Library planners focus on 10-year service agenda

A diverse group of 24 residents from three counties are trying to envision this area as it might be 10 year from now and deciding what should be the role of the Neuse Regional Library at that time.

The Community Planning Committee met for three hours Monday at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library for the first of three meetings to map out the library’s future. Committee members represent Jones, Greene and Lenoir counties.

“You have one of the best libraries in the state,” said Robert Bergen, former librarian, N.C. Central University professor and past president of the State Library Board. “You have a jewel here.”

Bergen is a consultant to the committee. He will also work with the staff in planning the library’s future services. A grant from the state library is paying his fee.

Neuse Regional Library consists of the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library in Kinston, with one branch in LaGrange and one in Pink Hill. Other member libraries include four in Jones County and one in Greene County.

“Your library is no better than the community support you get,” said a committee member from Jones County.

The Kinston-Lenoir County library serves more than 1,000 people every day who check out 256,000 items annually. The Lenoir County branches serve a population of more than 58,500 people. Greene County’s library serves 20,000 and Jones County serves nearly 10,000 people, Library Director Agnes Ho said.

Although some roles – such as helping provide basic literacy programs and having the most recent books -- will be basic to all library branches, every library in the system won’t have identical needs, the group decided. Providing cultural awareness, including information on local history – might be more important to Kinston than to Jones County. Greene County might need space where people can meet to discuss public interests, while Jones County might need its libraries to provide information about businesses, careers, work, personal finances and job searches.

Everyone agreed basic literary services should be provided by all libraries. Some committee members said the service should be focused on pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade children. Others said adults should be included. One group suggested focusing on the area’s large Hispanic population, particularly on mothers and young children. Many adult Hispanics lack even basic English skills, committee members said. They even suggested providing daycare so mothers could concentrate on their studies.

Lifelong learning might be another goal, but with some non-traditional paths included. For instance, lifelong learning could provide lessons on traditional crafts and skills as well as more standard offerings.

Formal learning support would aid pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade students, and include homeschoolers.

Community referral services would provide information on services provided by community agencies and organizations.

General information would answer questions on a broad array of questions about work, school and private life.

Bergen will meet in three weeks with library staff members to review the committee recommendations, hear staff suggestions and pinpoint the library’s existing strengths and weaknesses. His next step will be to give staff recommendations to the committee in April, meet with the staff later that month and formulate a final plan with the committee in May. The plan will be presented to the Library Board of Trustees for approval in May.