Samuels Public Library Adopts Increased Parental Control Cards

On the morning of August 1st, the Richmond firm of McGuire Woods Consulting LLC, working with Samuels Public Library on its policy review related to the call for removal of some 134 books related to LGBTQ+ themes cited as “pornography” by critics tied to the CSL (CleanUp Samuels Library) group, issued a press release on one result of that review. The announced result is the implementation of new youth library card categories giving increased parental oversight of library material youth may access or check out.

Contacted about the release, recently installed Samuels Library Board of Trustees President Melody Hotek and Samuels Operations Director Eileen Grady agreed that the new card categories were a means of the library giving parents more tools to control what their children may access through the library, on or off-site. And they noted the new card categories were in place on July 11, the day following the July Board of Trustees meeting heavily attended by members of the public on both sides of the library content and full funding debate.

Currently, the community’s public library is funded by the Warren County Board of Supervisors only through September 30, a quarter of the new fiscal year. That decision has been interpreted by many library supporters as the county’s elected officials, minus one dissenting vote by Cheryl Cullers, holding the library “hostage” to some level of compliance with the CSL demands. North River Supervisor Delores Oates, one eye firmly focused on Richmond and the new state delegates seat she is running for, has countered that partial funding was done to allow continued “good faith negotiations” on the library content issue. I guess we may now find out what Oates and colleagues Vicky Cook, Walt Mabe, and Jay Butler consider not only “good faith negotiations” but “good faith actions” as well.

Below is the McGuire Woods Consulting LLC press release on the Samuels Board of Trustees policy implementation in its entirety:

Samuels Public Library Adopts New Parental Controls

Front Royal, Va. (August 1, 2023) – The Samuels Public Library Board of Trustees recently approved and adopted two new types of library cards to address citizen concerns at its July meeting. The library has introduced a Juvenile Limited Card and Young Adult Limited Card, and both are designed to give parents options and control over the literature and reading materials their children have access to.

The Juvenile Limited Card ensures that a child younger than 12 may only check out materials from the physical collection of juvenile books at the library. It is important to note there is no access to online materials. The Young Adult Limited Card allows children 12 years of age and older to only check out materials from the physical collection of juvenile and young adult materials at the library. These cardholders will have limited access to online materials. A regular, unrestricted card also is still available for those who wish to have unfettered access to library resources.

A New Adult collection has been added for patrons 16 years of age through college age. Located on the adult side of the library, books intended for this age group are being moved out of the existing young adult section.

“Our mission has always been to enrich lives and serve the community. We encourage every parent to be actively engaged in their child’s reading journey,” said Board of Trustees President Melody Hotek. “We are fortunate to be able to offer amazing programs and provide a critical resource to so many citizens and families, thanks in large part to our continued cooperation and partnership with Warren County for the past 70 years. Our library strives to provide the highest quality service and reading options for all of our patrons.”

Along with the new parental controls, the Samuels Public Library has numerous other features to help parents navigate the more than 90,000 books included in its collection.

The children’s department was recently renovated to expand the Young Adult section so that all materials for that age group are in one location. The children’s section also now has its own checkout and a new larger children’s desk where staff are more accessible to assist with questions and selection.

Parents at Samuels Public Library can monitor their child’s account through the online catalog, and the library has a safe child policy that requires children under the age 12 to be accompanied by a responsible caregiver over the age of 16.

About Samuels Library: Originally founded in 1799 and renamed Samuels Public Library in 1952, it became the second library in the state to receive a charter and has served the citizens of Front Royal and Warren County for more than two centuries. In the past fiscal year, the library has added 2,035 new cardholders and held 650 in-person and virtual programs hosting 19,843 attendees. Attracting more than 125,000 visitors annually, the library logged 391,919 total checkouts last year. For more information on Samuels Public Library, go to: www.samuelslibrary.net.