Orange County to consolidate libraries in new branch

Orange County plans to expand library services by building a new, full-service library in Carrboro.

Under the proposal, libraries at McDougle Middle School and the Cybrary in Carrboro would be replaced by a facility next to Carrboro Elementary School, county library director Lucinda Munger said.

Materials and staff would be consolidated.

“Right now we have two very small libraries that aren’t open a lot of the time,” Munger said. “A full-service, free-standing library will be good for that community.”

The 2.69-acre undeveloped lot at 210 Hillsborough Road is under a purchasing contract, which is a binding agreement between two parties to purchase property.

The county has 180 days to work out a zoning tax amendment with Carrboro and assess other issues, including providing utilities, said Orange County manager Frank Clifton.

This new library comes after the Cedar Grove Branch Library, in the northern part of the county, closed Aug. 1 as part of the approved county budget. Closing this library saved the county about $43,000 per year.

The lot will cost $610,000 to develop, Clifton said. Money for the project has been set aside from the county’s general fund. If the sales tax increase referendum is approved, some of that money could go toward the project.

“The county for many years has had plans to build another branch of the library in the southern part of the county,” he said. “Finding a site that works is a difficult task in a developed area.”

Clifton said the project does not have a specific timeline, but construction might begin within a year and a half to two years.

“A new library would mean more staff, more resources, better hours and better access for the public,” Munger said.

She said nearly all of the libraries’ current programs could broaden. There are no teen programs at either Carrboro library, and children’s programs are limited. Adult services were cut back along with Cybrary hours.

The new facility would offer computer lab and training services, Munger said.

Almost 8,000 patrons are registered at existing libraries, which house more than 23,000 items and have a circulation of almost 57,000 items, Munger said.

But Bernadette Pelissier, vice-chairwoman of the Board of Orange County Commissioners, said the existing Carrboro libraries are not fully functional libraries.

“This is like moving from partial to full library service in that part of the county,” she said.

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