The Warren County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of a proposal to defund the historic Samuels Public Library in Front Royal and threaten its ability to stay open.
The library was the 2024 Virginia Library of the Year.
The library is a nonprofit overseen by a board of trustees, but it counts on the county for about 70% of its operating budget. The board has been trying to gain more control over the library after some residents complained about certain books in the collection.
At public meetings, the majority of residents speaking have urged the county to keep the library open.
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On Tuesday night, the board 4-1 to withhold funding.
The library has provided public access to learning for more than 200 years, according to the library website. It now serves "more than 41,000 people in the County of Warren," and in the past year saw "more than 127,000 visitors, over 400,000 checkouts, and hosted 542 programs that saw 19,194 attendees."
