Petition of Opposition to Warren County Board of Supervisors Takeover of Samuels Public Library, Inc.

We, the undersigned residents of Warren County (WC) and surrounding communities hereby demand the BOS immediately cease its attempts at a deliberate hostile takeover of Samuels Public Library (SPL) Board of Trustees, which threatens Samuels Public Library, Inc. and our county.

Issue: The Warren County Board of Supervisors (BOS) has proposed replacing the current Samuels Public Library (SPL) Board of Trustees with a pseudo-autonomous self-governing Warren County Library Board consisting of “taxpayer-elected appointees” hand-picked by the BOS to impose one small special interest group’s biased, aggressive, and financially irresponsible agenda against the will of the people.

The proposal is based on the 2023 Library Debrief and Research Final Report of the Sub-committee for the “2023 Library Debrief and Research”, a 2024 Project of the Warren County Board of Supervisors dated 11/12/2024, signed by Supervisors Richard Jamieson, Vicky Cook, and supported by Supervisors Jerome Butler, and John Stanmeyer. This misleading, biased, and inaccurate document attempts to invalidate the 2023 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that was negotiated in good faith between SPL and the previous BOS, which is currently in place and binding.

Based on the contents of this report and the continued actions of this BOS, we believe that:

• The BOS is prioritizing retaliation against the library over the best interests of the county and its own citizens’ express wishes, in the aftermath of its 2023 failed attempt to withhold funds to force SPL to remove books representing marginalized groups, including our LGBTQ community.
• The BOS is misusing government time and resources due to this retaliatory agenda, which could and should be spent governing.
• The BOS has displayed a lack of transparency and poor communication with SPL Board of Trustees and Warren County citizens.
• Contrary to the unsupported claims in the report, the Public/Private Partnership between Warren County and SPL is already a win-win relationship. There is no need to renegotiate the terms of this partnership in order to operate library services more effectively and efficiently.
• The Cost Efficiency of Services section of the report focuses on the relationship between costs and services but provides no evidence that the current cost basis for the public library services is uncompetitive, cost-inefficient, or misaligned with taxpayer interests for a library of its size.
• Members Jamieson, Cook, Butler, and Stanmeyer‘s participation in the aforementioned 2023 book banning campaign, including their public comments disparaging the community and Samuels Public Library and its Board of Trustees, demonstrate these members have clear conflicts of interest affecting their ability to remain impartial and represent all citizens and patrons of SPL.
• Member Jamieson’s report fails to prove that public oversight is lacking; does not demonstrate SPL provides poor services; and uses statistical sleight of hand and incomplete timelines to make an unsatisfying and incomplete assessment. More disturbingly, there is zero explanation provided for how the drastic changes Jamieson suggests will negatively impact library services, let alone keep them at the high level needed to win Virginia Library of the Year. 

In the end, one must refer to the controversies of last year and ask what is really driving this campaign against a library that serves our county so well? Why fix, at possibly great expense and disruption, that which is not broken?

Acting on this issue is crucial for the betterment of our community. The signatories below have joined together in support of this cause.

We demand the BOS:

1. Immediately STOP the illegal and hostile takeover of SPL and their Board of Trustees.
2. Stop wasting the citizens’ time and money on this issue that requires no further action.
3. Honor the existing MOA.
4. Require Supervisors Jamieson, Cook, Butler, and Stanmeyer to recuse themselves from any business or governmental decisions or votes regarding SPL and its Board of Trustees. 

The BOS’s adherence to this petition is critical! The BOS must allow SPL to stand as it currently operates as an invaluable resource that benefits all.  This petition is a response to a public outcry and an effort to ensure a diverse range of community voices is represented.

Enclosed with this petition are signature pages from citizens of Warren County and the surrounding areas, representing the widespread support garnered for this cause.

Thank you for your attention. We eagerly anticipate your alignment.

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizens for Warren County and The Surrounding Areas

Literary Defense Network

Enclosures: Signature Pages

LINK:

A GoFundMe Page has been created by LiteraryDefense.org

https://gofund.me/281c314f

UPDATES

**December 10, 2024, Board of Supervisors Meeting **

THE BOS Will VOTE AT THE MEETING

Meeting Begins at 7:00 PM

PLEASE ARRIVE WELL IN ADVANCE SHOULD YOU WISH TO SPEAK.

SPACE IS LIMITED

Warren County Government Center

City government office in Front Royal, Virginia

Address: 220 N Commerce Ave, Front Royal, VA 22630

Starting at 7:30 PM - Public Hearings

H. Public Hearing - Ordinance Abolishing the County Finance Board

1. Resolution Respectfully Directing the County Treasurer to Invest in funds in accordance with Guidelines issued by the State Treasurer and Requesting Reports regarding County Funds.

I. Public Hearing - Lease Agreement with Warren County Sunfish - Dana Winner, Office Manager, Tiffany Walker, Director

***J. Public Hearing - Ordinance Adding Chapter 7 for the formation of a Warren County Library Board

Full Agenda Link https://warrencountyva.portal.civicclerk.com/event/2586/files/agenda/5529

The Public Q&A Forums hosted by Samuels Library were very successful, provided insight and a substantive presentation.

Information Links:

Please see Samuels Library presentation including slide comparisons on their website at the following link: 

https://samuelslibrary.net/images/about/board-of-trustees/final-public-q-a-forum-slides.pdf

Samuels Public Library Comparison Report

https://samuelslibrary.net/images/about/board-of-trustees/2024-samuels-library-comparison-study.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawHBkFRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHWB8evpw219VdN7JSk2v-zz5w9zDCBN10ZAospLWgEVEhXFFHsq6Ib2_Uw_aem_NrQB_FAnVbgxHaTNE2dVfA

Samuels Public Library Facebook Page Link:

https://www.facebook.com/samuelspubliclibrary

Samuels Public Library Webpage

https://samuelslibrary.net/

Samuels Public Library Webpage: Board of Trustees Page with Documentation

https://samuelslibrary.net/index.php/about/director-board-of-trustees

Current 2023 Memorandum of Agreement 

https://samuelslibrary.net/images/Library-Funding-Agreement-Final.pdf

Signed 2023 Memorandum Agreement

https://www.warrencountyva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/393/MOA-Library-Funding-Agreement-PDF

Supervisor Jamieson uses sections of the Code of Virginia, Chapter 2 to create a false narrative in the 2023 Library Debrief and Research Final Report of the Sub-committee for the “2023 Library Debrief and Research”, a 2024 Project of the Warren County Board of Supervisors dated 11/12/2024 signed by Supervisors Richard Jamieson, Vicky Cook, and supported by Jerome Butler, and John Stanmeyer.

·         The Code of Virginia, Chapter 2: Local and Regional Libraries

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title42.1/chapter2/

·         Warren County Board of Supervisors Webpage

https://www.warrencountyva.gov/257/Board-of-Supervisors