David Plunkett, director of the Jefferson‑Madison Regional Library, told City Council on Aug. 18 that the library system serves five jurisdictions with eight branches and a bookmobile and that the Central Library building — co‑owned by the city and Albemarle County — needs a major renovation to meet modern needs.

"The mission of the library is to foster personal growth and lifelong learning for all by connecting people with ideas, information, and each other," Plunkett said, describing services that range from physical collections and digital‑media labs to Wi‑Fi hotspots, holds lockers and a mobile bookmobile that serves parts of the region.

Why it matters: the library is a heavily used public facility and a downtown "third space" for residents. Plunkett said the system reported about 1.9 million items checked out last fiscal year, roughly 93,000 cardholders, nearly 750,000 branch visits systemwide and about 150,000 visits at the Central Library. The system’s fiscal year‑2026 budget totals about $11.3 million; Plunkett said Charlottesville tax dollars pay for staff and branch operations while state aid, which he said is about $1.1 million, largely pays for books and materials.

Key points:
- Services and programs: Plunkett reviewed digital services (Libby e‑books and audiobooks), online databases, a makerspace and digital media lab at Central, Wi‑Fi, public computers, bookmobile stops, notary service, age‑targeted programs, sensory support kits at Gordon Avenue, Virginia State Park passes for checkout and a wide range of outreach programming. He said the library checked out roughly 600,000 digital items last fiscal year.
- Usage and awards: The system logged thousands of programs and more than 100,000 program attendees; Jamerrill was named the Virginia Library Association’s Library of the Year in 2022, Plunkett said.
- Funding and partners: Plunkett described the City of Charlottesville as fiscal agent and noted that the Friends of the Library fund programming and special equipment. He said late fines historically funded some IT hardware but that the library board is discussing the equity and practicality of continuing fines as digital materials automatically return.
- Staffing and regional footprint: JMRL’s region is roughly the size of Delaware by land area, Plunkett said. The system relies on cooperative agreements among the five jurisdictions; Charlottesville and Albemarle split the operating cost for urban‑ring branches according to usage.
- Central Library renovation timeline: Plunkett said a Friends‑commissioned design study in 2015 and a 2023 working group helped align city and county priorities; he said architecture and engineering work is planned in the capital improvement program for fiscal 2027, with full construction targeted later (Plunkett said fiscal 2029 was the anticipated construction year). He said the Friends of the Library plan to support fundraising and that city and county funds would match each other for the project.

Plunkett also reviewed historical context, including the Swanson case and the library system’s desegregation history, and noted that the Central Library’s portico was moved in the 1930s — remarks meant to underscore both the building’s age and local significance.

Questions and next steps: Council members asked about timeline and costs; Plunkett said cost estimates will firm after architecture and engineering work and that the Friends group expects a major fundraising effort. He cautioned that federal changes — Plunkett referenced the recent suspension of Institute of Museum and Library Services funding at the federal level — could affect some state‑supported databases and services that the library currently relies on.

Ending: Plunkett invited council and the public to upcoming Central Library programs and said the library will return with project updates as the capital planning and design work proceed.