REJECT Amendment OP-B08 (Reducing Library Funding)

[Paige Schildkamp]

Dear Chair and Members of the Board of County Commissioners,

I am an Orange County resident, and I am asking you to keep the Orange County Public Library's operating budget whole by rejecting the proposed $200,000 reduction, Amendment OP-B08, at your June 4 budget meeting.

I understand you are weighing many worthy needs with limited resources, and I respect how difficult that is. My concern is what a budget line cannot show. The bulk of this reduction would fall on temporary staffing, the flexible hours that keep both branches open on their full schedules and make programs and outreach possible. Take those hours away, and permanent staff are pulled into core duties just to keep the doors open and books on the shelves, leaving little room for anything more. On top of the roughly $133,759 already reduced in the recommended budget, that is about $333,759 in combined reductions, and library leadership has said the likely result is two fewer open days each week at both the Hillsborough and Carrboro branches, fewer programs, and a smaller collection.

That is why a cut that looks modest on paper is felt at the front door and on the shelves.

When times get tight, library use goes up, not down, and a closed door does the most damage to the people who can least work around it. The Orange County Public Library was used more than 632,000 times last year, a ten-year high, at a cost of about $35.94 per resident, roughly ten cents a day. It is one of the county's most-used and most cost-effective services, and one of the very few that is open to every resident, of any age, income, or background.

I have lived in Orange County for over 15 years, the past 5 in Hillsborough. And I have worked within the county area for much of that. The library has offered me a workspace outside the home, a safe space when feeling overwhelmed, a warm/cool space depending on the weather, a place to print, to access email and electricity when it goes out, a chance to connect with the community, and *countless* books (physical, ebook, and audiobook). I know people that have used the library to: notarize power of attorney documents, print last minute documents requested during court proceedings, apply for jobs, attend Storytime programs to help their kids learn to read, participate in summer reading (and see their kids who would never pick up a book be inspired to do so with the prize of a raffle ticket prize entry), attend writing workshops and group sewing classes to grow and expand their hobbies and social networks, meet to organize mutual aid for communities in need, bring kids to youth programs for science experiments and art projects they cannot afford to do at home, study for exams, make friends, and more. And those are just the people that I personally know, which is a small percentage of the people that use the library every single day. The library is a final space in society that people can exist for free, and do anything from read a book to learn how to use a computer to attend an ESL class, all with qualified professional help.  Taking away access to these services, especially (with the cuts to staff time that would follow this funding decrease) on weekends when people have the capacity to get to the library outside of their own work hours, would have a devastating affect on the community. I cannot think of many county departments that so directly and consistently DIRECTLY serve the tax payers of the county. They deserve those services. And there is nowhere to pick up all that slack if the library loses the funding to do so. Please, reconsider this cut in funds. I personally would support an increase in taxes to keep these services available, if that's what the option is. It is worth every penny.  

Please reject the additional $200,000 reduction and protect the Orange County Public Library's hours, programs, and collection. Thank you for your service to Orange County and for considering this.

Sincerely,

--

Paige Schildkamp, MPH

Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor

CF-L2 Trainer

Pronouns: she/her

pesch...@gmail.com

804-245-0669

[Wil Glenn]

Hello Paige,

 

Thank you for sharing your perspectives regarding the county budget and the Orange County Public Library.

 

The Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) will receive and consider your feedback as part of the ongoing budget process. Public input is an important part of these discussions, and your engagement is appreciated.

 

The scheduled public hearings and information sessions have concluded, however there is a Budget Work Session on June 4 where commissioners will discuss and vote on amendments to the County Manager’s Recommended Budget.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to participate in the process.

 

 

Wil Glenn

Community Relations Director

Orange County Government
Office Phone: 919.245.2302

Mobile Phone: 919.430.4900

Email: wgl...@orangecountync.gov

 

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From: Paige Schildkamp <pesch...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 9:26 PM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: REJECT Amendment OP-B08 (Reducing Library Funding)

 

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