FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES OF MEETING
NOVEMBER 19, 2025
The Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees Meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. on November 19, 2025, at the C. Burr Artz Library – Community Room.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: S. Sheppard, T. Lancaster, J. D’Agostino, G. Mayfield, D. Grisgraber, M. O’Leary, M. Richmond
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: J. Donald
STAFF PRESENT: J. Kelly, Director; C. Hall – Associate Director; S. McDuff – Associate Director; B. McDermott, Finance Manager; A. Archibald, Personnel Supervisor; C. Brohawn, Project Coordinator; J. Marshall – Systems Manager; B. Heltebridle – Branch Services Manager; M. Currens, Library Collections Manager; J. El-Zeftawy, Development Officer; B. Hissong, Community Engagement Manager; B. Watts, Staff Development Coordinator; S. Yates, Branch Administrator – C. Burr Artz Library; L. Branson, Branch Administrator – Walkersville Library; D. Spurrier, Branch Administrator – Emmitsburg Library; A. Knight, Branch Administrator – Middletown Library; B. Brannen, Branch Administrator – Thurmont Regional Library; J. Diaz, Branch Administrator – Brunswick Library; R. Cox-Steib, Branch Administrator – Myersville Library; R. Reeves, Branch Administrator – Urbana Regional Library and Point of Rocks Library; T. Stevens, Library Associate; L. Bicknell, Library Associate; C. Lingrel, Communications Specialist; R. Daniel, Library Associate; K. Galler, Library Associate; E. Strubert, Library Associate; Z. Hylock, Accountant - County Finance Department; and C. Smith, Executive Assistant and Recording Secretary.
CITIZEN REMARKS: None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: T. Lancaster motioned to approve the Minutes of October 1, 2025; seconded M. Richmond. No further discussion.
VOTE: Unanimous.
CHAIR’S REPORT: The Chair shared her gratitude for FCPL and its leaders. She noted the environment that is cultivated within the system by the staff, which in turn allows the work of the Board to be meaningful and easy. Another aspect that is noteworthy is FCPL’s commitment to the freedom to read, to meeting the community’s needs with dignity and respect, and to providing resources that reflect the full diversity of those we serve.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
J. Kelly shared that FCPL participated in the FY25 Public Libraries Survey, reporting record circulation of over 5 million items. This annual nationwide survey supports decisions about library funding and planning, and the results show that more Frederick County residents are visiting branches and finding value in FCPL’s collections.
FCPL is anticipating, listening, and responding by connecting with partner agencies, connecting customers to the resources that they need. FCPL branches support families by hosting child-focused agencies at storytimes, offering caregivers direct access to resources and staff with opportunities to enhance programming for young children. For older adults, branches are improving access to community resources, exemplified by events like the Senior Resource Fair, which connected attendees with local organizations and received positive feedback.
FCPL is discovering ways to grow sustainably through partnerships with local businesses to reach new customers. During Library Card Sign Up Month, staff expanded outreach efforts by visiting local businesses and community spots. Additionally, FCPL partnered with Frederick County Workforce Services to obtain a grant that upgraded the Workforce Services laptop and hotspot program. The grant funded 10 new laptop/hotspot kits for circulation and 9 laptops for in-branch use, enhancing technology support for job seekers.
FCPL is fostering belonging through updating board games to better represent our community. The Artz children’s department updated the classic “Little Mouse” flannel board game to be more inclusive by adding representations of different types of homes, such as apartment buildings, mobile homes, townhouses, and campers. This change helps foster a greater sense of belonging for all children attending story time.
Pivoting to statistics, the Director shared the highlights from the first quarter of the fiscal year: 183 Narcan kits were distributed across the 6 branches that have displays, 3,819 community members engaged with FCPL at outreach events, and adaptive programming events were well attended. To highlight quarterly progress on our new strategic plan, the Board will now receive the Strategic Plan Quarterly Report, which uses metrics to track things like passport services, digital circulation growth, types of cards issued (in branch vs digital), and social media engagement.
BUDGET/CIP UPDATE:
J. Kelly shared that the Finance Committee met last week and the FY25 audit will be presented. As for FY27 budget planning, two base budget changes were requested: one related to the Per Capita funding formulas, and the other was for part-year funding of the Branch Administrator position for West Frederick. In January, the Director will lead a budget refresher for the Board, as well as present the draft budget to the Board’s Finance Committee.
FCPL hosted a community meeting on the design for West Frederick on Monday. The meeting provided a look at the preliminary building design and an opportunity to vote on exterior and interior design options.
Regarding collective bargaining, on November 4th, AFSCME notified the library of a petition showing that a majority of non-supervisory staff wished to form a bargaining unit. An arbitrator has now certified AFSCME as the exclusive representative for these staff members. The library expects bargaining to begin soon. Next steps include both sides selecting negotiation teams and library leadership receiving training on the process. While the timeline for reaching a collective bargaining agreement is uncertain, it has taken over a year in similar cases at other Maryland public libraries.
M. O’Leary inquired about the process and history of collective bargaining at FCPL. He also asked about the Strategic Plan update, specifically the eContent numbers, what patterns have emerged, and which databases are being used. M. O’Leary then inquired about the wiggle seats used during adaptive programming.
S. Sheppard asked if Narcan doses can be accessed by the public or staff only.
Important dates to note include the next Board meeting on January 7, 2026.
NEW BUSINESS
LATI Recognition:
J. Kelly provided background information about the LATI program and recognized E. Strubert, K. Galler, and R. Daniel for their hard work in completing the program.
M. O’Leary acknowledged the LATI graduates and stressed the importance of their contribution to FCPL and the library community.
Audit Presentation:
Z. Hylock presented the County Finance department’s audit of FCPL’s FY25 budget.
T. Lancaster made a motion to approve the FY25 budget audit, G. Mayfield seconded the motion. Vote: Unanimous
Financial Report:
B. McDermott shared FY26 budget numbers tentative as of September 30, 2025.
Middletown Library Update:
A. Knight shared that since opening in May 2024, the new Middletown Library has nearly doubled its visits, serving as a popular gathering space for the community. The branch is especially busy after school with students of all ages enjoying the dedicated teen area, study rooms, outdoor porches, and a children’s area that features regularly updated play themes.
The expanded collection offers more opportunities for browsing, and the addition of book lockers for after-hours pickups has helped drive a 48% increase in in-branch checkouts. The new library’s larger programming rooms and increased staff capacity for outreach have also led to significantly higher engagement, with program and event attendance rising by 80%.
Middletown fostered belonging through dynamic programs and experiences, as well as through their Teen Volunteer program. FCPL staff at Middletown anticipated, listened, and responded by furnishing seed donations in partnership with the town and other local organizations, which resulted in 963 seed packets being checked out over the last year from the Seed Library.
Growing sustainably, the Middletown staff hosted its first Community Movie Night in partnership with the town and Westview Cinemas at Remsberg Park for over 350 people.
M. O’Leary asked about the ages and number of teen volunteers.
M. Richmond asked if the coordinator is a staff member or volunteer.
Board questions and comments: M. Richmond shared a recent positive experience at the Middletown branch and recounted an anecdote from the Alabama Optometrist Association to demonstrate that fields across many sectors have difficulty recruiting and retaining candidates of color.
Other Citizen remarks: Dean Herrin, of Culler Ave, Frederick, thanked the library staff for their work, specifically Mary Mannix in the Maryland Room and the ILL team.
The next FCPL Board of Trustees meeting will be held at the C. Burr Artz Library – Community Room at 7:00 p.m. on January 7, 2026.
M. Richmond made a motion to adjourn the meeting; seconded by M. O’Leary. No further discussion. VOTE: Unanimous.
The meeting adjourned at 7:57pm.
Signed by,
M. Richmond
Vice Chair, Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees