Charlotte, NC – Dec. 29, 2006 – Charles Brown, director of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC) has announced that the institution is embarking on a major initiative to restructure the organization.

"We call the initiative 'Imagine 2010: Collaboration, Community and Service,' a name that reflects the excitement we feel about the prospects this initiative will bring," Brown said. "It is the library system’s first major reorganization since at least 1989, when the expanded Main Library reopened, and it will help ensure that the public library continues to provide significant value for Mecklenburg County residents, strengthens its position as one of the nation’s leading public libraries and remains one of this region’s employers of choice."

The project began in June 2006 when PLCMC hired The Galilee Agency, a local organizational development consulting firm, to help determine if the library’s existing structure reflected the best practices of peer libraries and other not-for-profit organizations. As part of their research, consultants held numerous focus groups with staff members from throughout the library system and surveyed PLCMC employees, trustees, and a variety of external stakeholders, including members of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. After collecting the information, the consultants presented their findings and recommendations to the Library Board of Trustees, which voted to accept the findings and authorized moving ahead with the organizational redesign. The next stage of the process will begin in January with the conceptual design of a new organizational structure.

"The recommendations from the review reinforce our commitment to becoming a more customer-focused organization and major value added contributor to enriching the life of this community," said Brown. "Charlotte and Mecklenburg County residents, as well as PLCMC employees, will realize multi-faceted benefits from this organizational transformation. We are looking forward to making the necessary changes and adjustments vital to strengthening and enhancing the services we provide to this community."

Founded in 1903 as a Carnegie Free Library, PLCMC has become one of the premiere libraries in the country with 24 locations, 1.6 million volumes, and 28,000 videos, DVDs and CDs. The library sponsors a variety of community-based programs – from computer- and Internet-education workshops to the award-winning Novello Festival of Reading, a celebration that accentuates the fun of reading and learning. As a public library, we are dedicated to our mission of expanding minds, empowering individuals and enriching our community.