Though the battle over Samuels Public Library is over, skirmishes in the nation’s culture wars continue to erupt in Warren County. Many involved on both sides have signaled their intention to continue fighting, shifting their focus to political organizing and public education.
County meetings and social media were abuzz about the library for months after a conservative group asked the Warren County Board of Supervisors to defund it, replace the staff, and change the library’s operational structure when Samuels refused to remove about 140 LGBTQ-themed books.
After withholding 75 percent of the library’s budget while it worked to address concerns brought about by book challengers, supervisors released the money on Oct. 3, unanimously approving an operational agreement with the library.
Library supporters rejoiced at the agreement – which calls for continued funding, minor changes to the library’s board of trustees, and bi-annual reports to supervisors about the library’s finances.
Kelsey Lawrence, head of Save Samuels, a group that advocated for the library’s policies, said she is thrilled with the agreement, calling it a “testament to the strength of democracy.”
Saying that Save Samuels is “more than a movement; it’s a tight-knit community, even a family,” Lawrence said that the effort represented a first foray into politics for many of its members.
“For most of us, including myself, this journey into local politics has been enlightening, highlighting the importance of holding our local government accountable,” she said, noting that the group may broaden its mission “to protect more vital institutions” in the future. Library critics were furious about the agreement.
In an Oct. 5 email with the subject line “Et tu, Brute?”, Clean Up Samuels, the group that opposed the library’s book collection, structure, and funding, called the new agreement a betrayal of parents and taxpayers and a “dagger in the back.”
Read the complete article at nvdaily.com