To save their library system, this NC community packed a meeting, spoke for hours
The Alamance County courthouse was filled Monday night for a public comment session that lasted almost four hours. At the heart of the debate: education and public libraries.
The county funds operations for its four libraries in Graham, Burlington, Mebane and North Park. But following recommendations from County Manager Heidi York, the Board of County Commissioners is evaluating whether the funding responsibilities for three of the libraries should be left to municipalities.
A protest advocating for improving educational funding and protecting the county libraries preceded Mondays’ monthly commission meeting, which was held at the Alamance County courthouse in Graham.
Commissioners warn of misconceptions
“Folks, what we’re looking for is options,” Commissioner Ed Priola said at the beginning of the meeting. Priola first announced the proposed county library separation during the board’s May meeting. The proposal was made per the county manager’s research and input, and decisions needed to be made regarding finite general funds, he added. The county’s annual allocation for the public libraries is less than 2% of its general fund.
There would be “no deleting of the libraries,” according to chairman John Paisley, but rather a reallocation of financial responsibility to municipalities. The commissioner said he received around 50 phone calls from citizens who he said were wrongfully concerned about libraries being “cut.”
But even with a clear understanding of the board’s 182-page budget proposal, Friends of the Alamance County Library System president, Debra Scott, was tearful during the hours-long public comment.
Scott arrived at the courthouse ahead of a community-organized protest at 5:30 p.m., and handed out laminated yellow pins that read “4 Libraries.” Through her work with the volunteer-based non-profit, Scott said she’s seen firsthand how vital the county-funded library system is for the entire community.
Throughout its 40 years, the organization has traveled via “mobile library” delivering resources like books and internet access to underserved areas. The libraries’ staffs work together, switching from location to location as needed, Scott said. Staff members also share the responsibility of attending farmers markets and health fairs to engage with the community.
“Right now, they’re overseen by one person to all the libraries in the county, and if (the commissioners) break that up, how would they work together?” Scott said. “We have staff that go from library to library to fill in and to learn what each library is about, because each one’s a little different.”
The board’s deliberation comes at a time when community members are already concerned about county funding for educational needs in the Alamance-Burlington School System. The proposal also comes as Alamance County Public Libraries reaches its centennial year.
Libraries aren’t just ‘for checking out books’
Saxapahaw resident Jennifer Mock was one of the first people to arrive in Graham shortly before a 5:30 p.m. protest that had been advertised on social media. Mock donned a green dress to show support for the county-funded library system.
Mock, who took her children to the Mebane library when they were young, said her daughter achieved her post-grad dreams of working for the libraries in January. The libraries created a stronghold for the Mock family to establish friends and routine activities.
Aside from the personal impact her family has had on the libraries’ resources and community building, Mock said she’s seen firsthand how vital tools, including Wi-Fi, computer access and literacy coaching, are for the greater community. As the executive director for adult literacy at Alamance Community College, Mock said libraries aren’t simply “for checking out books.”
While the county commissioners outlined that their separation from library funding does not signify a deletion of these programs and resources, Mock said she’s concerned the libraries won’t be able to survive without the current interconnected structure.
In the countywide system, any resident can access any of its four libraries. If funding power is handed down to municipalities, access to each library will be limited to the city’s residents.
“Classes at the community college require online access,” Mock said. “But a lot of people in our area are still rural. They don’t have, I would say, a reliable internet.”
Alamance library members share unified message
Monday’s public comment session drew a diverse crowd, from lifelong, retired Alamance residents to a sixth grader advocating for improved student disability resources. Library users and employees shared stories about how the countywide system has made a difference in their lives.
Morgan Baker, a Burlington public school teacher, spoke about her family’s decision to move back to their hometown in 2020 to be “where neighbors look out for each other.” She reminisced about her oldest daughter, who just finished kindergarten, getting her first library card last summer. If the proposed budget changes are approved, Baker and her three children would still have public access to their local library, but her story was about those less fortunate.
“Libraries save lives, even those experiencing homelessness,” Baker said.
The public comment portion of the board’s meetings typically lasts about 30 minutes, with three minutes of speaking time approved for each speaker. Monday’s public comment lasted until almost 10:30 p.m..
Raven Ford, an Elon resident, said during her public comment that she doesn’t think she would have graduated from high school without easy access to May Memorial Library.
Attendance eventually grew sparser, and as the sun set, chants and cheers from the remaining protesters outside the courthouse dwindled.
The board will hold workshops on June 9 and 10 to refine the budget proposal before it’s finalized on June 16. The workshops will be open to the public, but with limited space.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM with the headline "To save their library system, this NC community packed a meeting, spoke for hours."
