I am reminded of the Dr. Seuss story, "The Zax," and as the story goes, they will never compromise and will remain firm in their positions as the world goes on around them.
Let's find a way around this. In all the recent articles and letters I am struck by the fact that many of the "pro" Chapel Hill Public Library folks (in quotes because none of us is anti-Chapel Hill Public Library) don't seem to realize a few things: Orange County taxpayers living outside of Chapel Hill do pay for libraries, including Chapel Hill Public Library. Not enough for sure (particularly for funding of the county libraries), but these folks need to stop acting like those of us who live outside Chapel Hill are contributing nothing to their budget.
Clearly the current library services of Carrboro and Southwest Orange County are inadequate, hence the burden on Chapel Hill Public Library. It therefore makes (common) sense that if the citizens of this area were better served by the county libraries, the burden on Chapel Hill Public Library would be greatly reduced.
Charge county taxpayers outside Chapel Hill more for county libraries if you like. According to state law, if Chapel Hill Public Library charges a fee for patrons who reside in Orange County, it will lose the $250,000 it currently receives from the county. Chapel Hill Public Library says it has roughly 12,000 patrons from Orange County who don't live in Chapel Hill. Many of these users are probably lapsed. Some are infrequent users who wouldn't bother to use Chapel Hill Public Library if it would cost them. Some no doubt simply can't afford to pay any fee.
Let's say 7,500 (a generous number, I think) were willing to pay for the privilege of using the library. Chapel Hill Public Library would have to charge about the same as Chapel Hill residents pay in taxes for Chapel Hill Public Library ($34) just to break even if/when it loses the $250,000 the county currently contributes. To reach the $1 million Chapel Hill thinks the county should pay, a charge of $134 per non-town resident would have to be levied. Naturally the more Chapel Hill Public Library were to charge, the smaller the pool of those willing and able to pay.
It's a hollow threat. If the Chapel Hill Public Library tries to charge non-Chapel Hill residents anything less than an exorbitant yearly fee, the library will end up with less than it wants, and possibly even less than it has.
Let's work on building around the Zax. Let's find a solution that provides adequate library services for everyone in Orange County, not just those fortunate enough to live in Chapel Hill. Let's properly fund the current branches in the county system instead of constantly threatening them with cutbacks or closure.
Let's hold the County Commissioners to their 2009 promise to designate funds for a full-service Southwest Regional Library and to their commitment to increase per capita spending on library services (Orange County ranks in the bottom one-third in the state). Let's exact a promise from them that if Chapel Hill carries through with its threat, or maybe even if it doesn't, that $250,000 will go directly to funding the branch libraries, current and proposed, in Orange County.
Let's keep the Town of Carrboro involved in a constructive way, like providing a site for the Southwest Orange Regional Library. Let's remind all our local officials to re-read the 2007 Library Tax Force Report collecting dust on their shelves. Let's keep our libraries in mind when we vote.
Residents of Carrboro and Southwest Orange County make up 35 percent of Chapel Hill Public Library's patrons. I'll say it again: If these citizens had adequate library services the burden would be off Chapel Hill Public Library. It wouldn't need to expand. Everybody wins.
This doesn't have to be complicated or contentious. The answer is simple. Fund the Southwest Orange Regional Library. Sometimes you need to look around instead of straight ahead.
Alexandra Brown is a resident of White Cross. She is treasurer of the Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library and is a former employee of the Carrboro Branch and Cedar Grove branch libraries.
