Frequently Asked Questions about the Library Closing
[Updated June 3, 2010]
When is the Troy Public Library closing?
On May 10, the Troy City Council adopted a fiscal year 2010-11 budget by a 4-3 vote which is in line with Option 1. Option 1 reduces Library hours in 2010-11, and closes the Library on July 1, 2011.
Why is the Library closing on Saturday?
Public libraries receive funds – State Aid – from the State of Michigan. This Aid pays for Troy's membership in the Suburban Library Cooperative, and gives the Library privileges such as access to the Michigan Electronic Library electronic resources, the MelCat interlibrary loan system, and other services that would cost thousands of dollars if the Library had to purchase them. Also, State Aid is needed in order to have reciprocal borrowing agreements with libraries not in the Suburban Library Cooperative, such as Rochester Hills, Clawson, Royal Oak, Birmingham, and Bloomfield Township.
In order to receive the benefits of State Aid, there are rules governing its receipt. One is that that Troy Library needs to be open 55 hours per week. Troy is currently open 65 hours per week. This means that only 10 hours can be cut from the Library’s open hours in order to keep State Aid and all of its benefits.
The Library’s budget was reduced $1.2 million for the coming fiscal year. To meet this reduction, cuts were made across the board. However, the majority of these cuts occurred in staffing: seven full time staff members and 23 part time staff members will be laid off prior to July 1. This is one third of the entire library staff. Staffing the library for 55 hours per week after losing one third of the staff is going to be challenging. There is likely to be longer lines to check out material; longer time for returned materials to be checked in and reshelved; and longer wait times for computer assistance and reference assistance.
Now let us look at the Library’s schedule. The Library is open for 11 hours per day, Monday through Thursday; eight hours a day Friday and Saturday; and five hours on Sunday. There is no question that Saturday is a busy day. Because Saturday is so busy, more staff need to be scheduled that day, to accommodate the demand for service. Scheduling that many staff members on Saturday reduces the number available to cover the remaining days of the week. So, wait times would be even longer, because the staff would be spread so thin the other 47 open hours during the rest of the week.
In addition, closing on Saturday means that the Library will be closed from 5 pm Friday until 1 pm on Sunday. That will maximize the savings of utilities costs.
Finally, the other factor which was considered was access to library service. Troy residents have resident borrowing and use privileges at the Suburban Library Cooperative libraries. If a Troy resident went to one of those libraries, he or she would be treated like a resident of that community. However, all of the SLC libraries are closed on Sundays in the summer, and most are closed Sundays year-round. With the Troy Library being closed on Saturdays, Troy residents can go to another library on Saturday and receive resident privileges, and use The Troy Library on Sunday. This means that Troy residents will still have seven day access to library service; six of which are at TPL.
Why doesn't the Library just run with volunteers, or have an all-volunteer staff?
Michigan's privacy laws prohibit volunteers from having access to patron records. In other words, it is illegal to allow volunteers to have access to information contained in a person's library record. That is the primary reason why the library cannot have a volunteer staff.
Why can't the Library charge people a membership fee to get a library card?
The Troy Library is prohibited by law from charging residents a yearly fee for an organization supported by tax dollars. This is called an illegal usage fee.
Where can I go if Troy Library closes? What happens to my borrowing privileges?
All resident and non-resident policies - that is, who has access to what - differ by library. Some may offer statewide MeLCat and MichiCard services to non-residents; others may not. Libraries that offer borrowing privileges to non-residents charge a fee. Locally, that fee ranges from $50 to $200. Several libraries in the area will not sell library cards to non-residents at all. These are local decisions, made by the governing body of each individual library. When the Troy Library is closed, Troy residents who want library service should contact local libraries to see where they might obtain service.
So let me get this straight.
Troy is one of the safest cities in the world.
It's one of the richest counties in the world.
3 out of 4 of our high schools are on the top 1000 of America.
Troy School District is considered one of the best districts in the USA.
We have continuously placed on "Best Cities to live in" lists.
Our government and public services are in good condition.
But we can't even keep a library open? That's sad, but this also seems awfully suspicious.
Did you check out your taxable value of your house recently? The city is not getting any where close to the amount of money in taxes that they used to get. That is why our library is closing. If people had been more informed about the fact that our taxes weren't really going up 29% with the passing of the millage (because our taxes in general were going down so much), then maybe we would have passed the millage after all.
As a librarian myself, I would have liked to see you point out, in your answer to the FAQ about all-volunteer staff, all the expertise which paid staff contribute in areas such as reference-service, programs, computer- and other technical help to patrons, etc. In fact, if you were to listen to or view the first hour from the Diane Rehm show on NPR for yesterday (accessible at www.drshow.org and go to 6/29/10 programs) you would hear some of the nation's top library-leaders discussing the value which these services add to libraries and, in turn, to the well-being of communities. In order to offer these services, library staff must have appropriate training and education, as well as the sort of investment in using their skills that comes from being paid to use them. I hope the Troy Library will be able to avoid closing in 2011, and that you will continue to advocate for libraries and their value to communities in an effort to prevent this unfortunate possibility.
As an MLIS student at WSU, many times the situation regarding Troy's Library has been discussed in our classes. As a Troy resident, I do believe that the library deserves a SEPARATE millage, much like other libraries have, for it's operating expenses. In all of the press surrounding this unfortunate situation, not one thing has been mentioned about a separate millage for our library. Why?
I'm confident that the voters rejected the millage increase last year because of how it was packaged and marketed to the voters. Right now is not a good time for government anywhere to try to "pull the wool" over the eyes of the voter. As evidenced by the number of incumbents being voted out of office and the Tea Party movement, people are upset with their elected officials and other government employees. I know that I certainly am.
Let's do the right thing for our library and get a separate millage for it! By the way, choosing to close the library on Saturday has got to be one of the worst decisions ever made in the City of Troy! Why not close the library on Sunday and Monday and be open Tuesday through Saturday? That way, the entire staff has two days off in a row and the patrons (along with the year-long students in the area) receive the benefit of having their beloved library open on Saturday!
You sound like you'll fit right in with government. The recent Troy millage proposal didn't pass due to the packaging and marketing? Seriously ?
Either the millage increase made sense or it didn't. There shouldn't need to be a need for marketing and packaging the tax payers dollars for an attempt to fleece them further of said dollars.
When city council will extend union contracts without asking for a single concession or when Troy union members garner a 16% 401(k) city contribution whether they add anything themselves or not the taxpayers are not going to continue to support this sort of bloat. Yet Troy union employees continue to enjoy benefits and pay that most residents of Troy never have.
Name me one facility that Troy has built/created that is self sustaining? Aquatic center? DEFICIT Museum? DEFICIT Community Center? DEFICIT Nature Center? DEFICIT Sanctuary Lake Golf course ? DEFICIT
No one wanted these facilities in Troy except for a few people. Obviously the majority did not otherwise they would be utilizing these facilities. So for those of you that think everyone should pay for a few to use something thing again. All those great years of Troy being a city full of business and taxpayers paying large tax rolls believing their dollars were being well spent are over. Where is all that money now that times are lean ? The mayor and council have squandered it all like politicians will always do.
The library is bloated and quite frankly purchases items I think the majority have come to find don't belong in a library. Video games ? Music? Movies ? when did it become the tax payers responsibility to subsidize the entertainment of a family? 50 computers, internet, printers, scanners & cd burners ? I highly doubt the majority feel these are required items either let alone a good use of our money. City Council spending $100k on a canopy at the library as well as spending $400k on items to add to the library collection after they decided to close it? Wasteful spending at the very least. Catastrophic mismanagement most likely.
My understanding is that the Troy Library collection is loaned out more to non residents than to actual residents by a 60% - 40% rate. Why exactly are Troy taxpayers subsidizing other city libraries that either don't spend as much or refuse to spend on the items we've spent year over year ?
If the city of Troy wants to further waste taxpayer dollars with another attempt at a millage increase I would most certainly believe it will be defeated again and there will be several members of council gone along with it. The wasteful spending and disregard for what the majority of residents want in Troy has gone on long enough.
It's time the employees of Troy as well as the Mayor and council come to grips with what the rest of us in the private sector have long ago.
The city of Troy has so much to offer it's community members. With the explosion of technology, people just don't take the opportunity to get to know other people in their own backyard. Cell phones, email, Facebook, etc. take the place of one-on-one interaction that brings people and communities together. Troy's library and other resources provide gathering places for people to come together and work on forming relationships with their neighbors and other residents. Our children benefit from the face time with other kids and families. Kids who have this face time tend to stay out of trouble, and make wise decisions about their behavior and education. The library and other places Troy supports provide opportunities to nurture our future leaders and help them become responsible adults. I agree that there needs to be a review of the budget, but let's not throw the whole library away to prove a point. Our kids' future (and yours as a future senior citizen living in a world run by today's kids) depends on it. I'd much rather see my kids at the library then smoking a joint at the local mall.
That's precisely what the Troy Mayor and City Council are doing. They have refused to look into ANY concessions or reductions in the budget before they come asking for more money.
The Mayor and Council immediately used thug scare tactics in the hope that the good people of Troy would give in and immediately give them the funds to further the status quo rather than make the much needed tough decisions required of leaders.
As for the rumor of this new millage for the library it couldn't start off any worse than it has. Asking for $4.38 million after it was said the library could remain open for $2 million ? If it's a seperate entity sure there will be SOME overhead expense. But it surely won't be $2+ million worth. As well as there should then be a reduction in staffing required for the city if they are no longer handling the library affairs. Yet I'm sure Council and Mayor will attempt to dismiss that notion.
The voice that the people of Troy gave in Feb. was not that we don't want the library but that we refuse to be held up by thugs. Until the Troy mayor and city council start acting in accordance with their positions and start handle the affairs of this city in relation to the wishes of the people who elected them I believe we will not see any millage pass.
Thank you for your comment.
In fact, Troy residents check out the vast majority of material from the Library. From October 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010, Troy residents checked out 81.5% of all material the library circulated. Looking at the monthly circulation statistics, circulation to Troy residents is usually between 80-85%.
The Troy Public Library is a member of the Suburban Library Cooperative. Troy residents have "resident" privileges in SLC member libraries (i.e. Sterling Heights, Warren), and residents of those communities have "resident" borrowing privileges at TPL. From October 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009, checkouts to residents of SLC member library communities was 6%.
Checkouts to those who work in Troy (those businesses pay Troy taxes), as well as residents of other communities, was 9%.
The other 3.5% of circulation is to library staff members and Troy residents who are homebound.
Thank you for your comment.
The Friends of the Troy Public Library have been discussing a separate library millage for several weeks. The next public meeting of the Friends is Monday, June 21, at 7 pm, in the Library Meeting Room. There is certain to be more discussion at this meeting.
The meeting is open to everyone.
I heard from someone at the Library that the intention was to close on Saturdays beginning in July. Why on earth would the library close on a day that is prime time for its customers? The staffer further informed me that the librarians didn't want to work on weekends, and that is why Saturday was selected to be the day closed. Is this true? To be honest, I can't believe it - close on Monday - Wednesday, and stay open Thursday - Sunday!
Thank you for your comment about the Troy Public Library closing on Saturdays. First, I want to say that the decision to close Saturdays was absolutely NOT made because librarians do not want to work weekends. I am very sorry that someone on the Library staff told you that, because that is NOT why the decision was made.
To answer your question, I must first give you some background. Public libraries receive funds – State Aid – from the State of Michigan. This Aid pays for our membership in the Suburban Library Cooperative, and gives us privileges such as access to the Michigan Electronic Library electronic resources, the MelCat interlibrary loan system, and other services that would cost thousands of dollars if we had to purchase them. Also, we need State Aid in order to have reciprocal borrowing agreements with libraries not in the Suburban Library Cooperative, such as Rochester Hills, Clawson, Royal Oak, Birmingham, and Bloomfield Township.
In order to receive the benefits of State Aid, there are rules governing its receipt. One is that that Troy Library needs to be open 55 hours per week. Troy is currently open 65 hours per week. This means that only 10 hours can be cut from the Library’s open hours in order to keep State Aid and all of its benefits.
The Library’s budget was reduced $1.2 million for the coming fiscal year. To meet this reduction, cuts were made across the board. However, the majority of these cuts occurred in staffing: seven full time staff members and 23 part time staff members will be laid off prior to July 1. This is one third of the entire library staff. Staffing the library for 55 hours per week after losing one third of the staff is going to be challenging. I anticipate that there will be longer wait times to check out material; longer time for returned materials to be checked in and reshelved; and longer wait times for computer assistance and reference assistance.
Now let us look at the Library’s schedule. The Library is open for 11 hours per day, Monday through Thursday; eight hours a day Friday and Saturday; and five hours on Sunday. There is no question that Saturday is a busy day. Because Saturday is so busy, more staff need to be scheduled that day, to accommodate the demand for service. Scheduling that many staff members on Saturday reduces the number available to cover the remaining days of the week. So, those wait times, which I anticipate will already be longer than those to which patrons are accustomed, would be even longer, because the staff would be spread so thin the other 47 open hours during the rest of the week.
In addition, closing on Saturday means that the Library will be closed from 5 pm Friday until 1 pm on Sunday. That will maximize the savings of utilities costs.
Finally, the other factor which was considered was access to library service. Troy residents have resident borrowing and use privileges at the Suburban Library Cooperative libraries. If you went to one of those libraries, you would be treated like a resident of that community. However, all of the SLC libraries are closed on Sundays in the summer, and most are closed Sundays year-round. With the Troy Library being closed on Saturdays, Troy residents can go to another library on Saturday and receive resident privileges, and use The Troy Library on Sunday. This means that you will still have seven day access to library service; six of which are at TPL.
I think it is important to inform you about all the factors that went into this decision. I realize that it may not be popular, and may make many people unhappy. However, my priority was to maximize the Library’s budget, remaining staff, and hours over the next year, in order to provide the best possible service.
I personally love that you are closing on Saturdays. People don't consider air important until it's gone. Only when they are in pain do they do something. Good for you, and I hope that the community gets their act together here! Your library is excellent. What a sad day.
Please try and keep the library open.
As an educator who has benefited from libraries over the years, I am very disappointed by all the comments from people who think running the library with volunteers is an acceptable solution. Maybe, MAYBE, that could be a last ditch effort to maintain some sort of library services but it would be a shell of a library, literally. Librarians are highly trained professionals with advanced degrees in their field. Many other staff members are very skilled and experienced as well. I have relatives who work in libraries, and in general librarians and library staff are NOT very well paid, especially when you consider how much education they are required to have. (I'm sure the local librarians would be happy to help you research the average salaries for people in their profession!)
For instance, all those books, DVDs, CDs, etc you see on the shelf are carefully selected by librarians. Yes, best sellers might be purchased en masse, but what about the rest? Librarians spend time evalauting things using their expertise to decide if they meet the needs of the collection, are high quality, etc. They balance the needs of the community, debate suggestions, and squeeze the most out of their budget. That's a process most volunteers are not familiar with. Undoubtedly, people could eventually learn it, but who would train them?
OK, what if the collection was not increased (which would quickly lead to a pretty worthless, out-of-date collection by the way), and volunteers just helped people access what was there? Well, what happens if you read a book and really like it but want to know what else is out there that's similar? Amazon.com might offer you a few "if you like x, you'll enjoy y", but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Librarians have a wide ranging knowledge about books, authors, genres, etc. Maybe you'll get lucky and find a volunteer who's a big reader, but will they have the knowledge to help you with all kinds of books, or just the ones they read? And what if you're doing research? Would most volunteers know how to teach you how to convert your resume to a PDF document? Do they know what book to use to help you track down the value of your grandma's antique? Could they help you locate local companies that manufacture some raw material your business needs? Could they help you find the best books about training your new puppy? Could they tell you how to find a copy of your father's obituary? Could they help your child find age-appropriate sources for their science fair project? Again, maybe, but probably not without lots of training and experience.
Other library staff are important too. Could volunteers handle the volume of stuff that gets returned each day? Someone has to go through it all, mark it in the computer system, and return it to the shelves. That's gotta be time consuming! And who would maintain all the information in the computer system? Who you want a volunteer handling your personal info? Who would clean the bathrooms? Who would change the burnt out lightbulbs? Who would fix it when a computer breaks? I know these all seem like small things but they take a lot of time--you'd really have to have an army of volunteers. And of course, without money there would be no new best sellers, no more DVDs (and no replacements for the tons of titles that get damaged), no programs, no outreach events, no arts & crafts projects, no databases (because those have expensive subscription fees). Personally, I would think at that point no library would be better, rather than maintaining a shell that would quickly deteriorate. And I think it's insulting to the Troy librarians/staff to propose that their expertise is so worthless.
Unfortunately, I'm no longer a Troy resident so I cannot vote, but I feel very badly for the library, it's employees, and all the town residents. I certainly respect the right of a community to decide it does not need a library, but losing a successful library like this is a sad step that cannot be easily undone. I hope this decision is not made lightly. Best of luck to all the hard working librarians, staff, and friends!
FROM YEARS,of me 1st,,TROY's super-rich's piggy bank,,and TROY high SCHOOL put in the corner,,TROY was plumdered by ATHRENS thinkING people,,more grass and parks,,less cement,,and being a puppet of the TROY Chamber of COMMENCE.LAST TwO Mayors came from public school systems,,look what happen.
In this day and age, has a non-profit shown interest in running the library? The Detroit Zoo was once run by the City of Detroit but is now run by a non-profit. Food for thought!
Honestly, I still can't believe that people didn't support the millage. We had a reduction in taxes this year and that could have made up for the cost of the services lost. Hopefully the City will think of something to get things back in order.
I agree with the other comments. If the city isn't running it on tax dollars anymore then 1. they can charge a fee for a card and 2. have volunteers help run it. I am for that! I use it all the time and love having it. I don't feel the city has to close it or threaten us because the millage didn't pass. They first need to find ways to keep it open( call me, I will give you my list). Now is the time to think outside the box and get the job done.Even at this point there is to much money being wasted on other things that can be cut(salaries to start).Please look at your budget and say to yourself....do we really need to hire the people to change out the flowers three times a year?,have four people at one desk to do one job,cutting of the lawns could be expanded out a few more days to shorten the amount of times they are there,hours of operation can be cut just one hour a day to make a differnce, etc, etc.
This goes for the community center as well. shutting off lights not used in rooms,lawn service,maintance and staff could be cut by just a little and make a difference. raise prices by a few dollars. Come on guys lets get it together and not scare us into thinking our great city is falling apart. I heard talk of people wanting to move because of what you are planning and that's not going to make things any better! I moved here because of the great schools and community and that is what is going to keep others coming but if you start closing down those attractions(leaving empty buildings) then who will want to move here or stay for that matter.
I am getting off my soap box now, but for suggestions please feel free to contact me. We need a lean mean budget and some real creative ways to do it!
If the library is not running on tax dollars, who do you think will pay for everything or anything? It the city does not pay for it, it will CLOSE.
Did you know volunteers spent over 11,000 hours at the library last year!! They have a great group of volunteers. However volunteers fit their volunteer hours in with other part of their lives. They cannot be depended on to show up all the time, at all the hours they are open, nor to work 20-30 hours a week!!! I cannot imagine how many volunteers that would take. And many people suggest the library runs with volunteers, but wonder if volunteers are calling all the time to offer. Did you fill out a volunteer form? Or see the other posting on this site that volunteers cannot access patron records so severly limits what they can do?
And you have some good suggestions, many of which are already being used (reducing energy, flowers, payroll). And charging for a card has already been discussed as it is illegal. Look at the information given by the director of the library on this site. But the city has to save hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars, not just a few hundred dollars. And it would have only cost us each around $50 a year to have things stay closer to the same. Less than a cup of coffee a week. I voted yes for the millage and could cry that the citizens of Troy would not support the places that make Troy unique and a place where I want to live. My children have all benefited from the Nature Center, the Museum, the Library and Parks and Recreation programs/community center. And the constant attacking of the library employees and their wages when they are mostly paid a very modest income, have already taken a 5% pay cut, and hours and staff have been reduced in the past year already with more deep reductions by city council in the next couple weeks as they look at the budget. They have been cutting for the past 3 years.
A great organization to contact to help the library is The Friends of the Troy Public library: friendstpl@gmail.com [ed. note: corrected May 11] Perhaps you should contact them and see what of your ideas are viable, and what are already being done, though unseen to you. And offer to volunteer for them to help save the library.
I hope you come to a city council meeting as tonight, Apirl 19th, tomorrow, April 20th, and Monday, April 26th and Monday, May 3rd will be discussions of the budget
The citizens of Troy need to tell the city council what they consider important and if another millage is needed in the fall, perhaps more Troy residents will realize the value they get for very few dollars for the quality of life resources we currently have, but will lose in a very few months. Citizens need to be involved with this process. It is always such a poor turnout for city council meetins which affect so much of the way we live and what our future will be.
I am the web designer for the Friends of Troy Library web site, and wanted to alert anyone reading the prior post that the email address shown there for the Friends is incorrect.
The correct email address for the Friends is:
friendstpl@gmail.com (only one S)
You can find out more information on ways to help the Friends support Troy Library by visiting their web site: www.friendstpl.org
Jennifer, right now the Troy Library is well known and recognized as one of the best Libraries in the State of Michigan. To be the best, you must provide superior customer service by a knowledgeable and professional staff. Troy is a busy library and the desks are staffed appropriately. People don’t like waiting in lines for services and those on the front lines are already going to feel the brunt of people’s anger when the library cuts staff and hours. It boggles my mind that you suggest running the library on volunteers and asking already underpaid professionals with Masters Degrees to work for even less. What other profession that requires a graduate level degree starts you at $35-40K a year? I'm married to a librarian with 20+ years experience and I can tell you that she is not overpaid for her education, experience, and knowledge. Asking that professionals take huge a pay cut because Troy residents decided that $40-80 A YEAR in property taxes was too much to pay for vital city services is insulting. Why don't we run the police department on volunteers? Health care costs too much too so why not skip your doctor and look for a volunteer clinic and hospital? Why do we need to pay those road workers so much? I can put together a group of volunteers to patch the roads, too! You get what you pay for. A volunteer library without degreed Librarians will not qualify for State Aid and other grants and the cost of a card will far exceed the tax dollar equivalent.
I fail to understand why people can't do the math here. Falling revenue + increasing expenses = enormous deficits. I work in the corporate world and you have to attack that kind of problem not only by reducing expenses but by increasing revenue. Unfortunately, that means the nasty "T" word that everyone hates. Taxes. That is the main revenue source. I don’t think the city is trying to scare the residents. They are just being brutally honest.
Well said Mr. Marino.
People fail to recognize that a library can not run on volunteers alone. There are well trained professionals that contribute substantially to the efficiency and quality of service provided at the library. Most librarian positions require a Masters Degree, but are hugely undercompensated for the amount of education required.
Well-trained librarians and libraries are very important to the intellectual and educational potential community. Furthermore, Libraries are at the forefront of freedom and democracy. It is incredibly disappointing and scary that the Troy community does not place enough value on the library that they are not willing to pay $40-$80 a year in taxes for services that far outweigh that amount. Getting a card outside of the community will likely cost more than that.
Those who will suffer the most are the people that cannot afford to purchase a card in another community or do not have the means to get to another library. When jobs and other information is increasingly online, how will those without access to computers be able to apply for jobs or print resumes. How will those who cannot afford to purchase books get information.
Jim, since when has government ever been "brutally honest"?!
That is a cynical cliché comment and don't think you really meant that as a question. Right? Did you even read what I had to say? It's so easy to just turn every elected official into a comic book villain instead of thinking of them as people who go to work every day like all of us. Local city officials are PEOPLE trying to do the best job possible. If you disagree with policies, fine, but I find it unhelpful in a civilized discussion to caricature all civil servants (especially local ones) as "dishonest" politicians. This is the kind of divisive language that makes public discourse so ugly and even impossible these days.
We have one of the 10th best libraries in the country. The Troy City Council needs to find a way to keep it open for all citizens/taxpayers to use. It is OUR library. It is vital to the education and culture in our city. The Council should not hold our library hostage or threaten to take it away from us! They need to better alocate the funds available to them from taxpayers.
The Troy Library CLOSING?? I am shocked and apalled. How is it one of the wealthiest cities in what is likely the wealthiest county in Michigan can't keep open a library! That's one of the most basic city services after police fire and sanitation. I grew up in Troy and have been using the Troy library for close to 40 years. I don't technically live in Troy now (I'm in Clawson), so I doubt I can help voting wise, but what else can we do to stop this from happening? Will some sort of donation drive save the library?
Vounteers are crucial to any library operation, but they're efforts aren't enough to keep the library open.
Money is needed for insurance (what if a volunteer or patron gets hurt?); pay for electricity, water and heat; keep the computers updated and connected; buy new books and DVDs; pay for the computer catalog; pay to belong to library co-ops so materials can be borrowed from other libraries, and so on.
Library Funding Would it be possible to put a small millage increase proposal on the fall ballet that would fund only the library? Given the small amount that this would add to our household taxes, it will have a much better chance of passing than the larger increase that was just turned down.
Excellent idea!
I agree with idea of putting a small millage increase. What needs to be done for that?
If Michigan law prohibits libraries supported by tax dollars from being run by volunteers, and the City Council is closing the library 2011-2012 due to no tax dollar support, then logic says the Troy Library can be run by volunteers after City Council stops the tax dollar support. After all, if the Troy Fire Department is run by volunteers, then by all means the Troy Library could be run by volunteers as well.
It's a bit easier to train a fire fighter than to train a librarian; generally, firefighting doesn't require a master's degree - and believe me, librarians need their degrees; what they do isn't simple. Granted, some of what's done can be (and, I believe, is) done by volunteers - but not nearly all of it. And it's extraordinarily expensive to run a library.
To all of those who voted against the millage increase:(which would have increased my property taxes $20.00 per month)
What is a community without a library?
A library is an integral part of the quality of life when you choose where to live. They provide invaluable services to everyone young and old. A public library says that we value education, intellectual development for anyone who chooses, a meeting place, an entertainment place, a valuable local resource for students of all ages. Think about:
What will happen to the value of your home when potential buyers see shuttered doors on a library, a community center, a nature center?
I have visited many libraries around the country, and the Troy Library is an outstanding example of a valuable resource in a suburban library.
In your frequently asked questions, you stated that it is illegal to charge residents a yearly fee for an organization supported by tax dollars. If the city stops funding the library doesn't that mean it's no longer funded by tax dollars?
Lance Werner, former Library Law Specialist at the Library of Michigan, wrote an article on this subject, regarding imposing charges for library use. He writes, "Michigan jurisprudence on the establishment and funding of free public libraries predates statehood. Since the beginning of the State, Michigan laws have not only called for the creation of public libraries but have also authorized State subsidization of free public library services for all Michigan residents.
"The intent of the Legislature that the shall be free library service for all people is evidenced by language found in the City, Village and Township Library Act, 1877 PA 164, MCL 397.201 et seq. The title of this law indicates that it is an act to: ...[A]uthorize cities, incorporated villages and townships to establish and maintain, or contract for the use of, free public libraries and reading rooms."
So, to answer your question, if tax dollars aren't paying for library services, then it is not a PUBLIC library. It becomes a "members'-only" service, such as a gym or other club membership, and thus available only to people who pay for the service.
The city still owns the building and all of the books. It will still be a public facility. Putting volunteers in replace of city employees is not the solution. A library will not be viable as a member's-only service. The solution is to increase city revenue to pay for the employees required to keep the library open and fully functioning.
Yes, but you're missing the larger point here. Charging any kind of reasonable fee for library cards would maybe generate up to a few thousand dollars each year. Just to keep up the collection literally costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. The amount of money it costs to run a library is huge, and raising fees here and there ultimately won't make a dent.
Please go further up the page and read the comments which have already been left--many questions and concerns have been addressed more than once, especially in the original note from the library director.