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New county-city library cooperation outlined

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Staff

A new framework for funding and better cooperation and coordination between Orange County library services and the Chapel Hill Public Library are outlined in a memo released this week.
Here’s the memo:

Proposed Framework for Agreement of Library Funding between Town of Chapel Hill and Orange County
July 26, 2010

On Friday, July 23, 2010, County Chair Valerie Foushee, Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, County Manager Frank Clifton and Town Manager Roger Stancil met to explore the potential for developing an interlocal agreement on library funding. The information below is a summary of that conversation

The preamble to an agreement would clarify our purpose:
• There has never been a written agreement between the two entities for this funding from the time both units of government entered the library business. We are seeking to correct that situation. This might be an opportunity to briefly state the history of each government’s involvement.
• Because there was never a formula basis for the funding that exists, this will be a two-year, renewable agreement for increased funding by the County for the Town Library in this fiscal year with provisions for testing and agreeing upon a formula going forward. Timing allows this to be accomplished while the Town is operating in a temporary location with constrained service while the expansion construction is underway.
• The mutual goal is a sustainable funding future based on performance measures.

Provisions of the agreement would include the following

1. Two year agreement renewable annually in January so decisions to facilitate decisions on a policy basis rather than one made in the heat of budget making. The frist agreement would be effective January 1, 2011 for FY 2010-11.
2. The current level of funding ($250,000 per year from County) would continue to be used for funding Town library operations
3. Funding above the $250,000 per year would be restricted to collection development, the acquisition of library materials and their preparation for use.
4. Interoperability issues:
a. Provide process for joint issuance of cards by each library.
b. Books and materials freely exchanged between systems by clients.
c. Provide for a routine courier service (County contribution).
d. Checking in or out of library materials freely available between libraries.
e. Review of software option and implementation by 2015 as a criterion for future compatibility. If pursued by the County doing so would be calculated as part of the County’s commitment to CH funding in one or more years.
f. Appointment of a County Commissioner as a liaison to the Chapel Hill Library Board and appointment of a Chapel Hill Council Member as a liaison to Orange County Library Board.
5. Jointly analyze County’s continued participation in the regional library system (cost/benefits analysis) and what provisions may exist to change the status quo.
6. Funding considerations for the first two year agreement: Year 1, an increase of $75K in cash along with the $50K value of a routinely scheduled courier service to move books between libraries; and, Year 2, another increase of $75K based upon continuance of the agreement.
7. EACH year during the renewal of the MOU would be reviewed for the following impacts:
a. Issues or conditions not addressed in the MOU that have arisen in the prior year.
b. Verification that funding provided is being used as proposed.
c. Consideration of how or what the County may do or is doing to offset the demand on the Chapel Hill library via expansion or other actions associated with an improved southern branch of the County Library System or similar actions taken by Chapel Hill Library to reduce demand on county facilities.
d. Each party shall have the right to opt out of the agreement with one year’s notice to the other party or sooner IF both parties agree.

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