The Chattanooga Public Library has broken from Hamilton County and is reinventing itself. The city is exploring a possible management agreement with the Lupton Library at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) to administer the downtown main facility and four branches. The library board is being completely replaced, without county representation, and possibly expanded from the seven members (required by state law) to as many as 11 members. The library will not make a decision on hiring a permanent director to succeed David Clapp, who retired last year, until the new governance structure is in place.
I think it’s a great idea. With library’s getting less of the pie in most states, what a great way to combine services and get out from under county government. For some reason other counties in North Carolin treat their library systems better than we do here in Forsyth County in terms of funding. After twenty years of county politics I can tell you that a lot of public librarians may see this as a welcome alternative.
I had a hair cut appointment after work then made a trip to the, ugh!, mall to shop for undergarments. That is about the only thing I wear that I do not like to buy online.