Commissioner raises questions after library report shows spending up while use falls

A commissioner-led review of the Alamance Public Library's 2025 annual report prompted questions Monday about whether taxpayers are getting commensurate service for rising expenditures.

Commissioner Ed Priola presented comparative numbers showing visits down 36% from 2019, items circulated down 28%, computer/Wi-Fi usage down 44% and active library cards down 21% while library expenditures rose roughly 30% over the same period. "Expenditures do not align with performance for the library system," Priola said, asking library leaders to explain plans to reconcile spending with measured service delivery.

Priola also pressed whether the library's public materials and partnerships reflected a continued emphasis on equity or DEI-related programming despite previous assurances that such practices were removed. He noted a partnership listing for Democracy NC and said he wanted clarity about what the relationship entailed; the library system replied that Democracy NC had staffed voter-registration tables at branch locations during a recent primary.

Speakers during public comment had earlier emphasized libraries' role as community lifelines for internet access, job-search help and printing — services residents say will be more critical if state and federal cuts materialize. Several callers asked the county to make dashboard data more transparent so the public can see how state funding reductions shift costs to the county.

Next steps: Commissioners asked county staff and library leadership to provide follow-up responses about expenditure drivers, partnership activities, and how library services will be measured going forward.