Andrews – The regional library that serves Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties has funding challenges as some municipalities consider cutting annual contributions.
Franklin Shook, director of the Nantahala Regional Library, said public libraries are one of the few places you can go without spending money. Shook claims every dollar spent running the library system has a 250 percent return on investment to the public.
According to statistics he provided, library users in Andrews saved $537,000 for books and services that they received free or at low cost, while Murphy users saved $1.1 million.
While Cherokee County may increase its library contribution and Murphy may keep its funding steady, Andrews may cut its funding by $20,000 or more – and the Town of Lake Santeetlah may cut its $2,400 annual contribution entirely.
Andrews officials look at the disparity in contributions by member communities and speculate that Andrews may be subsidizing operations in Robbinsville and Hayesville.
But because each of the four libraries operate under different circumstances, comparisons are complicated.
The numbers
For 2023-24 fiscal year library operations, Cherokee County (population 29,512) contributed $192,645, Clay County (population 11,614) contributed $175,480, and Graham County (population 7,980) contributed $95,000.
Among towns, Murphy (population 1,639) paid $190,000, Andrews (population 1,690) paid $80,000 (plus $20,000 for the building, which the town owns), Robbinsville (population 545) paid $8,000, Hayesville (population 470) paid $3,000 and the Town of Lake Santeetlah (population 38) paid $2,400.
“We also receive state funding in the amount of $367,284,” Shook said. “This is generally used regionally and includes administration costs.”
Budgets are still being developed for the coming fiscal year, with Cherokee County appeared headed toward increasing its $192,645 allocation by $25,000. Murphy is poised to keep its allocation at $190,000.
However, Andrews appears headed to reduce its contribution by $20,000 to $40,000. The library system has been applying Andrews’ contribution to personnel, so a 25 percent cut in funding may result in reduced hours in Andrews.
The Town of Lake Santeetlah in Graham County appears headed to cut its annual contribution of $2,400 to the Robbinsville library.
Plans for other member communities – Robbinsville and Graham County, and Hayesville and Clay County – are not yet available.
State funding is affected by reductions in local funding effort, Shook said.
Tell the whole story
The Nantahala Regional Library, with its headquarters located in Murphy, was organized in 1937. It is the oldest regional library in North Carolina and one of the first 14 regional libraries formed in the United States.
Regional libraries are organized to provide more adequate service than can be provided by public libraries in small, rural counties that are operated separately.
There is a regional board of directors consisting of nine members serving six-year terms – three each from Cherokee County, Graham County and Clay County.
There are four libraries within the library system: Murphy and Andrews public libraries, Graham County Public Library in Robbinsville and Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville.
Cherokee County has two of the library system’s four libraries as well as the regional library headquarters, which is located in the Murphy branch.
The town of Murphy maintains its own operations budget for the library. It co-owns the building along with Cherokee County.
Andrews owns its library building outright and includes $20,000 in its budget for building maintenance. The town also pays for unexpected expenses, including recent flooding repairs in the building.
Moss Memorial Library is funded in part by an endowment and benefits from efforts by Friends of Moss Memorial Library, which operates a bookstore. However, the building is owned by Clay County.
The Graham County Public Library is owned by Graham County.
Hours vary between branches.
Murphy’s library is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday except Thursday, when it stays open until 8 p.m. It is closed Saturday and Sunday.
Andrews’ library is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It is closed Sunday and Monday.
The Graham County Public Library in Robbinsville is open 1-5 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday.
Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville is open 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. It is closed Sunday.
Is library a burden?
Andrews Mayor James Reid has been frustrated by library services that draw homeless people, who take advantage of the shelter and restrooms the library provides, along with internet wifi that is available around the clock.
Reid said that the concentration of homeless people around the library is a burden to the Andrews Police Department. He has asked that wifi be cut off after hours.
“The idea is that having wifi on at night attracts questionable people to the library and creates a need for police presence,” Shook said. “I have been asked to turn the wifi off in the evening to help with this concern. I attempted this when I was first asked by programming a schedule in the equipment and it didn’t work. I am willing to comply, even if it means unplugging it when staff leave for the day. I do know of people who do remote work using our public wifi in the parking lots even at night, so it is a dilemma.”
Reid leads a board of aldermen that seems unsympathetic to library operations. Library officials were roundly criticized when they appeared before the board in May to discuss budget numbers.
“I don’t want to be the board that shuts down the library,” Reid said, but added that he’d like to see funding cut to $40,000 – half of what the town paid in the current fiscal year and $100,000 less than it contributed in 2019.
Final budget decisions throughout the library’s service area will be completed in June and take effect July 1.