Virginia Library of the Year & More

Virginia Library Association's Library of the Year Winner is Samuels Public Library

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The Virginia Library Association congratulates the 2024 Virginia Library of the Year, Samuels Public Library.

Samuels Public Library has been providing public access to literature and learning in Warren County in the Town of Front Royal for more than two centuries. The Front Royal Librarian Society was the second subscription library in the Commonwealth, receiving its charter in 1799. In 1836 the Society was incorporated by the General Assembly and throughout the next century, the Library persevered through war and the Depression. The community has always supported the Library. The ladies of Warren County even held a “Silver Tea” with participants donating a book to grow the collection. Then in 1952 local resident Dr. Bernard Samuels donated a building to house the Library. This generosity was acknowledged through a renaming, and Samuels Public Library was born. With bequests and patron commitments, the Library was about to build a new modern facility which opened to the public in 1980 and with continued community growth and the cooperation of Warren County the doors opened anew in 2009 to a warm, friendly and beautiful location that is now home to Samuels Public Library and the many patrons we call friends.

Today, Samuels Public Library serves more than 41,000 people in the County of Warren and strives to bring people, information, and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. In the last fiscal year the Library had more than 127,000 visitors, over 400,000 checkouts, and hosted 542 programs that saw 19,194 attendees. With growth and commitment to state-of-the-art services, the library was recently honored to receive a grant from the Mellon Foundation to improve and establish a combination Memory Lab and Makerspace enhancing free services for all.

Samuels continues its mission to improve and grow, to provide our community with excellent resources and services, special programs and events, updated technology and will remain one of the best community resources in Front Royal and Warren County.

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"One of the most significant accomplishments of Samuels Library is its continuous dedication throughout a 9-month challenge the Library faced against a small group in the community with the intent to censor books in early 2023. In the midst of the challenge, the Warren County Board of Supervisors decided to withhold 75% of the Library’s annual budget until a compromise was made. Samuels Library made changes to address the issues the group had with some of the books on our shelves, including creating a new collection called New Adult, reviewing all Young Adult (YA) books, moving a selection of YA books to New Adult, and creating two new youth library cards with checkout restrictions."

"Nonetheless, Samuels Library is ready to fight for the First Amendment rights of all by strictly adhering to our Collection Development Policy and ensuring our collection reflects a multitude of ideas."

"In 2023, Samuels Public Library experienced more than 300 book challenges by a very small (53 individuals out of 20,549 patrons) but vocal minority in the community who demanded that books be removed from the collection based solely on LBGTQ content and that the library change its non-profit structure. The library’s leadership stood firm and defended its collection policies and structure. The library’s staff, Board of Trustees, the Friends of the Samuels Public Library, and hundreds of community members jumped in to defend the library and ensure its safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all patrons. The library not only survived this contentious challenge, but it has also thrived in its wake."

Virginia Library Association's Friends of the Library Award Winner is Friends of Samuels Library

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The Friends of Samuels Library
The Friends of Samuels Library has stood beside Samuels Public Library in Warren County, VA, since 2015. Our mission is to enhance the library's resources, assist the amazing staff, support and sponsor free programming, provide volunteer assistance, and advocate in the community. We operate a bookstore and run an annual book sale that supplements membership fees and donations. FOSL is proud to be a vital part of an amazing library. Pictured here are members of the FOSL Board of Directors. Front row, from left: Sally Meredith, Jessica Priest Cahill, Jean Verasammy, Chantal Gamble, Susan Rockwell. Rear row, from left: Chris Estes, Sydney Patton, Katharine Hulley, Valerie Minteer, Nioka DeVincentis. Not Pictured: Sharon Fisher, Pyda Gonzalez.

"FOSL goes beyond fundraising, their mission is to support Samuels Library by: Promoting a diverse and active membership in the Friends. Enhancing the Library’s financial resources for its provision of literacy and cultural opportunities in the community. Supporting and sponsoring family, adult, and children’s programming. Providing volunteer assistance for the Library operations. Stimulating community awareness of the Library as a valuable educational resource."

"When Samuels Library’s funding came under attack due to a misguided censorship campaign, they did not stand idly by. Many members spoke about the library’s importance at public meetings and wrote letters to the editor in defense of the library and its staff."
"When it was clear that there were members of the Warren County community who were unaware that the library’s funding was in limbo, they worked with EveryLibrary to send mailers to all 21,400 households in the county. Weeks later, the library’s funding was restored."

Virginia Library Association's Trustee Library Award Winner is Melody Hotek

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Melody Hotek

Melody Hotek has worked for nonprofits and served on Boards for 25 years. Initially with the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Fairfax and then upon retiring to Front Royal in 2012 she served as the President of the Friends of Samuels Public Library for 6 years, helped establish the organization's nonprofit status, a vibrant Board, and helped with the creation of the Epilogue Bookstore within the library.  Currently she serves as the President of Samuels Public Library Board of Trustees as well as Event Coordinator for the Library's annual fundraiser "A Taste for Books" which raises an average of 20k each year.  The Library is a passion and has become an integral part of a very full life translating into many, many volunteer hours when she is not being "Grandma."

"Ms. Hotek has been the lead of one of our major fundraising events, A Taste for Books, for nearly 10 years. Her creative outlook and motivation has allowed this major fundraising event to become increasingly successful over the years. Ms. Hotek works closely with the management team and library staff to put together a grand event that transforms the Library into a decorative gala for an evening. What makes A Taste for Books so special is Ms. Hotek’s inventiveness and insight on how we can make each year even bigger and better."

"Melody Hotek was appointed as the President of the Board of Trustees just as Samuels Library was in the midst of facing a challenge. In early 2023, a small group in our community with the intent to censor books joined in the nationwide attack against public libraries. Ms. Hotek was on the frontline of the fight to defend our library, while Warren County withheld 75% of the Library’s operational funding in an attempt to force the Library to remove items which they deemed inappropriate. Ms. Hotek stood firm and advised the County Board of Supervisors that the Library would close its doors before it violated the First Amendment rights of the entire community that the Library serves."

"In 2023, Melody took on the role of Board of Trustees President. This was during the height of an attack on Samuels Library’s funding and collection, but Melody did not shy away from the challenge. Melody worked closely with the Warren County Board of Supervisors, Director Michelle Ross and then Interim Director Eileen Grady on creating workable solutions to secure library funding while protecting the integrity of the library’s collection and upholding the First Amendment."