Swain secures funding for library expansion

Marianna Black Library is set for a major expansion and renovation thanks to funding from several parties, including a large allotment in the state budget. 

2023 A Look Back: Survivor Award

This award goes out to the Fontana Regional Library, which, despite consistent attacks throughout 2023, is still standing, and continues to serve the residents of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. 

Changes for FRL: Jackson looks at Macon’s recommendations for library system

After Macon County proposed several changes to the Fontana Regional Library system agreement, Jackson County commissioners are taking a look at the recommendations to determine what will work, and what won’t. 

Buck the system: Macon recommends changes to Fontana Regional Library agreement

With the 10-year Fontana Regional Library agreement up for review, commissions in all three counties are considering changes to the document.

Jackson tables FRL governance change

With the Fontana Regional Library agreement up for its 10-year review, Jackson, Macon and Swain county commissions are taking a look at the document. 

Change recommended to Fontana Regional Library System

A few months ago, issues arose about the placement of certain LGBTQ+ books in the Macon County Public Library.

Macon residents, commissioner float withdrawing from Fontana Regional Library

What started as a group of citizens concerned about certain LGBTQ books in the Macon County Library has turned into an effort to pull the library from the Fontana Regional Library system, a move that could get very complicated and very expensive, very quickly.

Residents object to LGBTQ literature at Macon library

A group of Macon County residents and library patrons attended a Feb. 7 library board meeting to air a plethora of concerns. Chief among them were that the library is promoting a sexual agenda to minors and the library’s affiliation with the American Library Association and the Fontana Regional Library System.

Fontana Regional reflects on 75 years

What started as a traveling bookmobile 75 years ago has now evolved into a regional system of six library branches. Together they are striving to provide a broad range of services to their communities while defending their relevance in a changing society. 

“I think we need libraries for a lot of reasons,” said Karen Wallace, who serves as the librarian at the Franklin library and also as the director of Fontana Regional Library System. “We always try to respond to the needs in the communities. Where is the lifelong learning coming from if not from a public source like the library?”

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