Following a controversial vote at last week’s Jackson County Commissioners meeting, the two library community rooms in Jackson County are now no longer available for reservations to the public. 

Commissioners voted 3-1 to adopt the new policies, which restrict community room use at Jackson County Public Library and Albert Carlton Cashiers Community Library to library and county government use only. Until this vote, community members frequently rented out the rooms for meetings, weddings, memorial services, performances and more. Chairman Mark Letson provided the only “no” vote to adopt the more restrictive policies, and several community room advocates left the meeting shaking their heads at the decision. Commissioner Todd Bryson was not present for the meeting. With strong community opposition to these new restrictive policies, some advocates say they may take legal action to restore the general public’s access to the space.  

“I’ve already given some money to the legal defense for the library, and they’re probably going to sue over it,” said community member Chris Bogardus in reference to a coalition of library lovers who have organized to oppose changes at the library following the county’s exit from the Fontana Regional Library system. “I do not like the changes they’ve done in the last two years one little bit.”

In previous drafts of the updated room usage policies at both of Jackson County’s libraries, there were no restrictions as to who could rent the AC-CCL community room. It was only the public’s usage of the community room at JCPL that was on the chopping block. However, last Tuesday, commissioners took their restrictive agenda a step further, taking the stance that JCPS and AC-CCL ought to have the same policy. This decision now leaves several groups that regularly booked the AC-CCL library, like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, in limbo.

Absent from Tuesday’s community room vote was any public discussion about the new policies. As previously reported, Jackson County officials have been curiously tight-lipped about the move to restrict community room usage, though some say the move is a part of a larger conservative movement to restrict LGBTQ+ materials and events at public libraries. Letson said he was disappointed in the loss of the public spaces to the community. “Restrictions on public space give me pause for the future,” Letson said. “Especially in the small town of Cashiers — AA, NA, quilters — the library is a place of resources for them to meet … There is not another place.” 

Jenny Lynn Hooper was the only other commissioner at last week’s meeting who agreed to provide comment and said, “It’s what’s right for the county, and that’s what the taxpayers want.” When asked why she thought the taxpayers want a more restrictive community room policy, Hooper said, “I don’t really know.”

Sylva resident Cris Hamlet spoke during the public comment period before the meeting on the legal precedent for restricting public forums, which he argued the community rooms are. Hamlet pointed to rights outlined in the U.S. Constitution and litigated at the Supreme Court, which mandate that the government may only regulate free-speech activities on public property if restrictions are both “content neutral” and “reasonable.” Hamlet argued that these new policies are not reasonable.

“It would be truly sad if Jackson County residents have to take their own county government to court to secure access to their library community room,” Hamlet said. “Regardless of political party, U.S. citizens do not roll over and accept their amendment rights being taken away from them.”

Under the new library policies, the public is still allowed to reserve conference rooms at JCPL and AC-CCL. The official wording of the new library policies states is below:

Permitted Uses:

1. Meetings (government boards and commissions, library functions)

2. Educational Training and Artistic Activities (recitals, art shows, lectures, training courses and clinics, etc.)

3. Other similar and appropriate uses approved by the County Manager

Eligible Entities and Organizations (in priority of use):

1. Jackson County Library

2. Jackson County governmental agencies, departments, boards, commissions, etc.