About a year ago, Knight Foundation supported the Charlotte library’s plans to create a job help facility at the main branch downtown – part of an initiative to empower libraries to be true community information centers.

Today, it’s busier than ever – even though the library is open fewer days and fewer hours. At a time when more folks need libraries, their services and the Internet access they provide, our library system is more challenged than ever.

As a member of the Charlotte Catalyst Fund committee, ‘I was pleased to support a request to help the county and library explore the library’s future. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg library is not a county department though it gets the bulk of its funding from the county. That puts it in a precarious position during budget discussions.

The county is likely to face budget shortfalls again next year, so it’s smart to be looking now for operating strategies to keep more libraries open for more hours.