On December 10, 2024, the Warren County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing regarding the formation of a new library board. The meeting was a marathon, stretching hours past midnight. By the time I was called to the podium, most of the prepared points had been exhausted by previous speakers. I decided to “wing it,” setting aside my notes to address the core issue: data integrity.
Poking Holes in the “Expert” Report
As a Trustee at Large for Samuels Public Library, I had spent weeks analyzing the Warren County Board of Supervisors Sub-Committee 2023 Library Debrief and Research Report. What frustrated me most was the lack of academic rigor in a document penned by someone with a PhD. I found:
- Cherry-picked data that ignored the reality of library finances.
- Lack of neutrality and missing references.
- A failure to account for historical context, such as the loss of town funding and the increased costs of moving to the Criser Road location.
I grew up in special education, and while I hold an Associate’s degree, I don’t lean on “AA” as a shield. I believe in verifying facts so that the truth can stand on its own. It was surreal to realize that my independent analysis, based on Bibliostat and public financial reports, was more structurally sound than the county’s official “expert” document.
A Voice for Inclusivity
I also wanted the Board to see the humans behind the data. I provided folders to the supervisors in different colors—a deliberate choice to represent inclusivity. Our community is not a monolith; we are a collection of multiple viewpoints and backgrounds, and our library must remain a space that serves everyone.
Support from the Community
It was deeply humbling to hear the comments that followed my testimony. Teresa Jenkins noted that “you don’t need a PhD to be an expert,” pointing to my report as the “superb” standard for financial transparency. Dr. Timothy Francis, Ph.D., also stood in the “Fork District” to oppose the measure, citing my December 5th analysis as a definitive rebuttal to the subcommittee’s exaggerations.
Final Reflection
This meeting wasn’t just about a library board; it was about the standard of truth we expect from our government. When official reports present an “alternate reality,” it is the responsibility of engaged citizens to bring the actual data to light. Whether it’s midnight or midday, the numbers don’t lie—and I will continue to ensure they are heard.
Resources & Related Reading
- Watch the Testimony: Warren County BOS Meeting – Dec 10, 2024
- Read my Letter to the Editor: Protecting Our Library’s Legacy: A Call for Transparent, Data-Driven Decisions
- Reports
Transcript
Lewis Moten, Trustee at Large, Samuels Public Library
0:00Lewis Motton,
0:02um, North River District Trustee at
0:05large at Samuels Public Library.
0:08Uh, you’ve pretty much got my notes in
0:10the folders, but a lot of people have
0:13already said what I’m going to say, so
0:15I’m going to just wing it. And um I
0:20think the most important thing
0:22is the uh
0:25the reasons behind this seems to be
0:27governance and finances.
0:31Governance you have you have it through
0:33the MOA. That’s how public private
0:37partnerships go. So I don’t know what it
0:40is that you aren’t getting with that.
0:45The only thing that I know of is this
0:49board requested gender queer and long
0:52boy to be removed from the library and
0:55all similar books
0:58both from the library and from the ebook
1:01collection.
1:02uh this was then
1:05they this was denied but then the MOAS
1:08came and said that uh you wanted control
1:11over the collection and the selection
1:13process and we said no. So in terms of
1:17governance, these are the only things I
1:19have seen that you are not getting and
1:22the we cannot do this because there are
1:25laws. Um the finances
1:32are just bad. They’re wrong. Um
1:35and I can’t believe I can actually poke
1:38holes through a report written by
1:40somebody who claims to have a PhD. It’s
1:44insane to me. Um, I grew up with special
1:47education throughout most of my
1:50childhood until I moved to a high school
1:52that did not have special education.
1:55Um, now I do have an associates degree,
1:57but I don’t go put an AA on everything,
2:00but I I know to actually verify
2:03otherwise it somebody can embarrass me
2:06over it. And so,
2:09I don’t know. I’ve submitted those
2:10reports. hopefully you’ll think next
2:13time before you look at the data and try
2:15to present your own alternate reality.
2:19Um,
2:21but yeah, but the other thing about
2:23special education is I learned to be
2:26inclusive to understand everybody. And
2:28if you’ve noticed your folders are
2:30different colors and that pretty much I
2:33chose that specifically to represent
2:36inclusivity. We’re not just one person
2:38here. We are multiple people, multiple
2:40viewpoints.
2:42Um,
2:44so obviously I’m I’m against what’s
2:47going on with this. Thank you. You don’t
Teresa Jenkins
2:50need a PhD to be an expert in a subject
2:54area. Case in point, Mr. Lewis Motton’s
2:57in-depth, well-ressearched report and
3:00analysis does a superb job providing
3:03data to the board of supervisors and
3:05public of Samuel Public Library
3:07financial history and transparency. Mr.
3:10Motton does not have a PhD. Yet, his
3:12information puts your poultry red
3:14herring of a report to shame. The only
3:17thing his report lacks is a whiny
3:20personal addendum. It is your shameful
3:24arrogance that compels you to
3:25disdainfully refer to thoughtful, deeply
3:28engaged members of Samuel’s library
3:30board of trustees as dumb as rocks. Mr.
3:34Jameson, credentialism is a vice, not a
Dr. Timothy Francis, Ph.D.
3:38virtue.
3:38I am Dr. Timothy Lang Francis. I served
3:4123 years in the Navy and I live in the
3:44Fork District and I stand in opposition
3:47to this measure which is running about
3:50six to one against tonight from all the
3:52speakers.
3:54multiple letters to the editor,
3:56including my library subcommittee report
3:58analysis on 25 November and one December
4:02and Lewis Motton’s more detailed and
4:04extensive analysis on five December have
4:07shown that your subcommittee report does
4:09not repeat not justify the creation of
4:12an alternative library board from any
4:15financial perspective.
4:17Indeed, every one of the financial
4:19critiques of Samuels is either false or
4:22exaggerated.
4:24To repeat just briefly, the report
4:26ignored significant aspects of the Villa
4:28Avenue location purchase and the move to
4:30Kryser Road, including the cost of
4:33moving to a new location, more services
4:36and staff, higher utility costs, the
4:39simultaneous loss of town funding, and
4:42the flatline of county funding since
4:442018.
4:46It also ignored that it was the county
4:48itself that wanted to purchase the
4:50location so it could modify and
4:52repurpose the building.
4:55For libraries serving similar
4:57populations, Samuels is aligned in
4:59salaries per full-time employee and cost
5:02per capita, which is spending per person
5:05if that isn’t clear to you. Samuels also
5:08has a better ratio of borrowers,
5:10transactions, number of books, and total
5:12visits.
