Milan Public Library seeks public input as it strives to find ways to modernize: Funding remains a challenge for library constrained between two counties

As the Milan Public Library spends January commemorating Michigan inventions of the past—and celebrating the state’s 188th birthday—it is also relying on the community’s ingenuity to determine the best directions for the future. 

The library is working with a group of University of Michigan School of Information students to obtain feedback on how the library can better reconfigure spaces for the community. That effort includes an online survey open to all ages. Assistant library director Barbara Beaton emphasizes they hope to receive feedback from Milan’s youth and children, too.

“The survey will run through the end of January at least and then we will be gathering the data and pulling it together for the Board’s consideration,” Beaton said.

It’s part of the library’s effort to do a lot with their just shy of $500,000 budget.

Library Board President Larry Biederman said he often gets feedback from people saying they’d like a bigger, more modern library and he’s wanted the same thing. Similar comments came up in survey responses to the city’s master plan this last year.

Finances

However, its status as a city library limits its ability to expand and funding options. Each county funds its libraries differently. Monroe has a county library system, while many communities in Washtenaw County have district libraries with boundaries the same as the school districts.

Milan’s library is located in Monroe County, near the Washtenaw County border. It is independent of the city and has its own board of directors. Currently, Milan residents bear the majority of the tax burden for the library, although the library provides services to residents in Augusta Township, part of Pittsfield Township and part of York Township. 

However, none of the townships pay any taxes toward the library, though York Township does make a voluntary contribution. The state releases a small amount of penal fines and state aid to the Milan Library for those areas.

“They’re getting a good deal,” Biederman said.

Milan City residents who live in Monroe County, including Biederman, pay taxes to two libraries – the Milan City library and the Monroe County Library system.

The other Monroe County townships that make up the Milan Area Schools District are part of Monroe County Library System and only pay taxes toward those libraries, the closest of which is Dundee. They still have access to check out eight items, including up to two non-print items at a time at the Milan Library through the MILibrary card, though they do not have full privileges of a Milan Library Card.

Hopes to expand

Biederman said while he has served, between 2009 and 2019 the library had several discussions about changing Milan library to a district library with boundaries including all of Milan Area Schools. Milan Library director Susan Wess said there were discussions before then, too.

It could mean a more equal distribution of the library’s cost among users, increased funding of the library, an expanded service area, and access to other forms of funding, including bonds, Wess and Biederman said.

A challenge is that according to law they have to get permission from any other library district that has overlapping areas. The Monroe County Library Board has said no when asked about having some residents from Milan, London; and Exeter Townships become part of the Milan library, expressing concern about losing their own support, said Wess.

“It could happen, but we just always run into blockades and we give up,” Biederman said.

This means the current annual budget for the 5,020 square foot library is only $497,000 which includes millages and donations. That money pays for all services, new materials, programming and for the salaries of two full-time and eight part-time or substitute employees. Some might only work six hours a week, Wess said.

Discussions

With two new library board members, Wess said they will re-examine everyone’s priorities as they seek for ways to improve the library.

In the meantime, the library is looking for community feedback on ways to reconfigure the space they have.

Survey

The survey conducted is not the first time students have assisted the library through a service-learning opportunity. Beaton said earlier University of Michigan students assisted the library with the local history collection.

“The previous UM School of Information student team made recommendations which have been useful to us in working toward a strategic plan that will include creating a description of the collections for researchers and identifying the most appropriate and viable means of preserving and making materials more accessible,” Beaton said.

The current survey asks for feedback on what space needs the library should prioritize, how people would rate the amenities, whether respondents have used the Phillips/Meeting Room and how satisfied they are with the amount and quality of space for reading, meetings, studying and children’s activities, among other questions. It also has places for written feedback. To complete the five-minute library survey go HERE.