis lation passed in 2000, and
also in North Carolina legislation that was passed in 2001. If a jurisdiction wants to be eligible
for post-hazard public assistance funding, an approved hazard mitigation plan is required to be
on file. A plan previously came before the Board in 2002 and was adopted in June 2002.
Subsequently, FEMA issued new criteria for hazard mitigati on plans and the submission
deadline is now November 1, 2004. The Orange County Hazard Mitigation Team has been
working with state reviewers to incorporate r evisions, and there is preliminary approval from the
state. The staff is asking that the Board hold the public hearing and consider adoption of the
plan.
Public Comment:
NONE