Fairfax County to Evict Friends of Libraries

Fairfax County is in the process of evicting the Library Friends from several library branches .

The County demands that all library Friends sign a new contract which many
feel violates our consciences , goes against the advice of our legal
counsel, and tramples our rights as independent non profit
organizations.

Library Friends work with the County.

Library Friends do not work for the County.

But the County has been determined to ram through a new "Memorandum
of Understanding" contract which would put the library Friends in an
inferior position.

Several library Friends groups have asked to meet with the County to
discuss reasonable changes/modifications to the MOU that would make it
more fair to library Friends.

But the County - through library Director Jessica Hudson and library
board Chair Miriam Smolen - has been completely unwilling to consider
Friends concerns or make ANY changes to the MOU approved by a divided
library board earlier this year.

Instead, library Friends are being bullied and threatened with
eviction if they do not sign a contract they are not comfortable with.

Library Friends have been given a deadline of July 31 to sign away their rights or be thrown out.

Such a "my way or the highway" approach is unbelievable being
directed at volunteers who have served their various library branches
for decades and donated millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of
volunteer hours to support library collections, facilities, programs,
staff , grounds and other needs.

It is not too late for the County to reconsider this wholly
destructive and counterproductive approach and to start treating the
library Friends as valued partners instead of problems needing to be
crushed and brought to heel.

If this attack on library Friends troubles you please let those who
can make a difference know : County Board Chair Sharon Bulova
sharon.bulova@fairfaxcounty.gov , County Executive Bryan Hill
Bryan.Hill@fairfaxcounty.gov , Library Board Chair Miriam Smolen
miriam.smolen@fairfaxcounty.gov , Library Director Jessica Hudson
jessica.hudson@fairfaxcounty.gov