On Friday afternoon, August 2nd, Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library Director Amber Westall Briggs released a public statement and a preliminary state aid graph in reference to the Yancey County Commissioners decision to remove Yancey County from the 3-county library system July 1, 2025.
In response Yancey County Manager Lynn Austin stated, “The Yancey County Commissioners are looking forward to continuing services at the Yancey County Library. I have had discussions with the State Library Employees and have been reassured that Yancey County will be able to receive the same funding that the AMY system received on behalf of Yancey County. There is no evidence to support the idea that library services will be lost. The Commissioners look forward to continuing all the services that we currently have, and we realize what a valuable resource having a public Library is to the community.” Austin also noted that, “It’s always good to be self-governing, while we are always willing to help our counterparts in other counties our main focus and responsibility is to our Yancey County Citizens. When speaking to the State Library it was mentioned that the majority of Public libraries are run by county governments and there are very few regional systems left in the state and I think that alone speaks for itself. Hang on with us, we are hoping to make this a smooth transition for all involved.”
Amber Westall Briggs public-statement-8-2-24
State Aid Scenario Worksheet
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