With a rich history dating back to 1799, Samuels Public Library has provided public access to literature and learning to the County of Warren in the Town of Front Royal thanks to the support of its community. What started out as the second subscription library in Virginia has now evolved into a vibrant community hub that continues to expand upon its resources, services, and programming to increase equitable access to literacy and educational opportunities.

Samuels Library is a one-branch public library that directly serves more than 41,000 people in Warren County. In the last fiscal year, Samuels Library saw more than 132,000 visitors, over 400,000 checkouts, and hosted over 900 programs that welcomed more than 20,000 attendees. This reflects the Library’s dedication to community engagement and literacy initiatives – and even in the face of complete withdrawal of local government funding, effective July 1, 2025, the Library continues to keep its doors open and thrive as a vital community resource, advocating for public libraries, the freedom to read, and the right to information access.

“Samuels Public Library, with professionalism and resilience, has been defying the odds of the national wave of book ban challenges that threaten many libraries with defunding and closure”.

“Samuels Public Library is an exemplary candidate for the Advocacy Award, as it has chosen courage and perseverance, and continues to be a beacon of knowledge and light through the unprecedented surge of book bans that have targeted libraries for offering inclusive selections of books with diverse representations. Samuels Public Library is proof that libraries and other educational institutions targeted by book bans can persevere through these challenging times and advocate for a better future where all knowledge and information is accessible to everyone.”

Eileen Grady began her professional life in the Airline Industry, first as an Auditor and then in a Managerial role in the Revenue Accounting offices of American Airlines. After her return to the Shenandoah Valley, she accepted the position of Business Manager at Samuels Public Library. In 2008 and 2009 she served as the Library Coordinator for the construction and move to a new facility, which nearly tripled the size of the previous library building. As the Library grew, so did the job. Ultimately her position became responsible for all accounting, annual audits, facilities maintenance, oversight of the Circulation Department and all things IT, and with these expanded responsibilities came a new title, Director of Operations. Ms. Grady has been with the Library for more than 22 years, during which period she has stepped into the role of Acting Director on three occasions.

Her exceptional dedication and contributions to Samuels Public Library over her 23-year-and-running tenure as the Director of Operations has significantly enhanced the library's impact on the community and its staff. Ms. Grady has been an integral leader at Samuels Public Library, advocating tirelessly for staff pay and development opportunities. Her efforts to encourage excellence in customer service and library operations elevates the quality of life for library staff and patrons alike. Ms. Grady consistently sets high, yet attainable, standards, empowering her team to grow and excel as library professionals.