Cleveland County proclaims National Library Week; director announces $100,000 bookmobile grant

The Cleveland County Board of Commissioners on April 2 adopted a proclamation naming April 7–13, 2024, National Library Week and heard from Library Director Roy Adams about the library’s recent usage and outreach.

Roy Adams told commissioners that “the library has circulated, over 200,000 items” in the past year and recorded “almost 170,000 visitors.” He added that the library ran “almost 5,000 programs and participants,” citing outreach work across the county.

The clerk read a proclamation that said libraries “offer the opportunity for everyone to connect,” promote civic engagement and economic development, and urged residents to visit their local libraries during National Library Week. The board adopted the proclamation during the meeting.

During a follow-up exchange, an unidentified commissioner asked about a planned mobile library. Adams said the county applied in 2022 for a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant through the State Library of North Carolina and “we are awarded the grant. It was a $100,000 grant to purchase [a] Bookmobile mobile library.” He said production delays pushed the vehicle’s delivery, but the county expects to receive the bookmobile in 2024 and to deploy it to nursing homes, apartment communities, parks and community events in 2024–2025.

Adams described the bookmobile as part of the library’s outreach strategy to bring Wi‑Fi and collections to residents who may not visit library branches. The board did not take any additional funding votes on the bookmobile at the meeting; the announcement described an awarded state grant rather than a county appropriation.

The board thanked Adams and library staff for the presentation. The proclamation and the director’s overview are the most recent steps in the county’s outreach efforts; the library will proceed with logistics for staffing and routes before the bookmobile begins service.