Swannanoa Library update: 3 groups work to keep services going amid search for new site

Following a March 7 decision by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners to delay the closure of the Swannanoa Library, community members are continuing to hope to work with the county to find a new home for the library.

George Scott, the chair of the Friends of the Swannanoa Library and the treasurer of the Swannanoa Community Council, told Black Mountain News April 10 that he and the two organizations he works with, along with the Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa, continue to work toward keeping the library open, even if it is in a new location.

“We want to continue to engage the commissioners and look forward to partnering with the county to explore options for expanded library services in Swannanoa for the people of Swannanoa with the goal of maintaining continuous library services until a plan can be brought,” Scott said. “Our hope and expectation is for a transparent process that involves meaningful participation and input from stakeholder groups and community members at each step of the way.”

Buncombe County spokesperson Lillian Govus told Black Mountain News April 10 that while the county is currently looking for new locations for the library, there are no potential sites that can be shared at this time.

According to a news release after the March 7 vote, the Swannanoa Library will continue operations at the current facility until a new location in the Valley is identified.

The county initially announced the Swannanoa Library would be closing on June 29 in a Feb. 13 news release, citing the “poor” condition of the building. At the time, Govus told Black Mountain News the building needed new walls, waterlines, an ADA compliant stairwell, furnace, HVAC, ductwork, windows, water heater and roof. The news release said the total cost for the repairs of the building “to maintain safety and continue providing regular operations” would be $635,000.

The building and parcel of land the Swannanoa Library sits on is one of three parcels in the area that is owned by the Swannanoa Community Council, a nonprofit all-volunteer organization. The council leases these three parcels of land that includes the library and playground, outdoor classroom and Grovemont Park to the county for $8,000 a year in exchange for lawn maintenance.

In February, Scott told Black Mountain News that some of the repairs identified by the county had already been addresses and the estimated cost of repairs appear to be “over inflated, potentially.”

At the time the closure was announced, Scott and other community members told Black Mountain News they felt “blindsided” and “devastated.”

After the March 7 vote, community members told Black Mountain News they were “cautiously optimistic” about the outcome of the library.

Scott said April 10 that he hopes he and the three organizations involved with keeping the library open can be part a process that works “collaboratively” with Buncombe County.

In order to show the county that the Swannanoa Library is still needed, Scott said library users should continue to utilize the library and let the county know what the library means to them.  

“Continue to support the library and its staff,” Scott said. “Continue to let county commissioners and county management know that the Swannanoa Library is important to them and they appreciate the county commissioners decision to preserve and enhance library services.”

Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews.com.