Enough is Enough—Samuels Library Must Follow the Law

As a taxpayer and longtime resident of Warren County, I am outraged by what has been happening with Samuels Library, Inc. The people in charge of the library—who were trusted to manage it on our behalf—have been caught breaking the rules, hiding information, and making secret changes that could take the library away from the people of Warren County.

Here’s what they did:

• They held a secret meeting in December where they changed the rules about what happens to the library’s assets if the nonprofit shuts down. Before, everything was supposed to stay here in Warren County, for library purposes. Now? They’ve given themselves the power to send it anywhere in the country, for any purpose. Warren County and its citizens have a right to demand that this library stay here, properly managed, for the enjoyment of its citizens.
• They didn’t tell the public about this meeting properly, even though the law requires them to give notice. They tried to sneak it in by reserving a room—no public agenda, no announcement, no transparency.
• They violated state laws that require a proper process when making changes like this. Instead of giving the required notice, they rushed it through in secret, hoping no one would notice.
• They have refused to meet with the Warren County Library Board—the board that was put in place to make sure the library is run fairly and openly. Instead of cooperating, they have fought tooth and nail to keep the public in the dark.

Let’s be clear: this is not how a public library should be run. The library belongs to the people of Warren County. The millions of taxpayer dollars that have gone into the library were meant to benefit our community—not to be controlled by a private board that answers to no one.

I fully support the Warren County Library Board and the Board of Supervisors in standing up to this. They are doing the right thing by demanding transparency, following the law, and making sure our library stays in Warren County for future generations.

The leaders of Samuels Library, Inc. have lost the public’s trust. They need to reverse this sneaky move and start acting in good faith. If they refuse, they should no longer be in charge of our library.

Enough is enough. The people of Warren County deserve honesty, fairness, and a library that truly serves the public—not a group of unelected individuals making backroom decisions.

John O’Brien
Warren County, VA

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