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The earliest history of library service in Farmington was
never recorded. Little is known other than that school libraries served the
populace; teachers hand-delivered books from the school to people who were
interested in reading. We only know that such libraries existed because it is
noted that they were "re-established" in 1881. This "re-established" service
is not comparable to library service offered today; books could be checked
out beginning Saturday, December 17, 1881, and every other Saturday
thereafter, between the hours of three and eight o'clock. Patrons were
limited to one book per person for a two week loan period, with a fine of
$.05 per week if the book was overdue. This situation was to continue for the
next thirty-two years.
During that period, in 1908, a state law was passed which provided for the
establishment of at least one library in each township and city. Per the 1835
State Constitution, city, township, and county fines assessed and collected
for any breach in the penal laws were to be exclusively applied to the
support of public libraries. The matter of penal fine funding was overlooked
by Farmington authorities, until it was brought to the attention of the
Township Board by two teachers, Martha M. Schroeder and Andrew Crosby. The
Board was agreeable to the idea; proceeds of the fines were thereafter
earmarked for the library. As a result in 1913, $2.11 was authorized for
library purposes.
However, in 1913, the city fathers were forced to recognize the need for
library facilities. The Farmington teachers, having decided they could not
teach and be librarians too, brought the contents of their libraries to the
Town Hall, and stored them on the vestibule floor.
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Faced with a problem that could not be ignored, the
Trustees turned the matter over to Martha Schroeder and the Ladies Literary
Club. Six hundred dollars was allocated to be shared by the library and the
cemetery; the cemetery was to receive first priority. As this did not provide
enough money to hire a librarian, the ladies worked voluntarily to run the
Library, and assumed the job of raising money to maintain it.
The women organized the Ladies Library Association, which was sanctioned by
the Board of Trustees, as the official group in charge of the library. To
raise money for library operations, the Association charged dues of 25 cents,
and sponsored lectures and other entertainment. As a result, the Library
operated on a budget of $140 in the first year. The Sunday School room of the
Baptist Church on Farmington Road and Shiawassee was rented for $12 yearly to
serve as the library facility. It housed the original collection of 800
volumes, plus the additional 100 volumes added the first year, at a cost of
$41.38. The women repaired and rebound books themselves. When the first year
was over, $14.80 remained unspent, including the $2.11 in penal fines.
As a librarian was needed for the library, Mary A. Kennedy was appointed to
"temporarily" fill that position; her tenure lasted 25 years, ended by her
death. For much of that time, hers was an unpaid position; eventually she was
granted a small salary by the Township.
From the beginning, the library experienced growing pains. The Sunday School
room was soon inadequate. To alleviate the problem, an addition to the Town
Hall which was to serve as the library, was authorized in 1915. But World War
I brought with it building restrictions, and the addition was not completed
until 1919. In the meantime, conditions in the Sunday School had become
hopeless; the library moved, temporarily, into the basement of the town bank.
Finally the library was moved into the new wing of the Town Hall where
business continued as usual until 1938.
When Mary Kennedy died on April 12, 1938, the library was closed for
reorganization. This reorganization included setting up a budget for the
library, to which each government unit would contribute equally. A Board of
Trustees was established to manage the library; it consisted of three members
from the city and three from the township.
A representative from the Michigan State Library was called in for advice
and assistance. Old books were discarded, furniture was sold, and a new
librarian's desk was purchased for $27.50. The library was organized to meet
specified requirements to qualify for state aid; one such requirement was
that a salaried librarian be employed. The position was filled by Mrs.
Florence Leach, a Farmington resident who had been trained in library work at
Franklin College in Indiana. Her salary was $6 per week. Another requirement
regulated library hours; the library extended its hours to be open on
Wednesdays as well as Saturdays.
From the period of reorganization to the mid-fifties, funding remained a
problem. In 1938, the city and township together contributed $600 for
operating costs; by 1955 the amount was ten times that and still woefully
inadequate.
The book collection grew to 4,500 volumes in the ten years after
reorganization. Fortunately, about fifty percent of books were on loan at any
one time, otherwise there would have been no place to put them. The problem
steadily worsened with the great flight to suburbia which followed World War
II. As the new residents poured in, the need for increased library services
and larger facilities became greater, with no relief in sight.
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In 1950, Clinton W. Wilbur (nephew of Minnie Wilbur, one
of the first members of the Ladies Library Club) died, leaving the "residue
of (his) estate to the City of Farmington, to be used in the construction of
a Public Library Building in the City of Farmington, or as a contribution
toward the construction or equipping of a hospital in the city of
Farmington... whichever, in the discretion of the Farmington City Commission
seem(ed) more desirable".
On August 16, 1954, a similar gift was left by Miss Ruth Carlisle, a former
Detroit teacher and Farmington resident. Her will provided for "the residue
of (her) estate... to go toward the building fund of a new Public Library in
Farmington City and Township".
Thus, here was a possibility that funds might be available for the
construction of a library building, if Mr. Wilbur's bequest was not used for
a hospital. An examination of the potential Wilbur assets showed that they
would be insufficient to fund even a small hospital, but would go a long way
toward financing a library.
The Library Board decided that the paragraph in the Wilbur will should be
publicized to gain the communities' attention and support; this was done
through the newly-organized Farmington chapter of the American Association of
University Women (AAUW). The group sponsored a talk given by Mrs. Frances
Noonan, of the State Library. In her address, she suggested the formation of
a Friends of the Library group. The suggestion was quickly acted upon; the
Friends of the Library organized on October 5, 1952. The Friends concentrated
their attention on furthering the cause of the library by launching a
membership drive, sponsoring speakers, and openly soliciting donations for
the library.
The question of a hospital or a library was not resolved for another two
years. On June 15, 1954, a group of interested residents met in the city
council chambers. The Library Board and the Friends presented their case to
Mayor Kenneth Loomis, who appointed a committee to make a complete study and
report to the city and township governing bodies. Chaired by Edward Moseman,
the members were Mrs. Clarence Stole, for the Library Board; Harold Whiting,
for the Friends; Supervisor Ernest Blanchard, for the Township Board; and
Councilman James Cavanaugh, for the Council. Mary C. Allison, who would be a
prominent figure in the fight for libraries in Farmington, was designated as
secretary. The committee submitted its findings in a six-page report which
aroused wide interest and paved the way for future action.
Eventually it was decided that the funds should be used for a library,
partially because a hospital that would serve the area was being projected
for Livonia. Two obstacles immediately arose, however. The first was that
between the date of Wilbur's will and the date of his death, the City
Commission, which was to be entrusted with the administration of the funds,
had been succeeded by a City Council. The second question was whether the
library could be operated as a joint city-township venture as it had been in
the past, or must it be a strictly city venture, excluding the more populous
township? This was complicated by the fact that Michigan law did not
specifically authorize two units of government to establish an official
library board with customary powers.
It was this second problem that was resolved first; through the efforts of
Friends' director Wendell Brown, the State Legislature passed a special act,
No. 1364 on June 7, 1955, authorizing two or more municipalities to operate a
library jointly, and to set up a district library board with comprehensive
powers. Within a few weeks the City Council and Township Board passed
resolutions to create a district board; each unit appointed two members.
Farmington District Library became the first district library in the state.
District libraries have since become the preferred form of library
establishment law, with many districts forming or re-forming through the
years.
The first obstacle remained to be dealt with. The Wilbur estate had long
since been closed by Probate court, with its assets turned over to the city
of Farmington. Now, at the insistence of the new Library Board, the Circuit
Court was asked to reopen the case and hand down a judicial construction of
the paragraph in question. The court decided, on February 11, 1957, that the
assets of the estate should be released by the city to the new Library
Board.
After the decision, the Board president, M. C. Goodard Smith, called for a
survey of assets. The township had authorized a tax levy of .3 mill for the
administration of a new library district in February, 1956, which was
expected to raise $10,400 yearly. The city agreed to pay from its operating
budget an amount equal to the same millage on property within its borders. It
was presumed that State Aid would continue. The residue of the Carlisle
Estate, amounting to $12,133, was turned over to the Library Board. The
amount of the Wilbur funds (eventually $75,700) was not immediately
known.
It was soon evident that the annual income would be insufficient to maintain
an adequate library, and that the funds in hand would not permit the
construction of a building anywhere near a suitable size. Contributions were
then solicited in earnest with responses ranging from $2.00 on up.
In July, 1955 a real estate developer offered a new site to the Postal
Service, proposing a new building. If the Post Office accepted the
suggestion, the old post office building on Farmington Road would be put up
for sale by the same developer.
The Library Board and other citizens realized that, with extensive
remodeling, the old Post Office might be a suitable building for the library.
The realty company offered the building to the Library Board for $40,000
contingent upon the Post Office Department's approval of the new site and new
building. The approval came quickly, work began, and the Farmington District
Library was dedicated March 2, 1959.
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The new building was 3,800 square feet, had a capacity
for 18,000 books, and included lounge and study areas. The staff was now
headed by Mrs. Mildred Droege, who had been hired as an assistant to Florence
Leach in 1951, and had taken over after Mrs. Leach's retirement in
1959.
The library prospered during the following years, serving the entire
Farmington area, but rumblings began as early as 1960, voicing the need for
at least one branch library to serve the northern township. The tiny library
was understocked and in need of funds, resulting in the request for a .2 mill
increase. The proposal was defeated in April, 1961, but was resubmitted and
passed in July.
By March, 1962, in response to the great population increase in the area and
resulting increased demand on library services, the Library Board of Trustees
authorized a "Need and Site" survey for library development, which was
completed in May. The survey showed that there was a definite need for a
library facility in the Township area. Several sites were considered,
including a spot near Eleven Mile and Orchard Lake Road, where the Township
Offices were located, but it was a five acre site on the south side of Twelve
Mile Road that was finally approved and purchased.
In October, 1963, the Farmington Area Community House association dissolved,
leaving $5,500 to the library building fund, but it was not until April, 1964
that the money was actually received.
With such a contribution as the impetus, and crowded, unsatisfactory
conditions at the library building demanding attention, the Library Board
requested additional millage for library development and expansion. A
proposal for .5 mill for 20 years was placed on the ballot to continue
operations at present levels, plus an additional .75 mill was placed on the
ballot for ten years for the building of a new library. Patronage had
increased from 9,000 to 19,000 users, and the book collection had grown from
9,000 to 21,000 volumes. The collection and use was far more than the small
library could effectively handle; however, the voters turned down the
additional .75 mill proposal, while the .5 mill provision was passed.
Set back, but not defeated, the Board revealed plans for improvements at the
District Library in April, 1965. The plans included repairs to the roof,
repairing the driveway and parking lot, construction of a retaining wall
around part of the parking lot and the installation of a photocopy
machine.
Another boost was given to the library building fund in June, 1965, when the
Farmington Valley Saddle Club dissolved, leaving $958.86 to the
library.
For the next two years, the Library Board considered alternatives aimed at
increasing service to township residents. Such considerations included
establishing a branch library at North Farmington High School, wherein the
school would provide the space, heat and light with the Library Board paying
custodial and cleaning costs and salaries of personnel; but this proposal was
found unsuitable. The Board also considered leasing the Manufacturers Bank
building in the Westbrooke Shopping Center at Thirteen Mile and Orchard Lake
Roads; this idea was also rejected. In April, 1966 the library joined the
Wayne-Oakland Federated Library System to provide added service to Farmington
patrons through access to other area libraries' collections. Though the
library ranked twenty-seventh in size comparison with the other member
libraries, it ranked fourth in circulation, a demonstration of the high rate
of use the tiny library had.
By December, 1966 the library had a collection of 25,000 books; by library
standards it should have had 80,000 volumes. Again the Library Board asked
for a millage increase of one mill for the next ten years, to build a
$814,000 building in the township, and an expanded or new $293,000 south
building; the north building was to be built first. The proposal was passed
on May 22, 1967.
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Plans for the construction of a new building on Twelve
Mile began immediately. Contracts were awarded to Tarapata —MacMahon
Associates, architects (later Tarapata —MacMahon—Paulsen or TMP).
An application was filed with the Michigan State Library for federal funds,
available through the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), for an
amount of 40% of the construction cost. The site had been surveyed when a
major setback appeared; the Library Services and Construction Act funds to
Michigan were cut drastically. In October, 1968 the architects were notified
to suspend activity until further notice. To complicate the problem, the LSCA
was to expire in 1968 and would have to be renewed by a new Congress that was
already committed to budget cuts.
As expected, the library's application for federal funds was rejected, due
to limited amount of funds received by the Michigan State Library for state
distribution. In vain, the request was resubmitted.
Work on the plans was resumed; it was still felt that the money would come
from somewhere. By January, 1970, the decision was made to go ahead with the
building, even if there would be no money for books to fill it.
An open meeting was planned for April 29, 1970 to discuss the library model
and drawings, and for the distribution of a "financial fact sheet", detailing
proposed income and expenditures, designed to answer the questions of
interested community residents.
At the meeting a timetable for construction was outlined, beginning with the
awarding of a general contract in June, 1970 and ending with completion by
December, 1971. The cost of the building was estimated at $1.5 million. It
was projected that by the end of the 1971—72 fiscal year, there would
be enough money on hand to pay for the building. It was also revealed that
another request for federal funds had been made, but by June 24, 1970, that
application also had been rejected. To bring the building cost within the
confines of the budget, it was decided that some areas of the basement would
have to be left unfinished.
On July 8, the Library Board advertised for bids on the Library contract;
the contract was awarded on July 23 to Freeman—Darling of Livonia for
$1,383,556. Ground breaking ceremonies were held August 30, 1970.
In November, Mildred Droege announced her retirement. Mary Mitchell, a
well-known Librarian, who had worked for many years as Head of Personnel at
the Detroit Public Library, was hired by the Board. Mrs. Mitchell's new title
was Director of Libraries.
As with the first building, a gift drive was established, to raise funds to
supply furnishings and books. Major contributors were the Farmington Jaycees,
who agreed to furnish the children's room, and the Farmington Rotary Club,
which donated $3,000 to furnish the Quiet Room. Other major donations were
made by the Friends of the Library and the AAUW.
In June, 1972, the Farmington Public Library was dedicated. The 38,000
square foot structure had a capacity for 150,000 volumes. The upper of the
two levels included a reference area, fiction and non-fiction areas, lounge,
Quiet Room and Children's room with a total seating capacity of 170. The
lower level housed a meeting room, which could seat 200 persons, kitchen
facilities, the Oakland County Subregional Library for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped in an undeveloped space, and storage areas.
The new building flourished, becoming the center of library activity in
Farmington and some adjoining areas. In September, 1974, Mary Mitchell
retired; G. Gordon Lewis replaced her. Mr. Lewis had previously worked at the
Youngstown, Ohio Public Library and the Free Library of Philadelphia.
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With the opening of the Twelve Mile Branch, it was time
to again look at the needs of the District Library, as the second provision
of the millage proposal mandated. The small library with a capacity for
18,000 volumes, was bursting at the seams, stuffed with 22,000 books.
In June, 1973, a site was chosen, at the corner of State and Liberty Streets
slightly northwest of the old facility. Two of the three lots needed were
owned by the city, which readily approved the sale of the land to the library
for $50,000, retaining the right of first refusal if the Library decided to
sell the land later. The third lot, without which the library could not be
built, was not quite so easy to come by. It was privately owned by Mary Clay,
who had turned down an earlier offer by the library board to purchase the
property. When the city council agreed to sell its parcel of land to the
library, it was asked by the Library Board to help the library acquire the
lot. The council agreed to help, first by offering to buy the land at "fair
market value" after an appraisal, and if that offer was to be rejected, the
council would exercise its legal right of "eminent domain" and take
possession of the land for public (library) use.
The land was acquired by the city in February, 1974, at a cost of $34,000;
it was resold to the library board for $34,900 which included the cost of
acquisition.
With this obstacle out of the way, building of the library progressed
quickly. In June, 1974, plans for the new building were unveiled by the
architectural firm Merritt, Cole and McCallum. Bids were accepted; the
general contract was again awarded to Freeman—Darling of Livonia.
Ground breaking ceremonies were held December 8, 1974.
At this time it was decided that the libraries should have new, more
uniform, names. The libraries became, collectively, The Farmington Community
Library; 'the Public Library became the Farmington Hills Branch, the District
Library was to be the Farmington Branch.
The $825,000 Farmington Branch was dedicated December 7, 1975. The lower
level of the 18,000 square foot structure houses the children's room,
complete with reading tree house donated by the Jaycee Auxiliary, auditorium
and local history room. The upper level is divided into the non-fiction room,
the fiction room, (which offers a lounging area in front of a stone
fireplace), a Quiet Room, furnished by donations by the Friends of the
Library, and a staff work area.
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Much of his first eighteen months on his new job,
Director Lewis was involved in the planning and construction of the new
Farmington Branch. Shortly after the Branch opened, Mr. Lewis began
effectively examining each aspect of library operations to identify changes
that would make the library services more responsive to community
needs.
Children's programming was completely revamped to follow educational
concepts, incorporating a number of age-appropriate activities into six- or
eight-week series of registered programs. Twice a year, librarians visited
each elementary school to encourage children's participation in the Summer
Reading Club and other programs. Quarterly program booklets were developed to
highlight the programs for all ages. Public response was overwhelming since
there were few leisure programs offered by other community groups in those
years. As a result, registered library programs received maximum booking on
the first morning that parents could register their children. To further
address parents' needs, the Parent-Teacher-Professional Collection was
created.
The Farmington Hills Branch became the housing agent for the Oakland County
Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in September, 1973, with an
initial 380 handicapped patrons. Within a few years, demand for these
"talking books" resulted in registration exceeding 1,000 patrons,
county-wide. Library staff working with these special materials also
delivered library services to the senior citizen centers and nursing homes in
the area. A special collection of large print materials was developed. Other
special collections on gerontology and the deaf/hearing impaired were
expanded.
Large portions of the book budget were allocated to "retrospective" ordering
to assure that staff purchased the best titles in each subject area. Since
the Hills Branch opened without a basic collection, Mr. Lewis was determined
that new purchases would better reflect a high quality of information. The
Reference Collection was expanded, with additional special collections
developed: the Law Collection was enhanced by a gift from attorney Robert
Pugh; the library became one of 130 Foundation Center affiliates nationwide,
thereby establishing the Grantsmanship Collection.
The Farmington Branch increased its special collection on Michigan and
Farmington History. Local historian Kay Briggs greatly enhanced the
collection with a donation of over 1,000 rare books and first editions on
Michigan history.
In 1986, the family of Robert Cook, another local historian, donated Mr.
Cook's lifetime avocation: indexing of the Farmington Enterprise and
Observer, 1888 —1980. Mr. Cook noted the births, deaths, weddings, and
important events that were recorded in this local news that were recorded in
this local newspaper. This resource is considered invaluable!
Audio-visual materials were enhanced, with a Friends' donation to create a
videocassette collection in addition to 16mm film, 8mm film, filmstrips,
records, and cassettes.
The Farmington Friends of the Library purchased the library's first
computers which were used to access remote databases. The library subscribed
to Dialog, BRS, Lexis, Nexis, Knowledge Index, and BRS After Dark. Staff were
trained with new skills to perform database searching during any hour the
library was open. The Farmington Community Library was unique among its peers
in taking such an approach; other libraries required appointments or only had
a limited number of trained searchers. Instead, the Farmington Community
Library expressed the beliefs:
- that electronic information was an important component in library
services;
- that all Adult Services staff should have basic competencies in
learning to use these new computer resources;
- and that staff should market the value of these new resources to the
rest of the community.
From this perspective, the library was in the forefront
of information technology. Staff held training sessions in the high schools
and gave demonstrations to the business community. To encourage use of
Westlaw, the legal database, local District Court Judges sponsored breakfasts
for area attorneys to encourage training.
During the height of the demand for staff-assisted database searching, staff
performed over 1,000 searches per year with revenue of $34,000. Each search
was offered on a cost-recovery basis which included the telecommunications
charges, time in the mainframe computer, plus 20% overhead.
The Friends also provided the first computer equipment for the Children's
Departments, with educational software and games. It quickly became apparent
that children were adept at learning new computer skills. From the early 198
0's to 1996, there were four generations of computers and software purchased
for children's use.
The Farmington Community Library became one of the highest circulating
libraries in the Wayne Oakland Library Federation. Such heavy use soon led to
various renovations to fully use the 38,000 square feet in the Hills Branch.
In 1977-78, the Library for the Blind and Handicapped was moved to quarters
in the lower level, with good access to the elevator for walk-in traffic and
for mail deliveries. The public library paid $27,000 for this renovation,
with Oakland County paying the remainder of the costs.
The Library Board recognized that additional substantial renovations would
be required to fully use the lower level of the Hills Branch. Appropriations
funding from the City Councils were not fully accommodating the Board's
perceived library needs. In May 1979, two issues were placed on a special
election ballot: one would have created an independent taxing authority in
the Library Board and the second would have granted a tax levy of 1.5 mills
for library operations. Both proposals were defeated.
At budget hearings the following year, the two City Councils approved
funding of $141,000 for relocation of the Children's Department to larger
space in the Hills Branch. The Farmington Friends of the Library, as a large
group of citizens, attended the Joint City Council budget meeting as
proponents of the needed library improvements. Their voices were once again
heard!
The Children's Department moved to approximately 7,000 square feet in the
lower level. A Conference Room, seating 75 people, was added to accommodate
some Children's programming and to rent to small groups for meeting room
space. Maximum shelving was added in the adult collection. In 198 1-82, the
Councils approved purchase of a security system at $28,000 per year for three
years, with the Friends also agreeing to financially support this major
project.
Director Lewis and his staff recognized the operational changes occurring in
the library profession. Lewis and the major members of the Wayne Oakland
Library Cooperative agreed that an automated library system was needed to
replace the manual systems that were labor-intensive and slow. Seven members
agreed to pool their monies to jointly purchase access to GEAC, a
Canadian-based automation system. In 1983, library staff linked each book in
the library collection, creating an accurate inventory for the first time in
over twenty years. Library circulation exceeded 500,000 items per year and
was projected to only increase!
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In May 1985, G. Gordon Lewis resigned his position as
Library Director. The City Councils chose to exercise their prerogative to
increase the total number of Library Board members to eight, with four
trustees chosen by each community for four-year terms. Assistant Director
Beverly Daffern Papai was promoted by this expanded Board to Library Director
in July, 1985.
In early fall, 1985, the new Director and Staff embarked on the creation of
the Library's first Five Year Plan, as requested in a joint meeting of the
City Councils. Planning included an assessment of staffing needs, facilities,
work flow and demographic projections. Both internal staff and patron surveys
were taken. An independent consultant conducted a telephone survey to reach
non-users. Public support of the Library ranked "important" even by
non-users. Efforts were made in the next few budget cycles to increase the
level of the staff and to improve their compensation to a level competitive
with other similar libraries.
The need for increased space in a "main" library building was one of the
most critical findings in this planning process. TMP Associates, the original
architects of the Hills Branch, conducted a feasibility study for the
expansion of the Hills Branch. TMP concluded that a well-planned expansion
program was necessary to maintain the level and quality of services that the
community requires.
Thus, began a multi-year cycle of study sessions with City Council members
and the Library Board to review: the need for a larger library; the type of
building required; addition versus a totally new building; selection of an
architectural firm; site; cost; operating millage; election date; and
campaign activities.
The discussion of placing library expansion referenda on the ballot was
somewhat expedited in May, 1989, when the Governor signed a new District
Library Law, Public Act 24, which replaced Public Act 164 of 1955. The
Farmington Community Library was given retroactive taxing authority status,
which allowed the Library Board to place ballot issues for bonding or millage
before the electors of the entire library district. In November 1989, two
ballot issues were defeated by the voters: $14.5 million bonding for a new
main Library [located on West Twelve Mile, east of the Halsted Road] and 1.5
mills for operating purposes. An analysis of the election results showed
voter concern regarding the site. While this election lost by a narrow
margin, the Library Journal included the Farmington's campaign plans as a
model in their 1990 election issue.
In 1991, the Orchard Lake Campus of Oakland Community College hired a
consultant to renew the college's master plan. The consultant and Campus
President approached the library with a study proposal for a merged public
and college library, which could be built on the campus. The next year was
spent in analysis and discussion regarding the myriad of arrangements that
would lead to a successful joint enterprise. A model joint library had
operated successfully for a number of years in Broward County, Florida.
Discussions faltered in late 1992 when it became apparent that the college
was unable to dedicate funding to the building of the joint library and that
labor-related issues could not be resolved.
Continuing frustration with inadequate public seating, insufficient parking,
and a lack of shelving space to house the collection led to a second ballot
proposal in August, 1993. Again, the proposal requested approval of a new
main library at a new location, as well as operating millage. The site this
time was central to the community–on property owned by the City of
Farmington Hills on Orchard Lake Road, south of the 1-696 expressway and
directly across from the entrance to Oakland Community College. Again, these
proposals were defeated. Again, the public commented on dissatisfaction with
the proposed site.
In 1994, the Hills Branch received a face-lift with replacement of 1980
carpeting and relocation of library shelving to make better use of the space
available. The catalyst for this renovation was the relocation of the Library
for the Blind and Handicapped to a new county library in Pontiac, MI. The
Library Board approved a plan to use the 2,000 square feet then vacated by
the Library for the Blind.
Cost of the renovation was $271,000, with the majority of those monies
expended on new carpeting. Library Design Associates assisted with the space
planning for relocation of library areas. Fiction and audio-visual materials
were moved to separate rooms. For the first time in years, staff members had
individual workstations for their responsibilities when not working at a
public desk. Consideration was given to the usability of the various changes
for any future expansion effort.
At the request of the two City Managers, the Library Board reactivated its
Building Committee in the spring of 1995 to consider a proposal whereby the
City of Farmington Hills would purchase 2 + acres adjacent to and west of the
existing Hills Branch. Such space would be required if the Library Board
chose to expand its current building. The Building Committee, with the City
Managers participation, selected the firm of Luckenbach/Ziegelman and
Partners to prepare a feasibility study of an addition to the building. The
Board also hired Library Design Associates to recommend space requirements
for an enlarged library operation. By the end of the summer, the City
purchased the property, to be reserved for future library needs. Yet another
election for library expansion will likely be held before the end of the
century.
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In the early 1980's, the Friends of the Library had
purchased the Library's first computers for the Children's Department and
online searching. A scant few years later, the online services evolved into
compact disk resources. Additional pieces of equipment were required to house
CD-ROM towers for the public to use these resources independently. Changes in
digital information technology were making some print reference sources
obsolete and changing forever the character of the library collection. The
Friends were instrumental in assisting the library to meet these
challenges–from providing new equipment to purchasing indexing and
full-text magazines online.
In 1985, the Library began to incorporate new technology into its internal
operations when the first computer was purchased for word processing by the
Administrative Staff. Slowly, other departments also gained access to
computers for improved internal operations. Bookkeeping functions were
automated in 1987 at the recommendation of auditors to assist in managing a
$2 million budget and 100 people on the Library payroll.
Dissatisfaction with the Wayne Oakland Library Federation's shared and
overburdened automation system led the Library to apply for a federal grant
to purchase its own system. The $100,000 grant was used as leverage for
Councils' approval to finance an additional $160,000 on a five year
installment purchase contract. The new Dynix automated system went "live" in
December, 1992.
The relationship with the library cooperative continued to deteriorate for
the Farmington Community Library and other large member libraries. In 1992,
public libraries in Bloomfield Township, Birmingham, Canton,
Farmington/Farmington Hills, Independence Township, Rochester Hills, and
Southfield withdrew membership from the Wayne Oakland Library Federation and
petitioned the Library of Michigan to form a new cooperative which would
better meet those libraries' needs. Ultimately, approval for the creation ~
new cooperative was denied; however, the result of this dispute changed an
interpretation of the State Aid law. These seven libraries were allowed to
retain their full amount of State Aid which could then be used to pay for
meaningful cooperative services or to support a joint technology project. In
return, the libraries had to rejoin the library cooperative but were required
to pay for only those services
The seven public libraries formed the Metro Net Library Consortium, a
non-profit Michigan corporation, to manage the joint technology project,
which included access to the Internet and joint purchase of online resources
which use an Internet gateway. The Farmington Hills Branch serves as the
fiscal agent electronic hub for the new consortium; Assistant Director Gerald
Furi serves as System Administrator. These seven were the first Michigan
public libraries to offer public access to the Internet. Indeed, in 1995, the
American Library Association reported that only 20% of public libraries
nationwide had access to the Internet and only 13% of that select group
offered such access to the public!
Technological enhancements always bring new challenges for both the staff
and the public. The public demand for these new resources is voracious. Based
on surveys, staff estimated that 75% of local households had a computer in
1996, with 50% also having modems. Library patrons wanted to be able to
dial-in to the Library resources and the Internet, 24 hours per day. Staff
skills must be updated as new resources become available. One of the new
roles of the library is "lifelong learning," with the library staff giving
the public instruction on navigating this new "Information
Superhighway.
In 1995, staff completed the second Five Year Plan. Preliminary planning
activities included:
- the identification of roles, specific to each branch;
- the creation of the Collection Development Policy, which defined the
breadth and scope of discrete portions of the library collection;
- an analysis of the 1990 census with projections to the year 2005.
The Library recognized that the nature of and access to
information is changing. Some common beliefs were endorsed for continued
library planning:
- Print sources will continue to be an important part of the library's
collection. While some reference information will only be available in
digital form, patrons will still derive pleasure from actually holding a
book to read.
- Collection management will be increasingly important to make the best
use of the available space to house the library collection and to plan for
future spatial requirements.
- Technology is attracting new library users who have never before found
the public library meaningful in their lives. Some of these patrons will
use library resources without ever physically visiting the facility.
- Overarching all other library "roles" will be the library as the
facilitator of and provider for lifelong learning information, which may
include changing job skills, casual or personal interests and individual
efforts to continue to grow intellectually with the myriad of societal
changes.
- Collaboration between the library and other agencies within the
community must be strengthened. Technology enables linkages today that were
unimagined several years ago.
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The Library's history was shaped by caring people who
viewed a public library as integral to the community's quality of life. From
early teachers to the Ladies Literary Club to the AAUW and other service
groups, a few individuals emerged as leaders in the library's history.
- Wendell Brown fostered the creation of the first District Library Law,
which would impact upon the governance of many public libraries statewide.
He also was instrumental in the incorporation of the Farmington Friends of
the Library, whose membership exceeded 1,200 in 1996!
- Library Board members throughout the years showed perseverance and
determination to build for the future. Such dedication is perhaps best
characterized by Ernest E. Sauter who was first appointed to the Board in
1964 and continues to serve in 1999.
- The focus on good public service was nurtured by early librarians Mary
Kennedy, Florence Leach, and Mildred Droege. Directors Mary Mitchell, G.
Gordon Lewis, and Bev Papai expanded the library's traditional role to also
include new programs and information technology–while still
maintaining the strong public service values.
- Governmental leaders in the cities of Farmington and Farmington Hills
continue to demonstrate support for the Farmington Community Library, both
financially and by appointing Board members who are concerned about the
entire library district.
The Farmington Community Library, through its Board and
Staff, strives to meet public library needs for the millennium–while
remembering its fine heritage of service to the community.
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