FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES OF MEETING
JANUARY 7, 2026
The Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees Meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. on January 7, 2026, at the C. Burr Artz Library – Community Room.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: T. Lancaster, J. D’Agostino, D. Grisgraber, M. O’Leary, M. Richmond, J. Donald
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: S. Sheppard, G. Mayfield
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; J. Diaz, Branch Administrator – Brunswick Library; R. Reeves, Branch Administrator – Urbana Regional Library and Point of Rocks Library; and C. Smith, Executive Assistant and Recording Secretary.
CITIZEN REMARKS: None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: J. D’Agostino motioned to approve the Minutes of November 12, 2025; seconded M. O’Leary. No further discussion.
VOTE: Unanimous.
J. D’Agostino motioned to approve the Minutes of November 19, 2025; seconded by T. Lancaster. No further discussion.
VOTE: Unanimous.
CHAIR’S REPORT: None. In the absence of the Chair, Vice Chair, M. Richmond, shared an appreciation of recent social media posts.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
J. Kelly shared that FCPL has been busy anticipating, listening, and responding to customers by looking for new places in the community to connect with them. The Emmitsburg Library switched from planned senior programs to a monthly pop-up library at the local senior center during “Monday Meals.” Attendance has grown, with seniors checking out books, getting library cards, and requesting cookbooks and holiday movies. By meeting seniors where they are, the library built stronger ties and improved access, showing it’s an active community partner. The Adult Services team at the C. Burr Artz branch is expanding outreach by engaging with community members at venues like the Frederick City Market, Moonlit Market, and FCC’s Learning Commons. At the Moonlit Market, nearly 200 people checked out books or signed up for library cards.
FCPL supports sustainable growth through staff development and sharing best practices. Recent retreats helped staff reconnect and share ideas, strengthening the library's service. Partnering with Centro Hispano, the library reached underserved groups, issued library cards, and shared resources. The Bookmobile visited Waverly Elementary, offering resources and audiobooks for multilingual families, which was well received by new cardholders.
FCPL is fostering belonging, making everyone feel welcomed and valued. Urbana Library staff promoted FCPL resources for dyslexic and neurodiverse readers at a resource fair, gaining insights into community needs. Brunswick Library staff teamed up with local organizations to launch its first Memory Cafe, a bi-monthly social space supporting those affected by memory loss and their networks, strengthening community service.
Pivoting to statistics, the Director shared the highlights from the October and November 2025 dashboards. October saw a combined 540 book locker and curbside pickups, FCPL offered 21 ESL conversation classes in partnership with the Literacy Council, and the Frederick Reads event with author RL Stine garnered a crowd of over 1,000 people. In the month of November, FCPL’s committed volunteers contributed over 1,000 hours of service and the systems appears to be on pace for another record-breaking year of circulation of materials.
BUDGET/CIP UPDATE:
J. Kelly shared that there was a recent meeting with the County’s CIP Committee to discuss FCPL’s pending projects – West Frederick, North Frederick, East Frederick, and the CBA remodel. The West Frederick project is in the design phase, and we anticipate Dewberry will deliver 60% plans early next month. On the operating side of the budget, a virtual budget refresher training will be offered to the Board’s Finance Committee on January 8th and then they will meet with the Finance Committee on January 22nd to present the FY27 draft operating budget.
One other important date to note include the next Board meeting on February 4, 2026.
M. Richmond requested confirmation that the number of attendees for children’s programs has increased despite the overall percentage decreasing in comparison from year to year.
J. D’Agostino asked if there have been any changes in the schedule in regard to the CIP.
NEW BUSINESS
Financial Report:
B. McDermott shared FY26 budget numbers tentative as of November 30, 2025.
Emmitsburg Library Update:
D. Spurrier shared the growth and the impact the Emmitsburg Library had in the community with new resources and services, in staffing, and in creating a community hub that encourages exploration and curiosity. Emmitsburg staff increased to include two part-time library technicians and a new full-time Children’s Services Supervisor. Staff organized pop-up library events in the community that expanded awareness of library services for those with transportation or mobility challenges. Staff enjoyed meeting new patrons and curating special collections for these events.
Emmitsburg staff anticipated, listed, and responded through programming and services that were shaped by direct feedback. Highlights include the seed library, as well as a Community Plant Swap event, followed by programs focused on harvesting, using, and preserving goods grown in the garden. History-focused programs and monthly adaptive programs for adults with developmental disabilities also received enthusiastic feedback from attendees. Another highly requested service was able to be offered, in coordination with a community partner, to distribute lunch bags with meals and supplemental snacks for a week – 151 were handed out over the summer and led to another opportunity to hand out backpacks and school supplies in the fall.
Staff fostered belonging through consistent children’s programs, a 7-week Teen Leadership Camp, and a popular Saturday Crafternoon event, all of which contributed to a 58% increase in program attendance.
M. O’Leary asked how many staff members work at the Emmitsburg Library.
M. Richmond asked about the branch’s operating hours.
Director’s Evaluation: T. Lancaster made a motion to approve the Director’s evaluation; seconded by M. O’Leary. No further discussion.
VOTE: Unanimous.
Board questions and comments: None.
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 February 4, 2026.
The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
Signed by,
S. Sheppard
Chair, Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees