“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work, reporting or approval of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to [email protected].
Why Is Orange County Planning To Cut Funding for Chapel Hill Public Library?
A perspective from Karen Curtin
Why is Orange County planning to eliminate funding of $621,000 for the Chapel Hill Public Library (CHPL) – a cut that would dramatically reduce CHPL service levels for all Orange County residents? Chapel Hill taxpayers (approximately 40% of Orange County residents) cover most library costs and county funding has long supplemented this funding to support the use of CHPL by all Orange County residents (a common practice for county support of municipal libraries in NC and elsewhere.)
The county’s justification for eliminating CHPL funding is that the provision of “robust” library services from the new southern branch in Carrboro removes the need to compensate CHPL for county resident use. There is no support for this justification since CHPL usage statistics have not been reduced because of the southern branch opening. If you read the (many) public comments from Orange County residents coming into the Orange County Commissioner website since this proposal was made public, none share the view that the southern branch compensates for the loss of what they can find at CHPL – Orange County’s only world-class library.
It should be noted that the Orange County budget for library services was increased last year (while CHPL funding was held flat). This year’s proposed budget for library services is essentially flat but provides an increase for OC libraries through the elimination and reallocation of CHPL funding.
We should ensure a more equitable allocation of Orange County’s library services budget that recognizes the continued value of CHPL to all Orange County users. It’s certainly not reasonable to increase the burden on Chapel Hill taxpayers to support non-resident use (any more than it would be appropriate to do that for the schools.) That leaves two alternatives for CHPL: enact a major service reduction or start charging fees for Orange County residents who don’t reside in Chapel Hill. A more equitable allocation of the proposed library services budget is a better solution for everyone. I think Orange County library users would agree and hope that Orange County is listening to all of us.
Karen Curtin, President
Friends of Chapel Hill Public Library
“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
Viewpoints: Why Is Orange County Planning To Cut Funding for Chapel Hill Public Library? Chapelboro.com.
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