NE Ga. Library System Exploring Partnership With Toccoa-Stephens Co. Library

The Northeast Georgia Regional Library System is looking at the possibility of a partnership with the Toccoa-Stephens County Library to make it a central headquarters location for the region.

Northeast Georgia Regional Library System Regional Director Delana Knight said that the regional board has approved such a preliminary plan based on a number of other things falling in place.

Knight said one of the main factors is whether the state changes its funding formula for libraries.

According to Knight, a new funding formula proposed by libraries to the state would provide more money for salaries, but less money for materials and other regional operations.

As a result, Knight said the Northeast Georgia system is looking at this plan as a way to help fund regional operations.

“Our library system, unlike most systems in the state of Georgia, does not charge a membership fee to its libraries,” said Knight. “We are trying to avoid having to do that, so that is when we started looking at a partnership with one of our member libraries.”

Knight said if the plan were to move forward later this year, the Toccoa-Stephens County Library would simply be designated as the central library for the region.

“The region would pay salaries of two employees at Stephens County Library and that would be the manager and the children’s specialist,” said Knight. “Toccoa-Stephens County Library would pay us back a percentage of that costs. When that money comes back to the region, we would be able to use that for our regional operations.”

Knight said the new plan is also contingent on Stephens County maintaining its same funding level for the Toccoa-Stephens County Library.

Concerns have been raised over what will happen when it comes to library funding in the coming fiscal year budget for Stephens County.

Stephens County Commission Chairman Dennis Bell said at a commission meeting last month he feels the library is something that is vital to fund.

“I can say on my part that the library is one thing this county must continue to keep up,” said Bell. “We have folks out there that do not have the Internet at their house, we have children that need this library.”

Knight said this plan would not result in any reduction in services at the Toccoa-Stephens County Library for patrons.

She said that if everything falls into place at the state and local levels, they could move forward with the plan in July at the start of the new fiscal year.

Currently, the Northeast Georgia Regional Library system has offices in Clarkesville, but is not located in the Clarkesville library.

The Northeast Georgia Regional Library System works with libraries in Stephens, Habersham, White, and Rabun counties.