Protect (and fund!) Our Library
M. Blake (Apple)
Dear Orange County Board of Commissioners,
While it might superficially appear simple to argue that the Information Age has reduced the public need for, and role of, the Orange County Public Library, the exact inverse is true: the Information Age, and the heightened disparity it creates, underscores a need for greater—or at the very least, undiminished!—library funding.
Have you ever needed to print a resume, an application, a document to be filed, or a form to be notarized, but not had easy access to a printer of your own? Members of the Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) might all possess working printers, but the same cannot be said for all members of our community. The Orange County Public Library not only offers on-site access to computers, wireless internet connectivity, and printers, but also allows anyone with an Orange County library card to print up to five pages, each day, free of charge. Because of this, the Orange County Courthouse, County Clerk, and DMV all regularly direct individuals to us in order to print such materials. Your own assumption, by example, is that we are there to facilitate this need, but this need requires funding for both consumable materials and patron assistance.
With printed materials in hand, have you ever required quick access to a notary? The library maintains a reservation system for notary appointments, but both the Courthouse and County Clerk regularly direct individuals to us, offering assurance that notary services are available, and we do our best to accommodate each such request… yet while all of our notaries are among the library staff, all of the library staff are not notaries. Providing this service frequently requires one library employee to cover the immediate, scheduled responsibilities of another in order to render services. Your own assumption and direction to the community then, by example, necessitates sufficient staff to not only notarize documents, but also accomplish all other tasks within a library.
Suppose a patron is not on site, but still in need of internet access? The Orange County Public Library allows patrons to check out wireless hotspots, for up to three weeks at a time. Continuing to provide internet access, especially to areas and individuals financially disadvantaged or geographically challenged in regard to affordable, high-speed access, is a public good. Making good on the promise of available hotspots is itself, then, a necessary expenditure, and their presence requires additional on-site configuration and maintenance by library staff.
In terms of a broader public good, the Orange County Public Library provides a safe, clean, welcoming environment to all who visit. One does not need a PhD or a stock portfolio to step inside, nor even a permanent address to utilize our materials, resources, and services on-site. Our building is a public “cooling center” in the summer, and a “warming center,” in the winter, and should any other environmental crisis threaten the well-being of Orange County and its population, the library employees will undoubtedly serve… but the effort will only be successful if there are enough of us to do so.
Alongside all of these responsibilities, your Orange County Public Library employees perpetually help patrons to locate materials of interest, frequently retrieve them for both young and old, facilitate the borrowing process, promptly check in returned items (as well as retrieve items from within the library that were briefly used or considered, but ultimately not borrowed, and left out-of-place), and strive to swiftly and accurately re-shelve items so that other patrons may use them. The choreographed schedule of library staff allow us to thus manage the volume and maintain the usability of this facility, without needless backlog, confusion, or redundancy. Any reduction in our staffing or hours would ultimately stress the effectiveness of our service, and in so doing, inconvenience or harm users.
As a part-time (“temporary”) employee of the Orange County Public Library who has been privileged to serve our community in this role for slightly over ten years as of this writing, I urge you to continue funding this essential resource at or above current levels, and abandon any temptation to view the good afforded by public libraries as an optional luxury.
Sincerely,
Marc David Blake
Wil Glenn
Hello Marc,
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
Sign up for Orange County News and Updates.
From: M. Blake (Apple) <ap...@vintageseason.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 11:44 PM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Protect (and fund!) Our Library
CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless verified. Report suspicious emails with the Phish Alert Button located on your Outlook menu bar on the Home tab.