SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — The Effingham County Library Board will meet in a special-called session at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19 in Springfield, where members are expected to vote on whether to leave the Live Oak Public Libraries system after more than 80 years.
Board prepares for decision
Vice Chair Joanna Cartrette, who called the meeting after consulting with fellow trustees, said the board has spent the past two weeks conducting due diligence since its Nov. 6 meeting, when a decision was postponed following a more than three-hour public hearing. Since then, board members have studied financial data, compared budgets for three potential options, and gathered information from state and regional library officials.
“I think there is a high probability there will be a vote,” Cartrette said.
The board is weighing three options: remain in the Live Oak Public Libraries (LOPL) system; join the Statesboro Regional Public Libraries (SRPL) system; or establish an independent, county-run library system. The board has the final vote on the decision. The meeting, open to the public, will include a 30-minute session for last-minute questions. The session will be held at the Springfield Library, 810 GA-119, Springfield.
Priorities: Money, services, governance, employees
Cartrette said trustees have focused on four key priorities: the county’s financial interests, patron services, governance, and the future of library employees.
“As stewards of the taxpayers’ money, the financial piece is a high-priority consideration,” she said. She emphasized that service levels are equally important. “The general feeling on the board is nobody wants to reduce any services. In fact, we hope to increase our services.”
Cartrette added that ensuring all current library employees keep their jobs under any scenario is also a priority. Retirement benefits are a key factor: staff would retain access to the Teachers Retirement System if the county stays with Live Oak or joins Statesboro, but not under a new county-run system.
Governance is another consideration. Effingham currently has two representatives on the Live Oak regional board, compared to eight from Chatham County and two from Liberty County. Some local officials have cited that imbalance as a reason to pursue an in-county system with more local control. Joining the Statesboro system would also give Effingham two representatives, matching other member counties and providing what supporters call more equitable representation.
Timeline and financial questions
The vote follows months of public discussion. On Oct. 7, the Effingham County Commission voted to recommend that the library board end its relationship with Live Oak and create an independent, in-county system. At that time, joining Statesboro was not an option. After the commission’s vote, Statesboro extended an invitation for Effingham to join its regional system, sparking the marathon Nov. 6 public hearing.
The commission cited higher administrative costs in Effingham compared with neighboring counties and projected savings of roughly $400,000 annually by operating an independent system. The county currently pays Live Oak $1.03 million annually to be part of the regional system. County officials estimate leaving Live Oak could allow those savings to be reinvested into local library improvements, resources, and staffing.
Live Oak officials dispute the savings projections, noting that a standalone system would carry additional expenses for staffing, cataloging, IT services, insurance, and other administrative needs that are currently shared among Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties.
