Paul Smith Library representatives told New Freedom Borough council that they met with York County Library System staff to review a proposed branch agreement and to present a 14‑point memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would define services and costs if the library joins the county system.

Borough staff said the meeting included Paul Smith Library representatives Carl and coordinator Buck Buchanan and York County Library System staff Robert and their chief financial officer. According to the staff report, the library asked to expand open hours to 45 per week (five eight‑hour days and one five‑hour Saturday shift) and handed the county a 14‑point document the library hopes will become a memorandum of understanding.

Council discussed funding implications for the borough budget. Staff said York County Library System would pay for heat, electric and the parking‑lot maintenance if an MOU is signed, and that Paul Smith’s board and the Friends of Paul Smith Library would retain building ownership and local governance because the building is owned by a 501(c)(3). Council members discussed a planned roof capital campaign the library has proposed and an estimated campaign target discussed at the meeting; staff described the roof effort as a roughly $100,000 campaign and said the borough could designate next year’s contribution to the Friends of Paul Smith Library specifically for that purpose.

Borough staff recommended that the council could earmark funds in the draft 2026 budget but not release them until a signed MOU or an executed branch agreement exists. “The ball’s back in York County Library System’s court,” staff said, summarizing planning steps: York County must first respond to the 14‑point terms and then, if it agrees, an MOU would be drafted and reviewed.

Council members also discussed an alternative scenario: if the library does not sign a branch agreement, it could become an independent library; staff warned independence would carry additional costs, including loss of interlibrary loans, the county software catalog and library‑card interoperability, and potential annual software costs described as “very expensive.”

Next steps: staff said they will continue to report updates as the county responds and recommended reserving but not disbursing borough funds until a signed agreement is completed.