Warren County, Va., has just experienced what is essentially a hostile takeover of its public library by the County Board of Supervisors. The issue that sparked this extreme move is a familiar one: Some people don’t like the fact that the library has LGBTQ-themed materials in its collection.
The fuss started in 2023 after the board voted to strip the Samuels Public Library of 75% of its funding, following complaints about books lodged by a local group called Clean Up Samuels. The organization, most of whose members attend a Catholic church in the county, had been attacking LGBTQ+ books in the library’s collection for months.
The board later agreed to restore the funding but only after some titles were placed on restricted access in an “adult” section that can be visited only by patrons above age 16.
That failed to resolve the matter. During a stormy meeting Dec. 11, the board voted to take control of the library, which is currently governed by a nonprofit with a 15-member board of trustees. As The Washington Post reported, “The effort could see Samuels – whose roots go back to 1799 – replaced as the county’s library services provider by the end of the fiscal year in June.”
The Post reported that most people during the meeting opposed the board’s plan, but that didn’t matter. The board voted 4-1 to create a new board to oversee the library.
Members of the library’s board of trustees are considering their options, which could include seeking private funding and a break with the county entirely. But that might not be possible because while the library owns its collection, it leases its building from the county.
It’s sad that it has come to this. Samuels Library, which was named Virginia’s 2024 Library of the Year, is an important asset in the community. Its current travails are a reminder of how small bands of religious extremists can create so much trouble – and its ordeal should serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of us.
P.S. There is better news from New Jersey, where Gov. Phil Murphy on Dec. 9 signed into law the New Jersey Freedom to Read Act, which bans arbitrary book banning in public libraries.
