Saving the Alpena Library in Michigan

The Alpena County Library will not close its doors after voters renewed the library tax levy - despite a strident campaign to defund it. This was a contentious election fueled by inflammatory campaigning by frustrated censors and heightened by the dismissal of the board of trustees two weeks ago. While the library's funding future is secure, the fight to safeguard the right to read and the integrity of the library continues. 

EveryLibrary was proud to support the library's board and staff on their Informational Campaign. We were contacted six weeks ago and were able to quickly help them set up effective communications about the election facts. Not enough people knew that this was a must-pass election; without the levy, the library would close in January.

Every $1 we raise for local library ballot initiatives helps us secure over $1,600 in stable library funding.

This levy renewal should never have been in question. The library has been at the center of an ongoing fight to remove books from the children and teen sections that some people in town think are inappropriate. The library staff and board have consistently defended the rights of every reader to access these books. Any other action would be unconstitutional censorship, which the board would not allow. 

The book banners in town were extremely frustrated by the library board following the law and they took aim at the library budget on Election Day. Their campaign printed yard signs urging voters to “Vote NO on Library Grooming” and included an image of a man handing a book labeled “X Rated” to a young child. The attacks on the library team were personal and unfounded. We applaud the local Citizens of Your Library vote yes committee for having the courage and tenacity to campaign for their library in the face of such ugliness. They conducted a strong letter-writing campaign and held a number of in-person events to demonstrate to their neighbors that the majority of the community supports the library and wants to see it continue.

As Bridge Michigan notes, the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library is not the first library in the state that was targeted for defunding and closure by would-be book banners. "The battle was similar to a 2022 fight in Ottawa County’s Jamestown Township, which voted to defund the Patmos Public Library because of LGBTQ-themed books available [to] teens. An operating millage was voted down twice, and the library only managed to keep its doors open by collecting hundreds of thousands in donations. Voters approved an operating millage in November 2023." EveryLibrary was a key ally in its must-pass November campaign, and the EveryLibrary Institute, our non-profit charitable arm, continues to be the fiscal agent for donations to the Patmos donations. We are very happy not to have to repeat that fundraising in Alepena. 

A monthly donation of just $1 helps us secure nearly $20,000 yearly in stable library funding
through our support of library ballot initiatives.

With the library levy passing in Alpena, it is important that stakeholders keep up their support for the library and its leadership team. The political and social situation had become so contentious in the lead-up to the Election that the County Commission took the questionable step of beginning the process of removing the entire library board. This move to fire the library board "over sexually-themed youth books" is still unfolding, and EveryLibrary is committed to standing with the Trustees and for the library. 

We've supported over 130 library campaigns across the country and helped libraries secure nearly 3 billion dollars in funding to help them serve their communities. If your library is going to the voters, we'd be proud to stand with you and support your campaign with pro-bono consulting, funding, training, and other tools and resources. We can help you win. Please let us know if you need help!

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