Ferndale Library: As A District Library

By: Jeff Milo, Circulation Specialist

So now we are The Ferndale Area District Library. What does being a District Library mean? What happens next?

Well, actually, not much will change at first. Our mission remains the same: to strengthen the Ferndale community by providing access to materials and services that inform, enrich, entertain, and empower.

Visiting the library? Checking out books? Attending our concerts? Taking little readers to our family story hours? Accessing public computers? Finding all the latest movies in our DVD section? Those things won’t change. We’re still the same wonderful library you’ve been using all these past years.

We’ll still offer the same services and all the same access. We’ll continue to provide inter-loaned materials from the 60+ libraries connected to us through The Library Network of Oakland County, including thousands of free ebooks and audio books for download, along with professional reference librarians and circulation specialists here to help you access these resources and assist you with your research, help on the computers, and provide cutting-edge programs for all ages. We’ll remain an anchor to the downtown and the living room of the community.

We will, however, be operating under Michigan’s District Library Law, a more modern library statute that allows us more autonomy and flexibility than we have had in the past. The dedicated library millage of 1.96 mills that was

approved by voters in 2007 will remain in place for now. The District Library Establishment Act allows for funding of up to four mills, but any changes in tax funding will require voter approval.

Who’s in this District? The Ferndale Area District Library involves a partnership between the Library, the City of Ferndale, and the Ferndale Public Schools. The schools will not be contributing to library finances, and the library will not be involved in the operation of the schools’ media centers. However, the possibility of more funding for the library in the future could lead to more outreach efforts and services to Ferndale Public School students and staff, helping to support school success.

As a District Library, we’ll be governed by a seven-member Library Board. A provisional library board was appointed by the Ferndale City Council at their December meeting. The provisional board is made up of the six trustees who were previously elected to the Ferndale Public Library Board, plus an additional library advocate, resident Kevin Yezbick. The provisional board will be in place until the 2016 election.

Upcoming Kids/Family programming: Family Storytime: February 9, 2015. 6:30 P.M. Giddy’on up to our Wild West- themed storytime! All ages welcome.

Kid’s Open Mic on Feb 11, 2015, 4:00 P.M. Kids 12 and under will have the opportunity to perform or display their special talent in front of a group of their peers in the library’s community room! No registration required. Microphones will be available, but if you need any other accommodations (instrument cords, etc), please contact Jordan at prior to the event.