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Residents press board to keep Samuels Public Library as private contractor, transparency concerns raised about LS&S
Summary
Multiple speakers at the May 20 meeting urged supervisors to preserve Samuels Public Library and criticized the Warren County Library Board's process and a proposed contract with Library Systems & Services (LS&S), a private company. Speakers said LS&S is for‑profit and that the library board and county must be more transparent.
Several residents used the Board of Supervisors' May 20 comment period to urge the board not to move forward with what they described as an attempt to replace Samuels Public Library with services from a private, for‑profit company.
"Library Systems And Services is a private for profit company," Aileen Dierig told the board. "The money that LS and S is requesting just during these negotiations will not be nearly the end of the cost to Warren County taxpayers." She also criticized the Warren County Library Board and other parties for what she described as a lack of transparency.
Samantha Good, a South River resident, told the board she was concerned about inconsistent standards for transparency. "The WCLB was handpicked by you and consists of people who share your values. So you don't care about the minutes and transparency in that case," she said. "Samuels isn't going anywhere."
Rebecca Altizer, another Samuels supporter, framed the controversy as an attack on books and library access. "In Nazi Germany and many other dictator countries, first they came for the books," she said, urging the board not to remove materials or services.
Board members offered limited direct response at the meeting. Supervisors and the county administrator were asked by speakers to explain the library board appointment process and the contractual terms being negotiated with LS&S. No contract vote occurred during the May 20 meeting.
Speakers asked for more complete records of library‑board meetings and clearer public disclosure of any fees or long‑term costs associated with a private provider. County staff or the library board would need to supply the exact contract terms and financial projections; those documents were not presented during the supervisors' meeting.
No formal county action on the library contract was taken May 20; residents said they would continue to organize and seek public information.
