During its first meeting on June 16 in Sylva, the new Jackson County Public Library Board of Trustees discussed member positions, logistics, bylaws and fee schedule, opting ultimately to reconvene in July to vote on several tabled items. 

The resolution creating the library board established a seven-person body — a quorum necessitating the presence of four — with “one resident from each Jackson County Commissioner District, one Chair appointment and two At Large members from recommendations made by the Librarian.”

Positions are staggered as three-, two- and one-year terms.

The body is tasked with recommending building improvements, helping to prepare the JCPL annual budget, advising the county on “library matters,” establishing a schedule of fines and fees for overdue and lost library items and creating a usage policy for non-residents.

All are to serve without compensation and be in possession of a library card.

The first order of business was introductions. Members Lori Richards, Lauren Baxley, Beth James and Janice Stiens had served on the previous library board; Emily Fisher, Linda Potter and David Parker were new to the job.

In their applications, appointees expressed various motivations for wanting to serve. 

Veteran Baxley, for example, spoke of her involvement in three book clubs, two of which she organizes. She was appointed by Chair Mark Letson and confirmed 3-2 — the only trustee not to receive unanimous support — with commissioners John Smith and Jenny Lynn Hooper voting in opposition.  

“I believe the library is a hub for our community and believe strongly in their long-range plan and goals to serve the people of Jackson County in many different ways,” she wrote.

Fisher, appointed by Smith (District Two), would like to “build the library branch as an establishment the community respects and as a place kids and families go to as an alternative from devices and social media.” 

James — representing District One and appointed by Commissioner Todd Bryson — touched on the transition of JCPL from regional partner to standalone library.

“The Board along with the input from the community can build a library that serves the specific needs of Jackson,” her application stated.

Parker, selected by Hooper to represent District Four, expressed a similar motivation.

“I want the Jackson County Library to be successful and standing on its own,” he wrote.

Potter explained that her seasoned career as a school librarian — 36 years in total, 24 of which were spent in Jackson County — would help bring an invaluable perspective to the board. Potter was one of Head Librarian Grace Powell’s at-large appointments.

“I have supported Grace since she was in kindergarten at [Scotts’ Creek]. It has been a privilege to watch her grow,” she wrote.

Potter was voted board chair by fellow members at the June 16 meeting.

Lori Richards’ interest in wanting to serve was grounded in simply “to help provide oversight.”

As for Janice Stiens, second at-large appointee, she’d “like to see the public library used as a resource for the public and not to promote agendas.”

She clarified what that meant in public comment at a May 19 county commission meeting.

“So one of the reasons I want to be on the board is because I’m concerned that we’re bringing topics into our young children that are too heavy for them,” she said.

Stiens was selected as vice chair on June 16.   

More agenda items

At the first meeting, Powell equipped each member with a copy of bylaws taken from state recommendations. Trustees opted to wordsmith the document rather than suggesting any substantial changes.

One revision had to do with amending board bylaws. The original version allowed members to make changes to bylaws and vote on those changes at the same meeting, with enactment contingent on unanimous approval. Baxley said previously, the board set aside one meeting to discuss and another to vote on any policy changes.

“I like the idea of having a meeting to discuss, and then a meeting to vote, personally,” she said.

Fisher also advocated for more advance notice, and the board decided the bylaws should instead require the proposed changes be stated at the previous meeting as well as emailed and/or mailed at least 10 days prior to the voting session with confirmation of receipt provided. The revision was, however, unanimously tabled for further discussion and potential passage at the July meeting.

The board then moved to choosing future board meetings. Trustees will reconvene July 2 at 3 p.m. at the main Sylva branch; although the building will be closed pending the FRL-to-county transition, Powell said the meeting would still be open to the public.

For subsequent meetings, members will gather quarterly at 3 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month — Oct. 8, 2026, in Sylva; Jan. 14, 2027, in Sylva and April 8, 2027, in Cashiers. While meeting dates were decided unanimously, the fines and charges agenda item raised a few points of contention. Powell prefaced the current fee schedule with the opinions of library staff.  

“I asked them, I said, ‘In their opinion, did any of it need to be changed, or was it working well?’ And they thought that it worked well,” she said.

Fisher suggested that the maximum overdue fine for books, books on tape or CD, music on CD, cassettes, magazines and newspapers be raised to $15 from the FRL policy of $10 per item. She also proposed a $60-per-item maximum fee for overdue AV equipment; the current maximum is $50 per item.  

Richards agreed with an increase for the sake of “accountability.” 

Potter thought the opposite, advocating for the elimination of fines and charges, a policy already enacted for all items in many North Carolina counties, including Alamance, Wake, Harnett, Chatham, Catawba and New Hanover.

James concurred.

“Once you have a kid that owes $60, they’re never coming back to this library, and we have to keep those things in mind. We live in a rural area,” she said.

Parker and Richards even suggested eliminating automatic renewals, arguing that the longer someone has a book, the less likely they might be to return it. But Powell clarified that automatic renewals do not apply when a book is on hold by another patron.

In the end, the schedule was tabled pending more information from library employees, such as where library fines and fees revenue is directed and the likelihood that someone receiving three notices does not return said overdue item.

While some of this data may be inaccessible due to patron privacy policies, The American Library Association advises libraries to “consider waiving or reducing fees for individuals based on their ability to pay” and passed a resolution stating that “monetary fines present an economic barrier to access of library materials and services.” 

Immediately before the meeting adjourned, Powell shared an update about social media changes during the ongoing transition of the library system.

“Even the Facebook account, they’re able to post on it,” she said, “but they don’t have admin access to be able to switch over, so we’re still working with it, so hopefully that’ll be ready July 1.” 

Library board
utilization policy

Meanwhile, Jackson County commissioners at their June 16 meeting addressed another aspect of JCPL operations: the room utilization policy. The draft dictating Community Room usage at the Albert Carlton Library in Cashiers designates four types of permitted uses: meetings; educational, training and artistic activities; private celebrations and other similar and appropriate uses approved by the county manager.

As for the Jackson County Library Complex Room draft policy, rooms are authorized for — notwithstanding private celebrations — all Cashiers-permitted uses.

The drafts also list a strict priority of usage. At the Albert Carlton library, Jackson County Aging Services Department takes first pick, followed by Jackson County governmental entities. In third are Jackson County groups and residents. Fourth and fifth priority are given, respectively, to non-Jackson County governmental agencies, then non-Jackson County groups and residents.

In Sylva, the Jackson County Library takes top priority, followed by Jackson County governmental entities.

Rooms at both libraries, previously free to use, are available at “standard rate” 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and at “premium rate” weekdays from 7-8 a.m. and 5-11 p.m. as well as 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends, though neither document specifies the value of each category.

The Albert Carlton policy requests checks to be made to the Jackson Department on Aging, so that department is also the likely recipient of payments made through cash or credit cards.

Both utilization documents also specify insurance requirements and set-up and clean-up procedures.

Among building rules and prohibitions is a shared statement granting the county “the right to require the use of security personnel under certain circumstances.” 

In Cashiers and Sylva, the use of sparkle, glitter, hay, loud music, adhesive materials, nails, tacks is prohibited, and at the former library, the use of rice and birdseed is also prohibited.

The policies share the following provisions: “The County reserves the right to deny applicants or cancel approved reservation dates for unforeseen circumstances such as inclement weather, power outages, etc.” and “The county reserves the right to remove from the premises any person or persons failing to abide by the Community Room rules, including disorderly conduct and inappropriate behavior.”

At the commissioners’ meeting, Jason Kimenker, executive director of Friends of Panthertown, which provides free educational programming about backcountry resources, spoke against the proposed changes.

“We ask that you please strongly consider maintaining existing use policies and not damage our ability to operate as a public service at no cost to Jackson County residents and visitors,” he said. 

The policy was tabled for review and further changes at an upcoming work session.