Residents defend libraries and press board on trustee decisions and transparency

During the public-comment portions of the May 4 meeting, multiple speakers urged the Randolph County Board of Commissioners to protect library services and to reverse or revisit recent trustee dismissals and collection-location decisions.

“A library is where you should be able to find the books that people are trying to ban and exactly why people are trying to ban them,” said Nancy Bunch, who read an excerpt arguing that libraries serve as a sanctuary and a place for access to information. Other speakers described how libraries had supported families in crises and urged the board to ensure that children's books remain findable in children’s sections.

Judith West and Marie Duke emphasized that libraries must reflect the county’s diversity and warned against narrowing collection access or moving books to locations where patrons — especially parents and children — could not easily find them. Susie (Susan) Scott questioned why the county released new ordinance and bylaw language only days before a vote and asked the board to publish future meeting materials earlier to improve transparency.

The chair and other commissioners responded in part by saying the board had not closed libraries or banned books, and that the board had requested moving a title to a “more appropriate location” rather than removing it from collections. Commissioners also noted recent expansions of library branches to create access in Franklinville and Seagrove.

What happens next: Public commenters asked the board to reinstate dismissed trustees and to publish agenda materials earlier; the board did not take a reversal vote at the May 4 meeting but said staff would review comments and the public record.

Sources: Public-comment remarks to the Randolph County Board of Commissioners on May 4, 2026 (remarks by Nancy Bunch, Judith West, Marie Duke, Susan Scott and others).