FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES OF MEETING
MARCH 4, 2026
The Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees Meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. on March 4, 2026, at the C. Burr Artz Library – Community Room.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: S. Sheppard, G. Mayfield, T. Lancaster, J. D’Agostino, D. Grisgraber, M. O’Leary, J. Donald
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: M. Richmond
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; B. Watts, Staff Development Coordinator; K. Cambrel, Communications Manager; C. Krogh, Facilities Coordinator; J. El-Zeftawy, Development Officer; B. Hissong, Community Engagement Manager; 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. Reeves, Branch Administrator – Urbana Regional Library and Point of Rocks Library; C. Lingrel, Communications Specialist; S. Weyman, Communications Specialist; J. Chiplis, Library Associate; M. Redden, Information and Technical Materials Manager; J. Speigel, Special Project Manager – Frederick County Government; and C. Smith, Executive Assistant and Recording Secretary.
CITIZEN REMARKS: None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: T. Lancaster motioned to approve the Minutes of the February 4, 2026 Board Meeting; seconded by J. D’Agostino. No further discussion.
VOTE: Unanimous.
CHAIR’S REPORT: The Chair welcomed staff and guests, thanking them for taking the time to join us for the meeting. She reminded staff to check in with themselves and continue to practice self-care.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
J. Kelly reported on the successful meetings he and C. Hall had on Library Legislative Day discussing trends in library use, the importance of State Aid, and the status of capital projects.
Since the last report, FCPL has been busy anticipating, listening, and responding to customers through CBA’s partnership with the City of Frederick’s Reengagement Manager for a drop-in teen program. The program helps teens and young adults reengage with schools and community resources like the library. Staff have been signing teens up for library cards giving overviews of FCPL’s resources and connecting them with other community groups.
FCPL supports sustainable growth through the Materials Management team’s development of a training for staff on how to create a more welcoming, attractive, and inclusive collection. This training resulted in staff completing branch-wide assessments of collections and displays. The Middletown Library hosted 150 3rd graders for a program they planned as a Language Arts enrichment to the school curriculum, which was a successful opportunity for students to connect with the library and its resources.
FCPL is fostering belonging by providing a weekly musical storytime featuring music from around the world, a program highlighting Frederick’s underground music scene, and memory care backpacks, which were a collaboration between the Materials staff and Brunswick Library.
Pivoting to statistics, the dashboard includes January numbers as well as year-to-date totals. Wi-Fi usage was slightly below average, likely due to weather closures, while the numbers of new cardholders increased, a 63% jump in digital cards. Brunswick hosted “takeover” events that allowed kids to explore the library, garnering an average attendance of 150 and coverage in the local newspaper. During its annual review of cardholder data, FCPL found a 3.6% increase over last January, which indicates strong customer retention and use.
BUDGET/CIP UPDATE:
J. Kelly shared about a recent meeting with the County Executive where Director’s Staff presented the draft operating budget and discussed the impact of past successful appeals. They discussed trends in library use, FCPL’s capital projects, and defended the three budget appeals for FY27. The County Executive tasked the team with surveying peer libraries to learn how they deal with challenges that our appeals seek to address. The CE’s next public hearing is on March 12th.
Important dates to note include the two shifted Board meetings to accommodate staff attending conferences: April 8th for the Public Library Association conference and May 13th for the Maryland Library Association conference.
S. Sheppard asked about the availability of Wi-Fi outside the building and during closures, access to FCPL digital cards, and the content selector role.
M. O’Leary asked about Wi-Fi use outside the building.
G. Mayfield asked about the numbers presented in the dashboard and suggested statistics be reported on a per capita basis.
NEW BUSINESS
Financial Report:
B. McDermott shared FY26 budget numbers tentative as of January 30, 2026.
T. Lancaster asked about the grant received for FCWS and the possible impact of a reduction in passport offerings.
Walkersville Library Update:
L. Branson shared highlights from the Walkersville Library in the past year. They are anticipating community needs, listening with care, and responding by evolving services and collections to strengthen their connection with the community. The Walkersville staff create opportunities for ongoing community engagement through events like the Teen Job Fair and Senior Resource Fair.
Walkersville is growing sustainably by expanding their impact through intentional partnerships and outreach, as well as planning new services with a focus on community need and responsible allocation of resources.
The staff fostered belonging by building trust with underserved communities, by celebrating, valuing, and sharing diverse experiences and knowledge, and by collaborating with community partners to develop inclusive programming.
Digital Content Presentation:
M. Redden shared an update on digital content, its accelerating growth in use and popularity, and the increasingly challenging task the Collections team has to curate a catalog of popular titles while managing demand and varying pricing models. She shared information about the advantages and disadvantages of different models across platforms like Hoopla and Libby, noting the efforts the selectors make to utilize platforms that offer quick access for patrons and predictable pricing to control costs. Michelle provided an example of the cost breakdown for popular titles, both in eBook and audiobook formats. She also touched on other eContent offerings like ASLdeafined, as well as other digital resources that FCPL may make available in the future.
M. O’Leary asked about the job of the selectors, the “hold to copy ratio,” and database popularity.
S. Sheppard asked about database use and the cost variances of books based on popularity.
M. O’Leary asked if selectors manage both print and digital, as well as how they make decisions on what to purchase. He also asked about trends in audiobooks vs eBooks.
Board questions and comments: T. Lancaster commented on the recent donor event hosted by the Library, Well Read and Dead.
Other Citizen remarks: None.
The next FCPL Board of Trustees meeting will be held at the C. Burr Artz Library – Community Room at 7:00 p.m. on April 8, 2026.
J. D’Agostino made a motion to adjourn the meeting; seconded by T. Lancaster. No further discussion. VOTE: Unanimous.
The meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m.
Signed by S. Sheppard
Chair, Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees