King William's Model: King & Queen Library
In an email to one of his constituents who shared their concerns about the Board's decision to leave PRL, Board Vice-Chair, Justin Catlett, specifically states that the Board will be consulting with King & Queen, whose Board chose to leave PRL in 2023.
So, if iT will cost more, why run an independent library?
This decision is not about saving taxpayer money; it is about censorship and control.
You might ask yourself, “What is the goal of creating an independent library for King William if it has nothing to do with saving money?“ To find the answer, you can just read the words directly from the individuals who pushed and worked with the Board to make sure this decision was made: they want to be able to control what residents of this county do and do not have access to. The above image is from an article written by David Macaulay for the July 17, 2024 issue of the Tidewater Review.
While the Board may be within their right to make this decision, King William residents deserve to be aware of the monetary cost. If they believe having control over resources is worth paying more, the Board should say so. And if they can prove that they can improve the number and variety of services for two separate branches in our county and ensure they can do so for less than King William residents are currently paying to be a member of PRL, providing the numbers should be easy enough. As of the publication of this website, they have failed to provide this data.