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Campbell County Library System: Firearm Prohibition

jmelvin

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,195
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
This afternoon my wife was checking out the website of our local library and noticed that the library was attempting to prohibit the possession of firearms in the county libraries. My wife told me and I provided the following e-mail to our library director and copied the county attorney, the county administrator, and VCDL President. I'm looking forward to seeing that they remove this restriction just as they did a similar restriction at Campbell County Parks back in 2010.

Good evening Ms. Carmack,

This afternoon I looked at the Campbell County Public Library System website (http://www.campbellcountylibraries.org/meeting-spaces) for information regarding the public meeting rooms at my local library, which is the new Timbrook Library. As I perused Section D “Regulations” I noticed the following restriction on the use of meeting rooms:

“No firearms or other weapons will be permitted”

This restriction made by the Campbell County Public Library System, which is a local authority or local government agency that is part of Campbell County, is in direct violation of the Code of Virginia 15.2-915 (http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter9/section15.2-915/). Attempts to enforce this rule put Campbell County, the Library System, responding police, or even individual workers at a significant risk of financial liability since neither Campbell County nor the Library System have the authority to make or enforce such a rule.

It would seem to me that a restriction on violent or rowdy behavior may actually be a better fit, since firearms themselves do nothing, yet violent and rowdy behavior is likely what the Library System wishes to forbid and likely has the authority to forbid.

Please consult with Mr. David Shreve (Campbell County Attorney, copied on this e-mail) and let me know that you have removed this restriction from the Library System website and in any posted places in the individual libraries. I have also copied the County Administrator on this e-mail to ensure that the Board of Supervisors is aware of this issue. As a Campbell County resident I expect that my county government keep its activities within the bounds of the law so that my taxes are not wasted unnecessarily in court. If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me directly.

Thank you much,

jmelvin
 
Last edited by a moderator:

HPmatt

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
1,467
Location
Dallas
Didn't take long to fire up the email on that one!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
Your email will be deemed "rowdy" LOL Don't offer them suggestions about more restrictions ... post back with results.
 

jmelvin

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,195
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
I received the following e-mail from Ms. Carmack this morning:

The library board is revamping program room policy at its upcoming February board meeting. Those draft policies are attached and you’ll notice that the clause has been removed.

Thank you,
Nan Carmack

I reviewed the proposed wording and noted that the totality of any weapons prohibition had been removed. I provided the following response to encourage the Library System to update their existing wording as well.

Good morning Ms. Carmack,

Thank you for the quick response. I am glad to see that the rule at issue is removed from the draft policy that will be addressed at a later February board meeting. I do, however, encourage you to have the Library System website administrator immediately update the website to remove this prohibition since the existing stated policy is contrary to state law and exposes the county to lawsuits as prescribed by the Code of Virginia as long as it remains in place. If this wording is posted in any library it should also be immediately covered or removed to eliminate the liability to the county prescribed by state law.

Please let me know when this wording has been removed.

Thank you again for your timely response,

jmelvin

I'll follow up here when I get response or if I observe that the website has been changed. :)
 

jmelvin

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,195
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
The follow up:

Mr. Melvin,

I will remove the document entirely as I am not at liberty to change policy wording without direction from our governing board.

Thank you!

Nan Carmack

I made sure to thank her for her quick response and quick action. As long as the website gets updated soon, it looks like this one is fixed. :)
 

jmelvin

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,195
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Thanks for the responses guys. It's been a little bit since I've had a chance to take something like this on, because every time an issue has been brought up with an authority in this area, a non-local who does this regularly has jumped in before one of the locals could even get their e-mails written or their phone calls made. It's not that I don't appreciate the assistance, but at times it's good to let locals take the lead so they get the chance to develop the muscles that may eventually need to flex without assistance.

I thought of asking my wife to write the e-mails since she hasn't been through this on her own just yet, but I do have the experience and I'm happy to and likely to share here so others can learn. My efforts are only one part of the success here though. Even though the law is on our side, it's because these public officials were responsive to correction that this was changed so quickly.

If I can be of assistance should you need to make a similar contact for a "pre-empted" local government, please don't hesistate to ask!
 

Tess

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2006
Messages
3,837
Location
Bryan, TX
Thanks for the responses guys. It's been a little bit since I've had a chance to take something like this on, because every time an issue has been brought up with an authority in this area, a non-local who does this regularly has jumped in before one of the locals could even get their e-mails written or their phone calls made. It's not that I don't appreciate the assistance, but at times it's good to let locals take the lead so they get the chance to develop the muscles that may eventually need to flex without assistance.



+10000
 

user

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Messages
2,516
Location
Northern Piedmont
Dern! I guess that means no lawsuit. How am I going to make any money off that statute if these localities keep co-operating?
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Dern! I guess that means no lawsuit. How am I going to make any money off that statute if these localities keep co-operating?
Fortunately, there are plenty of other statutes and rules that will need attending. This message will not self destruct after being read.

Query - would you accept a nomination to SCOTUS or U.S. Attorney General if it came your way? Jus' dreaming a sweet dream. :)
 
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