Over the next couple of months, the County had planned to hold a series of public feedback sessions on the future of the Buncombe County library system. However, due to concerns over the increasing spread of COVID- 19, plans for the public sessions have been put on a temporary hold.
The feedback sessions were intended to provide an opportunity for public input on a recent consultant’s proposal to move the County toward a “regional” library system, with larger facilities serving greater population areas. The proposal includes a recommendation to close the Swannanoa and Black Mountain libraries, and construct a new, much larger library to serve both communities.
The feedback sessions began in July and were scheduled to take place at locations throughout the County through October. The Swannanoa session was scheduled for Thursday, October 7, at the Bee Tree Fire Station in Swannanoa, 510 Bee Tree Road, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. It’s hoped that the temporary pause will be lifted, and that the feedback sessions will resume in time for the Swannanoa meeting to take place on its originally-scheduled date and time. So please mark your calendar, and encourage your friends and neighbors to attend.
In the meantime, you can submit feedback on the library proposal by email to prteam@buncombecounty.org.The County will eventually make decisions that affect the future of our Swannanoa Library, and It’s critically important that they hear from the people who will be most affected by those decisions — namely, you!
To read an article from The Valley Echo about the July listening session at the Black Mountain library, including background information on the County library proposal, please click here. The link below will take you to the County website, where you’ll find additional information and the latest updates on the listening sessions, including opportunities to participate in virtual sessions until such time as in-person meetings can resume. The sessions are hosted by the Library Advisory Board and Buncombe County Communications and Public Engagement.