Libraries in the Great Lakes State

Like everywhere else, the stress of the recent economic downturn has affected libraries in Michigan. The first article I came upon was an article from a local newspaper detailing the closure of four libraries in Isabella County, Michigan. They weren't part of a nearby library district, and lacked the funds to stay opened. Funds are a problem, because apparently Michigander librarians take most of their funding from local sources. An estimate by a branch librarian, Janet Silverthorn, put the funding estimate at 70-80%. On the bright side, however, local voters in the Coe township passed a ballot measure to pay an additional $1.75 million in property taxes to support their local libraries.

http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2010/09/23/news/doc4c9a5e78376c9096361406.txt

The next article also appears to double as an attempt to publicize the numerous services libraries offer. In addition to the standard fare of free-to-rent books, many libraries (everywhere, obviously, but for the sake of this article Howell County District Library) offer DVDs, audiobooks, CDs, even free internet access, fax machines, and scanners. It highlights a big problem: librarians might not be sure how to market the services they offer outside of books. Valuable services that could bring in many new patrons are virtually unknown to the public (this is a problem in most communities, I find).

http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20100916/NEWS01/100916003

Another article offers news on the University of Michigan Library, which also serves as the state's historical library and archive, and discusses briefly its history.

http://www.annarbor.com/news/bentley-historical-library-celebrates-75-years-as-archive-of-state-university-of-michigan/

So libraries in Michigan are suffering from the same crisis of identity seen everywhere, I suspect, and adapting their business model in order to best serve their clientele. While books are still part and parcel with libraries (and the reason I decided to become a librarian), they're not the whole deal as they once were--libraries in Michigan seek to serve the community by providing a huge variety of services, even as budgeting problems force individual libraries to close their doors.