June 17th Update: We saved our libraries!!
The short update after the Alamance County Budget is that libraries and the rescue squad are saved but ABSS is not fully funded.
Full notes here, again by the incredible Save The Alamance County Libraries.
Thank you all for following along, calling/emailing the Commissioners, and helping save the libraries!
🚨 Save Alamance Libraries – June 12 Update! (AND how you can help) before the June 16th rally:
You can continue to get up date information from Save The Alamance County Libraries who summarized the the 4 hour+ video of Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Commissioners.
I've summarized their incredible notes on the meeting with a focus on the libraries below:
The Commissioners argued for hours… and made no decision. County Manager York will now prepare 5 new budget options for a future vote:
➊ No tax increase (Priola’s plan)
➋ 1.59¢ increase (Manager's recommended)
➌ 2.0¢ increase
➍ 7.0¢ increase
➎ "Whatever it takes" to fully fund all requests
LIBRARY DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS:
🚨 Cutting 6 staff = possible branch closure or library hour reductions
📈 1,400 new library cards issued last year
🚐 Mobile Library makes 62 stops/month
👩💼 17 part-time staff (14 w/o benefits) make extended hours possible
📲 Digital demand is surging for e-services
🙋 Many residents want to volunteer for the Library Committee
🗣️ Commissioner Paisley has lost count of the number of contacts he has received about the library — not one wants to close libraries!
Clearly, our libraries are popular and providing *** SO MANY *** resources for our community.
Here's how you can join us to help save our Alamance County Public Libraries:
This has all happened so fast so many people still don’t know what’s going on — please tell everyone you know and invite them to take action now. 3 things you can do RIGHT NOW:
1️⃣ SPREAD THE WORD. Post, text, email, talk to your neighbors. This affects all of us.
2️⃣ SHOW UP on Monday, June 16 at 5:00 PM
📍 Rally, press conference, and budget vote
📍 Alamance County Courthouse – 1 SE Court Sq, Graham, NC
3️⃣ CONTACT THE COMMISSIONERS.
Make your voice heard—tell them to fully fund our libraries and stop harmful cuts. Let them know our libraries are vital: education, access, safety, and community. We want to make sure they're funded and supported for our kids and everyone.
Chair John P. Paisley - john.paisley@alamancecountync.gov | 336-212-7022
Vice Chair Steve Carter - steve.carter@alamancecountync.gov | 336-214-7606
Commissioner Pamela Thompson - pamela.thompson@alamancecountync.gov | 336-675-3479
Commissioner Kelly Allen - kelly.allen@alamancecountync.gov | 336-260-5664
Commissioner Ed Priola - ed.priola@alamancecountync.gov | 336-260-5242
Thank you for your continued support and speaking up to help try to save our libraries!
JUNE 9th IMPORTANT UPDATE re: Budget Workshops from Save The Alamance County Libraries:
We were formerly encouraging people to attend these workshops in person, but have learned from Commissioner Thompson that there is very limited seating (maybe 10) and they are not set up to be widely attended by the public like the hearing was.
We have pivoted to making this a Watch Party where we'll livestream the meeting in the group. If opportunity opens up to gather and watch in person, we will update with that info!
If people still want to go to the meeting location (Agriculture Building Auditorium, 209 N. Graham-Hopedale Rd, Burlington, NC 27217), you are permitted to go and try to speak (or just be seen by) the commissioners before the meeting, but be aware you likely will not be able to get inside for the actual meeting.
An update after the June 2nd rally:
There was a huge and inspiring turnout in downtown Graham to support the libraries and other important causes facing cuts. Over 40 local residents made a public comment during the meeting and Ed Priola (the Commissioner that initially floated the idea of cutting the library funding) said at the end that he has a proposal that would keep their funding and not raise taxes. He will present it at the upcoming budget workshops (June 9th & 10th, both at 9:30am, 209 N. Graham- Hopedale Rd Burlington NC 27217).
While it now seems that the libraries won't close, there is still concern that staff positions and/or program funding could be cut so our support is still needed. Please keep emailing/calling the Commissioners (contact info at the bottom of this article) and attend the meetings on the 9th and 10th, if you're able to.
You can see more reporting on the rally and meeting in this article from Elon News Network and this video from WFMY. There's also a good update here (and continues to be updated information) from the Save the Alamance County Libraries facebook page.
Original article and context, along with Commissioners' contact information is below.
Original Article:
You may heard about this all over social media recently but posts I've seen aren't always shareable or with the full details and action steps. I wanted to compile as much of the info here and make it very shareable so we can help spread the word before the June 16th deadline to encourage others to speak out, too. Below you'll find an overview of the issue, actions to take, and key upcoming dates, but first I wanted to point you to a very helpful resource:
'Save The Alamance County Libraries' Facebook Page
A couple of incredible local moms are leading this charge and sharing information on the Save The Alamance County Libraries facebook page they created. Follow the page for up-to-date information.
With their permission, I am sharing a lot of the data and images they have put together. One of the moms wanted to share this quote with you all: "After talking with the commissioners, I’m encouraged to hear that people are speaking out about this and that it’s having an effect. They want to hear what the public wants, so keep reaching out! And if you can make it on June 2nd, please join us - showing up in person gives a whole new level of impact."
Overview of the Issue
The 2025-2026 county budget has a $4.4 million deficit and the Commissioners are considering a serious proposal to close North Park, Mebane, and Graham libraries. However, as Alamance News reported when the idea was initially discussed at a Commissioners meeting earlier in May, the entire portion of library funding from the county is *less than 2%* of the county's general fund.
The other option to cutting the library funding is to have a 3.4% property tax increase (approx. $52 increase per household). Alamance News had an additional article here. The budget will be finalized on June 16th so we have to act before then by letting our county commissioners know we want to save our libraries.
So, what can you do to help save our libraries for our kids and our community?
Actions to Take
First and foremost, help get the word out by telling everyone you know who uses and loves our libraries before June 16th. Share this article and posts from the Save the Alamance County Libraries page on your socials so more people know about this and speak out before it is too late.
Call &/or email the commissioners:
I've shared their emails and phone numbers below. Let them know you want the libraries to STAY OPEN and not lose staff positions. One of the moms organizing the facebook page shared this after speaking to all five commissioners: "The commissioners handle their own inboxes and answer their own phones - if you reach out, they WILL read/listen and respond to you!"
- Chair John P. Paisley - john.paisley@alamancecountync.gov | 336-212-7022
- Vice Chair Steve Carter - steve.carter@alamancecountync.gov | 336-214-7606
- Commissioner Pamela Thompson - pamela.thompson@alamancecountync.gov | 336-675-3479
- Commissioner Kelly Allen - kelly.allen@alamancecountync.gov | 336-260-5664
- Commissioner Ed Priola - ed.priola@alamancecountync.gov | 336-260-5242
Notify news outlets:
Again, shared from the facebook page: When emailing commissioners, you can call it an open letter and send it to the local newspapers. So far it seems only the Alamance News is covering this issue. Also send a news tip to the TV/radio news to get the word out!
- Fox 8 - https://myfox8.com/report-it/
- WUNC - https://www.wunc.org/contact-us
- Spectrum - https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triad/about-us/contact-us
- WFMY - https://www.wfmynews2.com/investigative
- Alamance News - https://alamancenews.com/contact-us/
- Times News - https://www.thetimesnews.com/site/forms/online_services/
Attend the events listed below:
Show up and recruit friends to join you. The more people present will help the commissioners see how many of their constituents care about our libraries and don't want them to close or be under-funded. You can even sign up to speak publicly at the meetings. Full details here on how to do so as well as how to see the meetings online if you're unable to attend.
Upcoming Key Dates
June 2nd - A rally to show support and a public budget meeting to attend:
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Groups of community members will begin meeting outside at 5:30 to rally for their causes, including those for the library! Also, the facebook group admins are inviting folks to wear matching green "Protect Public Libraries" T-shirts to the hearing Monday night to turn an entire row of seats GREEN at the meeting to show support for our libraries! If you'd like to get one, you can do so here.
June 9th & 10th - There will also be publicly held budget workshops at 9:30am on both dates at the Alamance Agricultural Building (209 N. Graham- Hopedale Rd Burlington NC 27217). Attendees can't make public comment but are still encouraged to show up in support and wear green or a Protect Public Libraries shirt you can order here.
June 16th - The budget will be finalized on that date so we need to mobilize and speak up before then.
Also, an update shared to the Save the Alamance County Libraries Page said:
ENCOURAGING NEWS: None of them [the commissioners] can say for certain what will happen yet, since there's still the public hearing on the 2nd followed by 2 budget work sessions on the 9th and 10th where arguments will be heard and changes will be made to the budget before finalizing on the 16th. It will take a majority vote (3/5 commissioners) to pass whatever budget is decided on. But the overall *impression* that I get from talking to all of them is that the outpouring of support is WORKING, and that the idea of actually *closing* these libraries is seeming less likely! So KEEP REACHING OUT!
As many of you know, our libraries are a vital asset to our community and provide not only so many wonderful books but also so many other amazing resources, events, and support.
Our libraries and their amazing staff do so much for us. Now it is our turn. Let's do our part to rally behind our libraries for our kids and our community!
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