Effingham County Library Board Convenes Following Unanimous Vote

SPRINGFEILD, Ga. () — On Wednesday, a day after the Effingham Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to withdraw from the Live Oak Library system, the library board met to discuss.

The Live Oak Library partnership was not on the agenda Wednesday; however, library officials said it is the last planned board meeting on the calendar for 2025.

“You’re going to defer to a special called meeting as to whether to leave or not or even how to go about having to go. You just said you haven’t discussed it as a board yet, so that is not on the table tonight,” a Live Oak Library spokesperson said.

The official continued, “You know that this is our last meeting of 2025 on the calendar, which is concerning.”

The Effingham Board of Commissioners asked for the library board of trustees to withdraw from the Live Oak Library System and to become a standalone county library instead.

The commissioners said none of the libraries will close if the partnership between Live Oak and the library were to end. They also said the claim that the library will lose 93% of their books and materials is false.

“Our property probably come from either the county or state, but the Constitution only references materials that were purchased directly with state funds, it means they will be left behind,” Live Oak Library board member said.

An Effingham County homeschool mother of five said her kid’s education rely on their local library. She said the possible removal of the Live Oak partnership leaves her with a lot of questions of what the future will look like.

“Give us some semblance of encouragement that this is a good thing, because right now it doesn’t feel like a good thing,” concerned mother Stephania Tillman said. “It feels, haphazardly done. It feels rushed.  It feels like behind closed doors.”

The library board said they want to consider what would be best for the library before they make a final decision.