The Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees Meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. on September 2, 2026, at the C. Burr Artz Library – Community Room.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: A. Bowen, M. Richmond, T. Lancaster, D. Grisgraber, J. D’Agostino, M. O’Leary, S. Sheppard, J. Donald
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: None.
STAFF PRESENT: J. Kelly, Director; C. Hall, Deputy Director; S. McDuff, Deputy Director; B. McDermott, Financial Office Manager; P. Wienecke, Fiscal Assistant; A. Archibald, Personnel Supervisor; C. Brohawn, Operations Analyst; J. Marshall – Technology Manager; B. Heltebridle – Branch Services Department Head; M. Currens, Library Collections Manager; J. El-Zeftawy, Development Officer; B. Hissong, Community Engagement Manager; K. Cambrel, Communications Manager; B. Watts, Staff Development Coordinator; S. Yates, Branch Administrator – C. Burr Artz Library; L. Grackin, Branch Administrator – Myersville Library; L. Branson, Branch Administrator – Walkersville Library; A. Knight, Branch Administrator – Middletown Library; B. Brannen, Branch Administrator – Thurmont Library; J. Diaz, Branch Administrator – Brunswick Library; R. Reeves, Branch Administrator – Urbana Regional Library and Point of Rocks Library; J. James, Library Specialist; J. Speigel, Special Project Manager – Frederick County Government; and C. Smith, Executive Assistant and Recording Secretary.
CITIZEN REMARKS: G. Williams shared a comment.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: S. Sheppard motioned to approve the Minutes of the June 3, 2026, Board Meeting; seconded by M. O’Leary. No further discussion.
VOTE: Unanimous.
CHAIR’S REPORT: M. Richmond reflected on the summer as it comes to a close and noted instances where the library’s impact on the community was evident. The Chair shared her excitement for the coming year, appreciation for past Board members, and welcomed our newest Board member.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
J. Kelly thanked S. Sheppard for her role as the Board Chair over the past few years, thanked M. Richmond for stepping into the role as current Chair, congratulated D. Grisgraber on her reappointment, and welcomed new Board member A. Bowen. He then highlighted the Brunswick team’s partnership with Braver Angels to host a workshop called Disagreeing Better, as well as the TED: Democracy event which capped off the year-long initiative focusing on democracy and civic engagement.
FCPL has been working over the summer to anticipate, listen, and respond. As previously reported, summer lunch distribution programs took place at several branches in partnership with multiple community agencies, distributing over 7,700 meals to families in need. The Middletown team responded to requests for information about local book clubs by organizing the Book Club Showcase, which provided FCPL with an opportunity to educate the public about library resources, the summer reading challenge, reader’s advisory services, and our safe, accessible, and welcoming meeting spaces. The C. Burr Artz team returned to the Children of Incarcerated Parents’ (COIPP) Summer Picnic, building on relationships established during last year's event and reconnecting with some familiar faces. Urbana Library’s Teen Department hosted Escape Room: Bank Heist, a program created by a teen volunteer that resulted in a successful event.
FCPL is also working hard to grow sustainably thanks in large part to partnerships. Emmitsburg staff provided a storytime outreach at a local smoothie shop which resulted in 593 customer interactions for the small business and an opportunity for families to visit the library for the first time. Thurmont and Middletown had the opportunity to participate in the County’s Summer Jobs Program, a grant-funded program that offers opportunities for eligible youth ages 14-21. Walkersville partnered with the Frederick County Health Department and two local bakers to host the Cottage Food Fair, to teach the community about cottage food businesses and law while also connecting fledgling businesses to information and resources.
FCPL is also fostering belonging. The Myersville team launched a sensory-friendly storytime and Thurmont hosted their first Dungeons and Dragons program, allowing participants to create characters that highlighted their own developmental and intellectual disabilities while also providing them with a safe space to talk about their daily challenges and successes. A family in Walkersville were able to use one of the branch’s translation tablets to communicate with staff, allowing them to ask questions, receive information, and engage with the library independently.
Pivoting to statistics, the May report shows trends that we were up in total circulation, new cards issued, programs offered and program attendance, and visits when compared to 2025. The June report closes the Fiscal year, ending FY26 with new high marks in circulation, in-branch and digital cards issued, total branch and online visits, and active cardholders.
BUDGET/CIP UPDATE:
J. Kelly shared that the FY26 budget has closed and we will be part of the County audit, which the Board will hear the results of in November. July 1st was the start of the FY27 budget – our three successful appeals include the $1 per capita increase to our collections funding formula and two new positions – the HR Administrator position and the Digital Materials Manager position. In capital budget news, West Frederick design is complete and is currently working its way through the City’s permitting process. The County will then hire a firm for the construction phase of the project, and we hope for a groundbreaking in the spring of 2027.
An important date to note is the next Board of Trustees meeting on October 7, 2027.
M. O’Leary asked about the dashboard, specifically regarding the data reported for wi-fi use.
J. D’Agostino asked about population growth of the County as is reflected in dashboard data.
NEW BUSINESS
LATI Recognition:
J. Kelly provided background information about the LATI program and recognized recent LATI graduates, Jennifer James and Lauren Bicknell (absent).
M. O’Leary shared his appreciation for the hard work and contribution of LATI graduates.
Financial Report:
B. McDermott shared FY27 budget numbers tentative as of July 31, 2026.
Holiday Schedule:
T. Lancaster made a motion to approve the Holiday Schedule for FY27; seconded by S. Sheppard. No further discussion.
VOTE: Unanimous.
Policy Revisions and Reaffirmations:
S. Sheppard made a motion to approve the Policy Manual; seconded by J. D’Agostino. Discussion: M. O’Leary shared appreciation for the thought that went into the policy changes, M. Richmond echoed those sentiments.
VOTE: Unanimous.
Committee Assignments:
The Chair shared the committee assignments: the Finance Committee – M. O’Leary as Chair, J. D’Agostino, A. Bowen, with M. Richmond and J. Kelly as ex officio; the Nominations Committee – S. Sheppard as Chair, T. Lancaster, D. Grisgraber, with M. Richmond and J. Kelly as ex officio.
C. Burr Artz Update:
S. Yates shared updates about the C. Burr Artz Public Library. Staff continue to work closely with community partners, including SHIP’s Summer Academy, the Boys & Girls Club, the Frederick Rescue Mission, COIPP, and Centro Hispano to anticipate the needs of the families they serve and find ways to make library services – and the Summer Reading Challenge – more accessible to the community.
Growing sustainably, the C. Burr Artz Library has found ways to make resources like the Memory Lab more accessible to the community and more sustainable for the library.
Instead of being offered as a rotating service throughout the library system, staff looked for ways to make the Memory Lab a permanent feature, and it now provides customers the opportunity to preserve and digitize personal materials with access to equipment on a consistent basis. Another example of growing sustainably is through increased interagency and partnership resource sharing and programming. Building on relationships with the Department of Family Services, Hood College, and the Health Department, staff were able to expand the services and resources available to our community.
Fostering belonging means creating opportunities to allow people to see their own interests, experiences, and history reflected in the library. CBA staff welcomed local experts and former band members to share the history of Frederick’s underground music scene of the 1980s. The Next Steps partnership with the City of Frederick’s Reengagement Manager has grown into a consistent space for teens and young adults ages 14–24 where they can build relationships, develop skills, and connect with resources that support their next steps in life.
Bylaw Change:
The Chair made a motion to change the word “citizen” to “community member” in the Board of Trustees bylaws; seconded by M. O’Leary. Discussion – M. Richmond made the suggested change to reflect FCPL’s Strategic Priorities, specifically fostering belonging.
VOTE: Unanimous.
Board questions and comments: S. Sheppard shared her appreciation for the design change in the new PowerPoint template.
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. October 7, 2026.
The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
Minutes signed by,
M. Richmond
Chair, Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees