The Alamance County Board of Commissioners approved the new strategic plan for the library at the meeting on April 21, 2025. We are excited to share our new mission, vision, and goals for the upcoming five years and ready to continue supporting our community as they need!

Vision

Nurture. Connect. Thrive.

Mission

Nurturing minds, connecting communities, and building a thriving future.

We fulfill our mission by:

• Nurturing Exploration, Early and Lifelong Learning, and Bridging the Divide
• Connecting, Collaborating, and Meeting People Where They Are
• Supporting a Thriving Community

Our Values

We are welcoming, helpful, knowledgeable, professional, resourceful, and innovative.

Core Competencies

• Welcoming, convenient, and safe spaces
• Professionally curated collections
• Literacy inspired services and resources
• Professional and knowledgeable staff
• Access to vital technology and online resources

See the full plan and demographics report here!

Did you know there are 27 Burlingtons in the United States? Well, three of them are facing off for a three-week reading battle to see which Burlington Library has the best, most voracious readers!

Three Burlingtons. Three weeks. One ultimate reading showdown. From March 10 to March 31, 2025, the race is on to see which Burlington can log the most reading minutes and claim the title of the most book-loving Burlington in the country.

The question is: Will our beloved Burlington rise to victory, or will another Burlington leave us in the dust?

The Teams:

• Burlington, North Carolina
• Burlington, Wisconsin
• Burlington, Massachusetts

HOW IT WORKS

Starting March 10, 2025, a QR code will be available on all of our social media, leading you to the reading log. You can also find this QR code at each library service desk, as well as a physical link at the bottom of this post. Please bookmark this link for easy access! If you have any questions, please reach out. We want everyone to be able to log their minutes!

How to Log Your Minutes:

• Read! Any kind of reading counts – books, audiobooks, graphic novels, newspapers, even being read to. If you’re engaging with words, it’s fair game.
• Track Your Time. Keep an eye on how long you spend reading. Use a clock, timer, or estimate based on your usual pace.
• Enter Your Minutes. When logging, type the total minutes you read. Example: If you read for two hours, enter 120.  The form will only allow digits to be entered.  If you write “two hours” it will be rejected.
• Pick Your Burlington. Every logged minute adds to your town’s total – so make sure you choose which state you are reading for before submitting your time.

The Stakes:

This is more than just reading – it’s a fight for hometown pride. It’s about proving which Burlington has the most unstoppable, page-turning, never-put-the-book-down readers.  We are battling for eternal 2025 glory!

The clock is ticking. The challenge is set.  It’s time to READ FOR VICTORY!

Log your minutes here (And don’t forget to bookmark for easy access!):

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckrGBBAKayRGOwhxtpqbSf0K0aJbgIRv8LP5Z5L7OANEjs8g/viewform

Welcome Tyler, the new Library Assistant in the Mebane Library Reference Department. We are excited to see him step into providing technology assistance programs and one-on-one training opportunities at the Mebane Library as well as learning the needs of the business community of Alamance County.

How long have you worked with the County? 
I started Mid December 2024

Where are you from originally?
Morristown, Tennessee

What are you most passionate about?
Notre Dame Football (Go Irish!)

Do you have a hobby?
Playing Music with my wife

What was the best part of your week/weekend?
Being able to spend time with my wife and dog!

Are you involved in any community projects or organizations?
N/A (Unless you count the Vinyl Society at Mebane Library)

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
I once had Shark AND Kangaroo during the same meal at a Mongolian restaurant in Germany

What’s your favorite TV Show?
The Office

What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
Travelling to new places I’ve never been

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?
The zombie-ant fungus, Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis, hijacks an ant’s nervous system to force it to climb to an ideal location before bursting from its body to spread spores to new hosts.

Meet Emery, the newly promoted Adult Programming Coordinator for Alamance County Public Libraries! Emery has been working for ACPL since June 2012, when she began as a Circulation Assistant at our Graham location and has always strived towards building a stronger, more empowered community. She is excited to see what this new role has for her, and we are too.

Get to know Emery below!

What are you most passionate about?

Education. You can fight all things through knowledge. 

Do you have a hobby?

I love reading and writing fanfiction, putting jigsaw puzzles together, and baking!

When you were little, what was your dream job?

I wanted to be a marine biologist and next, a linguist working for the United Nations, then a CIA Librarian.

What was the best part of your week/weekend?

Being at home, watching the Great British Baking Show and hanging with my two cats, Merlin and Arthur.

If your life was a song, what song would it be?

On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

Are you involved in any community projects or organizations?

100 Years of Libraries in Alamance County, America 250, Alamance Reads, Christmas Cheer’s Cheers for Chocolate Festival, and in my free time, I lector at my church and donate platelets to the American Red Cross.

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Cajun crickets at the Bug Café at the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans.

What’s your favorite TV Show?

BBC’s Merlin

What is your favorite thing to spend money on?

Food. Food is the reason I have no money.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?

Kiwi birds lay very large eggs relative to their body size. A Kiwi egg is roughly 17% of a Kiwi’s total body weight. To put this in perspective, it would be like a chicken laying an egg the size of a grapefruit. That’s crazy!

Meet Kayla! While she’s been with us for a little while as a part-time employee, we are excited to have her full-time!

How long have you worked with the County?

A little over two years!

Where are you from originally?

Morehead City & Snow Hill, NC.

What are you most passionate about?

Getting my friends and family to read (I haven’t won the battle, but I will win the war!)

Do you have a hobby?

I like crocheting hats and playing video games on my switch.

When you were little, what was your dream job?

I wanted to be a ballerina because of the nutcracker and then a veterinarian because of the Dr.Dolittle movie.

What was the best part of your week/weekend?

My morning audio messages from my little brother who is teaching in Japan. They always make me laugh!

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

I ate frog legs when I was a teenager and hated every second of it. 

What’s your favorite TV Show?

A tie between Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Ghost Whisperer.

What is your favorite thing to spend money on?

Light novels and K-pop concerts!

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?

When you blush, your stomach does too!

Meet Dillion, the newly promoted Library Assistant II, in the May Memorial Circulation Department. Although he’s been with May Memorial for a while, we’re excited to see what he’s capable of in this new endeavor.

How long have you worked with the County?

A little more than a year (August 2023)

Where are you from originally?

Burlington, NC

What are you most passionate about?

History (all history, but mostly Medieval)

Do you have a hobby?

I love to go hiking with my family

When you were little, what was your dream job?

I wanted to be a translator for the United Nations

What was the best part of your week/weekend?

Reading to my son at bedtime.

Are you involved in any community projects or organizations?

100 Years of Libraries in Alamance County.

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

A cricket stuffed in a marshmallow (something I was dared to do in Boy scouts)

What’s your favorite TV Show?

The Big Bang Theory 

What is your favorite thing to spend money on?

Vacations abroad

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?

In the late Triassic period, around 234 million years ago, it rained almost continuously for 2 million years. This period was known as the Carnian Pluvial Event.

The Alamance County Public Libraries is at the onset of our strategic planning project which will be creating a plan to span the coming five years. We will be working with consultants to gather input from our community on what they need and create a guide that will position the library for success in meeting those needs.

Your participation would be appreciated at our input sessions:

• Thursday, December 5^th
  • 11 am – Graham Library
  • 4 pm – Mebane Library
• Tuesday, December 10^th
  • 3 pm – May Memorial Library
• Wednesday, December 11^th
  • 11 am – Beth Schmidt Park
• Thursday, December 12^th
  • 11 am – Pleasant Grove Community Center
  • 5:30 pm – Green Level Town Hall
• More dates in January to come!

We would also appreciate your input by taking our survey. There are also a number of other input sessions throughout the community, find us to share your voice.

Meet Sarah, the new Library Assistant at the Graham Public Library. New to our library system doesn’t mean that she’s not ready and willing to help with your technology questions and fill in as she’s needed. We’re looking forward to seeing how she makes her impact on the Graham community.

How long have you worked with the County? 
Just over three months. 

Where are you from originally? 
Greensboro, North Carolina

What are you most passionate about? 
Crafting, accessibility, and learning new things.  

Do you have a hobby? 
Reading (obviously), writing, and I’ve recently started crocheting!

When you were little, what was your dream job? 
English teacher or forensic anthropologist

If your life was a song, what would the title be? 
“Kaleidoscope” by Chappell Roan

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Haggis flavored potato chips. 

What’s your favorite TV show? 
Psych or Derry Girls 

What is your favorite thing to spend money on? 
Clothes, stationery, and yarn. 

What’s the most interesting thing you learned recently? 
The common starling was brought to the United States in the late nineteenth century as part of an effort to introduce all the birds mentioned in William Shakespeare’s works to North America. 

Meet Nicole, our new Youth Services Coordinator for the county. New to our area, she’s jumped right in getting to know the people and organizations to make new partnerships and connections that will ultimately help children thrive!

How long have you worked with the County?
Started on 3 June 2024

Where are you from originally?
Originally a Carolina girl from the Coast

What are you most passionate about?
Passionate about Folks (especially children) recognizing their light Within

Do you have a hobby?
Not a traditional hobby, however I do practice Capoeira Angola (“a martial art”)

When you were little, what was your dream job?
I wanted to be an Obstetrician (because of the Cosby show)

What was the best part of your week/weekend?
Waking up slowly on a Sunday

If your life was a song, what would the title be?
Soundtrack: Dream On by Aerosmith

Are you involved in any community projects or organizations?
Not on any community projects Yet but grateful to be meeting phenomenal people in the community from various organizations from BHA, ACC, CSW, United Alamance & United Way

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
A snail

What’s your favorite TV Show?
Keeping Up Appearances

What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
Trips that require a Passport

Meet Susana S. a newly full-time Library Assistant at the Graham Library. While she’s been at the Graham Library for a while, we are excited to now have her more often!

How long have you worked with the County?
Almost 3 years.

Where are you from originally?
I am from Chapel Hill.

What are you most passionate about?
I love creating things and learning about how to become a better steward of the land.

Do you have a hobby?
I like to crochet, specifically amigurumi projects.

When you were little, what was your dream job?
I wanted to be a veterinarian.

What was the best part of your week/weekend?
Cooking some new recipes.

What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
Crafting supplies and miniature versions of things.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?
You can type your name into Landsat’s website and see your name written in satellite images. You can try it here: https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/apps/YourNameInLandsat-main/