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SAVE OUR LIBRARY AGENDA 6/18/25

Launching Grant County's Independent Library Future

Date: Wednesday, June 18th Time: 6:00 PM Location: John Day Firehall

Objective: Foundation members, Grant County Library Advisory Board members, community stakeholders, and library staff will establish our roadmap for creating a sustainable, independent library serving Grant County.

I. Welcome & Purpose (3 minutes)

  • Brief welcome and meeting objectives
  • Ground Rule: This meeting will focus on building our library's future, not the impending court decision to defund the library

II. Current Assets & Transition Timeline (7 minutes)

  • Our Starting Point: Building, collections, 2 staff, operational knowledge
  • Timeline: 4-5 months to establish independent operations
  • Today's Goal: Launch action teams and set immediate priorities

III. Vision for Grant County's Independent Library (15 minutes)

  • Core Question: What services must our library provide to thrive?
  • Beyond Books: Community hub, digital access, local history, meeting space
  • Grant County Specific: Serving our vast, rural geography effectively

IV. Proven Independence Models (20 minutes)

  • Oregon Library Districts: Voter-approved, sustainable funding
  • Success Stories:
  • Josephine County: Built independent system after county defunding
  • Lake and Baker Counties: Established rural district models
  • Alternative Approaches: Grants, partnerships, major donor strategies
  • Building/Collections: Securing current assets vs. alternative locations

V. Foundation Strategy Pivot (10 minutes)

  • New Role: Operational support during transition and beyond
  • Immediate Capacity: What can our foundation do in the next 30-60 days?
  • Fundraising Readiness: Donor outreach and grant applications

VI. Action Teams & Next Steps (25 minutes)

  • Form Working Groups:
  • Research & Legal (library district process)
  • Building & Collections (asset transition)
  • Community Engagement & Fundraising
  • Operations & Staffing
  • Team Leadership: Who takes point on each area?
  • 30-Day Goals: Specific deliverables before first public meeting
  • Communication Plan: How we coordinate between now and public launch

VII. Public Meeting Planning (8 minutes)

  • Target Date & Venue: When and where for community-wide meeting
  • Key Messages: What story do we tell the community?
  • Recruitment: Who else needs to be at that table?

VIII. Commitments & Next Check-in (2 minutes)

  • Next Foundation Meeting: [Insert specific date], focused on progress reports
  • Thank you for stepping up when our library needs champions most

Total Duration: 90 minutes