‘Ask Us Anything’: Samuels Public Library Fields Funding, Governance and Service Questions in Wide-Ranging Community Forum

On a rainy Sept. 17, Samuels Public Library packed its meeting room for an hour-and-forty-minute Q&A that covered everything from story time to state aid—and the still-unresolved fight over county funding.

“We’re glad to see you all came out and braved the rain,” Board of Trustees President Melody Hotek said to open the session. “This is not a—we’re not going to be talking politics. We can advocate, but we can’t get into the finer details… Tonight is all about your questions.”

Samuels Trustee President, Melody Hotek, welcomes everyone to the 5th Community Forum.

A year of heavy use—and new offerings

Library Director Erin Rooney walked through the annual report for the fiscal year ending June 30, plus highlights from the past six months. “We’ve had a total of 15,983 patrons, and that’s 2,014 new cards,” she said. Staff logged 46,645 questions answered at the desks, handled 563 notarizations, and delivered 925 programs that drew 20,894 attendees. Door counts reached 132,715, and total checkouts topped 400,000. Volunteers contributed 12,139 hours.

Erin said program volume jumped year over year. The makerspace Studio 330 and its Memory Lab have helped drive interest: walk-in hours run Thursdays noon–4 p.m., with appointments available as staff or volunteers allow. The studio also hosts “What the Tech” one-on-one help.

The library continued its two annual reading drives—Winter Reading and Summer Reading—plus a fundraiser that has become a community favorite. “In April, we do our Taste for Books event… We did raise over $35,000,” Erin said. Summer Reading’s “Color Our World” theme drew more than 900 registrants across age groups, and the fourth Tiny Art Show filled the building with 236 miniature artworks. Other hits: a reptile show, drum show, and adult line dancing.

To showcase services that many residents are unaware of, Hotek hosted a quick “In for a Penny” game. She quizzed the room on state park backpacks with entry passes, hotspots and laptops, free meeting rooms for nonprofits, charging stations, Freegal music downloads (“They’re yours to keep”), Magzter magazines, board games, the studio sound booth for oral histories (“Capture those sounds”), genealogy tools like Ancestry and Fold3, and free notary services.

“September is Get Your Library Card Month,” Hotek said. “Now you have ten reasons… to come in and get your library card.”

Awards—and a regional nod to the public-private model

Trustees Vice President Scott Jenkins announced fresh recognition from the Virginia Library Association. The library received the Advocacy Award, and the library’s Director of Operations earned the Supporter of Professional Associates Award. VLA praised Samuels “with professionalism and resilience” for “defying the odds of the national wave of book ban challenges” and called the library “a beacon of knowledge and light.”

Jenkins also congratulated the nearby Massanutten Regional Library, the 2025 VLA Library of the Year. He noted similarities: both are 501(c)(3) public-private partnerships that work closely with local governments.

Meet the board: two new trustees

Hotek introduced the trustees in attendance and welcomed two who joined in July. Karin Battle said, “I really wanted to do something that I felt was meaningful in this community,” describing a career spanning probation and parole, victim witness services, public works contracts, and a creative streak (“I do a maker night… once a month”).

Gene Kilby, a Warren County native and former Howard University football player, spent four decades across manufacturing and IT. “I believe that I have developed some skills over the years that I could bring some value to the board,” he said.

The money: donations at 50%, no county funds, endowment as last resort

Treasurer Michelle Leasure put the finances plainly. “The good news is we are at 50%… funds raised,” she said, pointing to a public tracker on the website. “Obviously, we have no Warren County funding, and that was solidified last night.”

Donations make up the bulk of the target this year, supplemented by quarterly state aid and small fines/fees. On the expense side, “Our number one asset is the people here,” Lesher said, with materials funded largely by state aid and $68,000 set aside for county building maintenance.

On the endowment, Leasure said the library can draw 3% annually without touching principal. “We don’t want to dip into it because we want to be here forever,” she said. The separate Emergency Donor Fund—about $700,000 so far—has “kept us from having to use the endowment.” If giving falls short, she said, the library would consult its financial institution about options, acknowledging that deeper draws reduce future earnings.

Staff said contributions have come from 36 states, and that national attention tends to lift small-dollar giving. Development Administrator Amy Hayes invited marketing and fundraising ideas and touted a business sponsor program.

One attendee suggested a legacy-giving seminar. “Life insurance can be transferred and donated,” he said, urging education on planned gifts. Hotek replied, “We have a legacy plan… It’s just getting the word out.”

Services beyond Warren—and reciprocal borrowing

A Rappahannock resident thanked staff and asked about cross-county access. “We do offer reciprocal borrowing,” Erin Rooney said. “If you have a library card with us, you can get one with Handley, you can get one with Shenandoah County… Everybody can use each other’s resources.”

The dispute: communication, FOIA, and accountability claims

Several questions turned to the county library stalemate. Hotek said the longstanding public-private partnership, “for over 50 years,” is the library’s goal. “We’re willing to talk and negotiate, but make it clear that we’ve had no communication,” she said. Asked whether any offer was made to avoid defunding, staff said proposals from the dais would have put the library under a county library board and “threaten[ed] our 501(c)(3) status,” and that formal requests did not arrive “on letterhead… in any official capacity.”

Hotek said they did not refuse records requests from county supervisors. Instead, they asked that requests be submitted properly under Virginia law—by individual requesters—because the library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Hotek said the supervisors’ request covered roughly 1,000+ pages of records, with some items reaching back 25 years. The library provided a cost estimate of about $10,000 to gather, review, and produce the material. “We never refused their FOIA requests,” she said, adding the estimate was reviewed by a FOIA expert who told the library it “seemed about right.” According to the library, the supervisors did not proceed after receiving the estimate.

Supervisors have since characterized the issue as the library “rejecting” FOIA and “putting a $10,000 price tag” on basic information. The library disputes that description, saying it followed the standard FOIA cost-recovery process and stood ready to fulfill the request if it was filed correctly and fees were paid.

Hotek also addressed repeated references to “transparency” and “accountability.” She said Samuels posts audits and Form 990s, maintains GuideStar Platinum status, complies with state aid rules and statistical reporting, and keeps board minutes public. “How much more transparent can one institution be…?” she asked. “If there’s anything that you’re looking for, it’s going to be on our website. And if you can’t find it… Then you come in here and ask us.”

Attendees voiced frustration about accessing county minutes and audits. Hotek said, “What’s good for the goose needs to be good for the gander.”

Politics: the library can’t endorse, but attendees urged voting

Leasure said she had received “zero emails… from any elected officials asking for” financial details. The Save Samuels PAC President Good told the room, “Come out and vote,” and said their slate would move on funding in January. Hotek reminded the audience of nonprofit rules: “We’re not here to tell you who to vote for,” but she shared early voting dates and urged participation. “It’s very critical for the life of this county at this particular election,” she said.

As the forum closed, Hotek returned to gratitude. “We appreciate you so much,” she said. “If you have other questions that pop up in your mind, just let us know.”

Watch the Community Forum on this exclusive Royal Examiner video by Mark Williams.