FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES OF MEETING
APRIL 8, 2026
The Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees Meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. on April 8, 2026, at the C. Burr Artz Library – Community Room.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: S. Sheppard, M. Richmond, T. Lancaster, D. Grisgraber, M. O’Leary, J. Donald
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: G. Mayfield, J. D’Agostino
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; 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; J. Diaz, Branch Administrator – Brunswick Library; R. Reeves, Branch Administrator – Urbana Regional Library and Point of Rocks Library; R. Goetz, Children’s Supervisor – Myersville Library; P. Wienecke, Fiscal Assistant; C. Lingrel, Communications Specialist; C. Jacobs, Library Associate; T. Stevens, Library Associate; C. Weiland, Library Associate; 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 March 4, 2026 Board Meeting; seconded by M O’Leary. No further discussion.
VOTE: Unanimous.
CHAIR’S REPORT: The Chair shared her renewed sense of energy and possibility brought on by spring, as well as her gratitude for staff, volunteers, and fellow Board members. She has been reflecting on the power of stories and how they connect us across experiences. Looking ahead, the Chair is excited about upcoming programming, community engagement, and the everyday moments that make our libraries such essential spaces.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
J. Kelly reported on a recent interaction a staff member at Urbana had with a Spanish-speaking customer where she was able to utilize an ILA translation device to facilitate communication regarding their passport need. This interaction points to the work FCPL does in every corner of the county, where people recognize that libraries are safe and welcoming spaces, and demonstrates the trust we have built with the communities we serve.
FCPL is anticipating, listening, and responding through a new partnership with Frederick County Division of Child and Family Services. Now that staff are familiar with their services, this county partner will be onsite at two branches, once a week, to assist families with school paperwork, government forms, including WIC and SNAP applications. The Brunswick branch recently presented at the Aging Network Alliance, providing an overview of the new memory care backpack kits that were recently rolled out.
FCPL is growing sustainably through the recently delivered Early Start Bookmobile which will be unveiled on April 25 and begin immediately connecting with communities. Another way we connect with the community is through meeting rooms. The community center meeting rooms at Point of Rocks were recently transferred from the local Ruritans to FCPL who have begun handling scheduling and customers have already noticed the “buzz of community conversation” as a result.
When it comes to fostering belonging at FCPL, it happens when folks interact with our collections, when they attend programs, or through moments of connection across a desk. Customers at different branches have recently commented to staff that they appreciated the “Staff Picks” display and that the library is an inclusive space with books for everyone.
The Middletown branch hosted a preschool class from the Maryland School for the Deaf for a library tour and storytime. Middletown also hosted their second annual Kindness Festival, which provides accessible, onsite service opportunities for those who want to contribute to their community on a day of service, and it also was an opportunity to connect with potential long-term partners.
Pivoting to statistics, looking at numbers through February, the number of total visits and new cardholders are trending above last fiscal year’s averages. As a follow up to the presentation at last month’s Board meeting on eContent, James shared additional numbers to provide context and answer some of the Board’s questions.
BUDGET/CIP UPDATE:
J. Kelly shared that we are awaiting the release of the County Executive’s budget on April 15 and whether FCPL will be called by the County Council to answer questions about our budgets. Regarding capital projects, we are gathering data and letters of support for our FY28 State Capital Grant Applications. This spring we will be filing requests for additional construction funding to support the West Frederick branch library project and to support the design phase of the East County Regional library project.
Important dates to note include the next Board meeting on May 13, 2026, to allow staff to attend the Maryland Library Association conference the week prior. The Nominations Committee will be interviewing candidates for the upcoming Board vacancy and will share their selection with the full Board for consideration and a vote at that meeting.
M. O’Leary thanked James for update on eContent numbers.
S. Sheppard asked if the library will be collaborating with new community centers.
M. Richmond asked about hold ratios and holds dying.
NEW BUSINESS
LATI Recognition:
J. Kelly provided background information about the LATI program and recognized recent LATI graduates Claire Jacobs and Teresa Stevens. Absent: Erin Lazarus, Karen Shomaker, Kate McKenna, Amanda O’Neal.
M. O’Leary shared his appreciation for the hard work and contribution of LATI graduates.
Financial Report:
B. McDermott shared FY26 budget numbers tentative as of February 28, 2026.
Myersville Library Update:
R. Goetz shared the updates from the previous year at the Myersville Library. The team there has been anticipating, listening, and responding to the community, which resulted in offering weekend programming during the summer. They also restarted Adult Adaptive Programming and found opportunities to connect with the Wolfsville community through outreach at local events.
Growing sustainably, the Myersville team offered a Touch a Truck event, a variety of adult programming, and have expanded their seed library through donations from businesses and students at the Lucy School. They also surpassed their Summer Challenge goal by more than 200 challenge finishers.
The staff at Myersville strive to foster belonging by creating a welcoming and safe place for all patrons, providing a robust collection, and offering inclusive programming for all ages. Some examples include hosting elementary school field trips, connecting with tweens and teens through programs, outreach, and by offering volunteer opportunities, and building relationships with families that attend storytimes and programs.
D. Grisgraber asked about the preschool prom event.
Board questions and comments: M. Richmond commented on a recent story that was shared on social media of established authors using their popularity to promote up-and-coming authors and continuing the act of paying it forward. She also noted the recent news that FCPS cut elementary library programs, encouraged staff to reach out in support, and challenged them to find opportunities to partner with schools to provide access to books for children.
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 May 13, 2026.
The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
Minutes signed by,
S. Sheppard
Chair, Frederick County Public Libraries Board of Trustees