KING WILLIAM — King William County has no plans for a temporary book service before a new facility opens in the former parks and recreation department, despite still paying rent on the former library building on Sharon Road.
During a public meeting in May, Todd Frager, the CEO of Library Systems & Services, which is now running the county libraries, floated the idea of “pop-up services” in Upper King William County if the public faced significant time without a library.
However, the chair of the Library Board of Trustees concluded the county lacks the money to provide interim services.
The Board of Supervisors voted to end King William’s ties with the Pamunkey Regional Library service earlier this year after eight decades and to enter a 10-year contract with LS&S, a private library provider. The branch on Sharon Road closed at the end of June. The West Point branch has been the county’s sole library since.
This summer, the Board of Supervisors agreed to hire a contractor to convert the former parks and recreation building into a library, but there is still no set timeline for completion. Henderson Inc. hopes to start work on the new library around the end of October or early November.
“We are potentially six months out from our second location opening,” said Ashley Herndon, who chairs the Library Board of Trustees
The county still leases the shuttered Sharon Road branch. Interim County Administrator Clarence Monday confirmed the county is paying $2,500 a month to rent the library as a storage space.
“This allowed safe, climate-controlled storage without having the risk and expense of moving library materials, furniture, and furnishings. Furthermore, much of the parks and recreation materials and equipment is stored there during the renovation project,” he said.
On Sept. 16, Herndon said she has been examining “pop-up” services in the northern part of the county, but ruled them out due to lack of funding. Herndon said that the county has “explored a multitude of avenues for a pop-up library.”
She said the rented space is not ideal for “pop-up” services because it is not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. Opening the space to the public would “drastically change that rental agreement and pricing tier,” she said. “Unfortunately, as we all know, there are no funds currently allocated in the budget for the library.”
Herndon said the board has explored options, including a locker system.
Monday alluded to “treasures” in the old branch that can be used at the new facility. “But we also know there are things to be purchased for the new branch,” he said. No cost estimate has yet been provided for new equipment and furniture. “You want the public to be proud of the facility,” Monday said.
The county finance department also faces the task of tracking the exact expenditures that go into libraries.
“This year, we are paying the rent of the shuttered facility, we are paying the electricity at the site and we are paying for certain expenses that go into the operation of the West Point facility,” Monday said.
The Board of Trustees is looking at making savings in the amount of money it pays to LS&S because the county pays for staffing for two libraries.
Board member Tracey Carlton suggested limiting part-time position hours to 52 a week. Frager is offering to pay for half of the branch manager position for the Upper King William library manager, pending the opening of the new library.
David Macaulay, Davidmacaulayva@gmail.com
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/09/22/2nd-king-william-library-still-months-away/
