Sylva takes another stand in library conflict
A quiet symbol of a growing divide, the Jackson County Library Complex sits at the center of an escalating dispute over control, access and the future of public space in Sylva.
File photo
The question of who will control one of Jackson County’s most visible public assets is beginning to draw clear lines, and on March 26, Sylva’s Board of Commissioners stepped firmly onto one side.
In a unanimous vote, commissioners adopted a resolution supporting continued control of the Jackson County Library Complex by the Jackson County Public Library, signaling opposition to any effort that would shift authority elsewhere.
The measure was presented by Mayor Pro Tem Brad Waldrop, who also serves as Sylva’s representative on the Jackson County Public Library Board. After the resolution was read into the record, commissioners approved it without discussion or dissent.
“It was just out of an overall concern for the future of the library and the complex. I want to make sure it remains true to what we know works and remains true to the initial stakeholders and the community,” Waldrop told The Smoky Mountain News. “There’s significance to that history, and what it was meant for — it was meant to be a unified complex, rather than a library and another building.”
Efforts by Jackson County commissioners to withdraw from the Fontana Regional Library system last year marked a dramatic shift in an eight-decade regional partnership, driven largely by disputes over LGBTQ materials. Commissioners moved to assert greater local control over the Jackson County Public Library while critics warned the move could fracture shared resources, increase exposure to First Amendment lawsuits, strain smaller counties and jeopardize funding and services built through decades of cooperation. The debate exposed deeper tensions over censorship, public oversight and the role of elected officials in representing their constituents — who vehemently and overwhelmingly opposed the withdrawal — placing Jackson County at the center of a broader conflict playing out in libraries across North Carolina.
The resolution frames the library complex as a central civic resource, describing it as more than a collection of books. It encompasses the main library building, public meeting areas and the historic courthouse, all of which function as the only indoor community space for education, programming and public gatherings in Jackson County.
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Town officials emphasized the library system’s longstanding role in managing and leasing those spaces, arguing that continuity in that arrangement is critical to maintaining stable operations and broad public access. Emails between FRL board member Bill McGaha and Commissioner John Smith from early 2025 seem to suggest that access could be in jeopardy.
Antoinette MacWatt, a Jackson County resident opposed to withdrawal from the FRL who has closely followed the library dispute, said those emails created growing concern that the original purpose of the complex could be undermined.
MacWatt said the library and courthouse were never intended to function as separate entities but as a unified complex built through a combination of public funding, private donations and volunteer effort. She said that history — and the promises made during fundraising — still carry weight.
According to MacWatt, Sylva’s resolution was appropriate because it reinforces the original intent behind the project. She said the complex was designed to ensure that large, non-commercial community events would always have a home, something the library building was never designed to accommodate.
She also expressed concern that changes to the lease or governance structure could limit access to those shared spaces, effectively restricting their use to library-sponsored activities and excluding broader community functions.
“In my opinion, the impetus is to make sure that the community room is not booked by anyone related to the Pride community,” MacWatt said.
The resolution asserts that the library’s oversight has historically ensured that decisions about the facility align with community needs and the institution’s educational mission.
Sylva’s position also reflects its own reliance on the complex. The resolution notes that municipal officials have used meeting rooms within the courthouse when town facilities could not accommodate larger crowds, underscoring the practical importance of how the space is governed.
At the heart of the resolution is concern that any change in control could disrupt that balance. In the resolution, Sylva commissioners warned that transferring or reducing the library system’s authority could create uncertainty around scheduling, access and long-term use, with potential consequences for residents and local organizations that depend on the facility.
The resolution also touches on governance, emphasizing that the library system operates under a structure intended to prioritize public service over politics. Maintaining that framework, the resolution suggests, helps ensure that decisions about the complex remain focused on education, culture and community benefit.
Rather than merely opposing change, the town is also calling for cooperation. The resolution encourages Jackson County leaders and the library board to work together on any future decisions involving the complex, with an emphasis on preserving public access and supporting the library’s broader mission.
Copies of the resolution will be sent to county commissioners, the library board of trustees and the FRL administration, placing Sylva’s position squarely into an ongoing conversation about the future governance of the library complex as the library itself formally exits the FRL system on July 1.
MacWatt said that despite the ongoing conflict, her focus remains on the long-term health of the institution and the people now tasked with leading it forward.
“I just want to say this — the Friends of the Library, the Jackson County Public Library Allies, me personally — [County Manager] Kevin King and Grace Powell, as the new head librarian, have our entire and complete backing,” she said. “We want them to be successful. That’s what we want for our community — a successful library.”
