Samuels Public Library Urges County to Reconsider Privatization, Withdraws Lawsuit in Good Faith

In a good faith effort to foster cooperation and restore productive dialogue, Samuels Public Library has voluntarily withdrawn its legal filing that had been scheduled for a court hearing on May 2, 2025. The library made this decision in the hope of re-engaging the Warren County Board of Supervisors in meaningful negotiations toward a new Library Funding Agreement or Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).

Despite this gesture of goodwill, the outcome of the Board’s April 29 Special Meeting raised significant new concerns about the future of library services in Warren County. At that meeting, the Board announced its intent to begin contract negotiations with Library Systems & Services (LS&S)—a private, for-profit corporation based outside of Virginia.

LS&S is a subsidiary of Evergreen Services Group, a California-based global holding company. Evergreen manages LS&S under its Cedar Solutions Group; a branch primarily focused on defense-related infrastructure and government outsourcing. LS&S has come under national scrutiny for displacing local library staff, reducing community programs, and limiting local control.

In response to a question at the meeting, a representative of the Warren County Library Board said that LS&S would operate from the current library building on 330 E. Criser Road using the existing resources and assets. This came as a surprise to Samuels Public Library.

“This statement was deeply concerning,” said Melody Hotek, President of the Samuels Library Board of Trustees. “Samuels Public Library holds a valid 30-year lease at that facility through 2038. We fully own the building’s contents — books, furnishings, and technology — thanks to private donations and grant funding. We have no intention of vacating our building or ceasing operations.”

The announcement follows a year of strained relations with a 4–1 majority of the Board of Supervisors, which has repeatedly challenged the library’s structure and authority. In contrast, the public has shown strong and consistent support for the library’s leadership and mission.

“The people of Warren County have made their voices clear,” said Hotek. “They’ve written letters, stood up at public meetings, donated to the library, and said loud and clear: they want Samuels Public Library to remain a local, nonprofit institution serving this community.”

Founded in 1799 and renamed Samuels Public Library in 1952, the institution is one of Virginia’s oldest libraries and a cornerstone of Warren County. It is not a county agency, but a nonprofit partner that works in cooperation with local government. In the past fiscal year alone, the library:

• Added 2,204 new cardholders
• Hosted 542 in-person and virtual programs for 19,194 attendees
• Logged over 127,000 visits to the library
• Recorded 401,859 total checkouts

Samuels Public Library currently operates at full capacity, offering educational programs for children and adults, access to free resources, and safe public space for all. Staff are professionally trained and guided by research-based practices and community feedback.

The decision now facing the Board of Supervisors — whether to renew its partnership with Samuels or to outsource library services to LS&S — is a serious one. A 10-year contract with a private, out-of-state vendor would represent a dramatic shift in how library services are delivered in Warren County. Critics of LS&S contracts nationwide have raised concerns about cost efficiency, transparency, and long-term accountability.

“Privatizing public libraries does not align with the values or the voice of our community,” said Hotek. “Warren County deserves a library system that is transparent, responsive, and rooted in the local people it serves — not managed by a corporation thousands of miles away.”

Samuels Public Library is urging the Board of Supervisors to:

• Reconsider the March 2025 draft MOA submitted by the Library Board of Trustees
• Return to the negotiating table with a willingness to collaborate in good faith
• Honor the will of Warren County residents who overwhelmingly support the current library model
• Prioritize local control, public transparency, and equitable access to resources

“Let’s move forward together,” Hotek added. “We’re ready. Let’s put the focus back where it belongs — on providing trusted, free, and high-quality library services to the people of Warren County, as we’ve done for more than two centuries.”

For more information, please visit www.samuelslibrary.net.

(Taken from Press Release from Samuels Public Library.)

Supervisors Authorize County Library Board to Negotiate Contract With RFP Applicant LS&S for Future Library Services