Dearborn Public Library Millage: It's Time to Give Back

No one likes to ask for help. In these tough times, we all try to soldier on, cutting where we can.

So it’s been with the Dearborn Public Library System. Unfortunately, the library cannot continue to operate in an adequate fashion without support from the good and generous citizens of Dearborn. Thus, the call to vote “YES” on Proposal 2 on Nov. 8. 

We’ve always taken pride in our community resources. That’s what keeps generations in this town. Our libraries are crown jewels in the collection of city services which have been a mainstay for decades. The flagship is a place where we’ve taken our toddlers for story time, dropped our teens off for school projects, and picked up movies for family weekends. How many weddings have been photographed in front of the billowing fountain? How many of our children have tossed pennies off the curved entry stairs?

Well, it’s time to toss a few more pennies the library’s way. Despite an approximate full-time staff reduction of 45 percent, increased use of volunteers, a materials budget reduction of 51 percent, and the closing of the , the funds are just not there to maintain a reasonable level of service–certainly one acceptable to Dearborn residents.

Life will never be as we knew it in the prosperous days, back when the sidewalks were cleared after snowfall. But, we need to ensure that citizens of all ages continue to have easy access to educational and entertaining materials in various forms. 

Our libraries are social centers, help centers, homework havens, and places where technology is free to everyone. 

Third-three thousand and twenty-five of our residents have active library cards.  Last year, there were 477,827 visits to the Dearborn Public Libraries. Nearly a half million users!A total of 874,771 items were checked out. Almost 20,000 attended 371 programs, and countless used the 104 public computers with internet access.

This is a city service where use crosses all demographics, ages, neighborhoods and economics. The library always has something for everyone.

So, from the kid who started reading thanks to the weekly visit of the Bookmobile to , who later won Sister Lucia’s reading award in the second grade at St. Alphonsus (I still have the bank):

Pay it forward and backward. Vote for the Library on Nov. 8. Please vote “Yes” on Proposal 2. 

Candyce Ewing Abbatt
Dearborn Public Library commissioner since 1997
Cardholder since 1965