Farmington Community Library

Last updated
Farmington Community Library
Farmington Community Library Logo (2022) (Gray).svg
Farmington Community Library
42°29′53″N83°22′15″W / 42.4980°N 83.3709°W / 42.4980; -83.3709
Location Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States
TypePublic
Established1913
Branches2
Other information
DirectorKelley Siegrist
Employees96
Website www.farmlib.org

Farmington Community Library is a public library system serving the cities of Farmington and Farmington Hills in the U.S. state of Michigan. The main library is in Farmington Hills and one of the branches is in Farmington, Michigan. [1]

Contents

Locations

The Main Library is located at 32737 West 12 Mile Road. This is between Farmington and Orchard Lake Roads on the south side of 12 Mile, next to the Farmington Hills Post office. The Farmington Branch is located at 23500 Liberty Street, one block west of Farmington Road and one block south of Grand River. It is at the corner of Liberty and State Streets, next door to the Farmington City Hall. [2]

History

The early years

In March 1913, the Farmington Township board asked some women of the Ladies Literary Society to start a library. Members of the Ladies Literary Society were wives of leading Farmington business and professional men, these ladies would be the official group in charge of the library. The first library was housed in a classroom in the Baptist Church. The women rented the room for $12 a year, started with 800 books and $140 for the first year. The library operated with the money from the Library Association and the money the women were able to raise from fund-raising entertainment and lectures. There were also some funds coming for the Township Board. In 1919, when the war ended, Farmington added onto the Township Hall and a room for the library was created on the north side of the building. Soon the book collection grew to 4,500 volumes, and the need for increased library services and larger facilities became greater. Later, when the U.S. built the new post office in 1958, this same building became the downtown Farmington library. Before long, this building was too small for all the books and a proposal was passed to build a building in the north part of Farmington [3]

The Main Library

The plans for construction of the Twelve Mile building were being designed, but the problem of money kept it at a standstill. Applications for federal funds were being rejected and construction cost was beginning to add up. In October, 1968, the plans for the library were suspended. It wasn’t until January 1970, that the decision to continue with the building of the library was decided. However, all the money was used to build the library and there wasn’t any money for books to fill the library. In addition, parts of the basement would go unfinished to bring the cost down. To raise money to add books and furnishings, a gift drive was held. The Farmington Jaycees and the Farmington Rotary Club were major contributors to the gift drive. The Farmington Jaycees decided to finish the children’s room and the Farmington Rotary Club donated money to help finish the Quiet Room. The Farmington Public Library was finished in June 1972. It opened to serve, particularly, the northern part of the community. With three floors, the Library was 38,000 square feet (3,500 m2). The library included reference areas, fiction and non-fiction areas, a lounge, Quiet Room and Children’s Room which consumed the top floors. The lower floor had a meeting room and the Oakland County Sub Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. [4]

The Downtown Branch

The Twelve Mile branch was growing fast and contained over 22,000 books. It was time for the small library to gain another branch. It was decided to build the new branch in downtown Farmington, at the corner of State and Liberty Streets. It took time, but the land needed to build the new branch was obtained in February, 1974. Soon after, an agreement was made to give the libraries standardized names. The Public Library was called the Farmington Hills Branch and the District Library was called the Farmington Branch. In December, 1975, the Farmington branch was ready for business. The lower level became the Children’s Room and the upper level included the fiction and non-fiction areas, and it also contained a quiet room. [5]

Growth

In January 2003, the Farmington Hills Library went through a renovation, and about 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2) was added. [6] A new computer lab and commons area was added and included new computers. Also, wireless internet was added and was now accessible at any study table. The entire lower lever of the building is taken up by the Children Department. The Children’s Department contains a Smart Start center. The center has fully interactive reading readiness activities. [7]

Governance

The Farmington Community Library is governed by a board of trustees. The library’s board is composed of eight members, each being nominated either by Farmington or Farmington Hills (four members each). Board meetings are held the second Thursday of each month at the main library in Farmington Hills and the meetings are open to the public. The board of trustees establishes, maintains and operates the libraries, can appoint or remove a librarian, and can supervise and control the library’s property. [8]

Members
President: Ernie McClellan Jr.
Vice-President: Robert J. Hahn
Treasurer: Kathie Brown
Secretary: Jim White
Trustee: Renee Murphy
Trustee: Cris Doby
Trustee: Open (Farmington)
Trustee: Open (Farmington Hills)
Library Director: Kelley Siegrist

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson County, Michigan</span> County in Michigan, United States

Jackson County is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of the county was 160,366 as of the 2020 Census. Its seat of government is the city of Jackson. The county was set off in 1829 and organized in 1832. It is named for U.S. President Andrew Jackson and considered to be one of Michigan's "Cabinet counties", named for members of Jackson's Cabinet. Jackson County comprises the Jackson, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Jackson County Courthouse was designed by Claire Allen, a prominent southern Michigan architect. Jackson County is also home to the Michigan Whitetail Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland County, Michigan</span> County in Michigan, United States

Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a principal county of the Detroit metropolitan area, containing the bulk of Detroit's northern suburbs. Its seat of government is Pontiac, and its largest city is Troy. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, and the most populous county in the United States without a city of 100,000 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farmington, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

Farmington is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northwestern suburb of Detroit, Farmington is located roughly 20 miles (32.2 km) from downtown Detroit, and is surrounded on most sides by the larger city of Farmington Hills. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,594.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farmington Hills, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

Farmington Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northwestern suburb of Detroit, Farmington Hills is located roughly 22 miles (35.4 km) from downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 83,986, making it the second-largest community in Oakland County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Public Library</span> Public library system in British Columbia

Vancouver Public Library (VPL) is the public library system for the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2023, VPL had more than 4.6 million visits with patrons borrowing nearly 10.4 million items including: books, ebooks, CDs, DVDs, video games, newspapers and magazines. Across 21 locations and online, VPL serves over 236,000 active members and is the largest public library system in British Columbia.

The King Township Public Library is a public library system that serves King Township, Ontario in Canada. It consists of four branches located in King City, Nobleton, Schomberg, and Ansnorveldt.

The Greene County Public Library serves the communities of Greene County, Ohio. The library system's administrative offices are in Xenia, and other branches are located in Beavercreek, Cedarville, Fairborn, Jamestown, Bellbrook, and Yellow Springs. Greene County Library is a member of the Miami Valley Libraries, one of eleven regional library cooperatives in Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Community College</span> Public college in Oakland County, Michigan, US

Oakland Community College (OCC) is a public community college with five campuses in Oakland County, Michigan. Established in 1964, OCC is the largest community college in Michigan, with the state's third-largest undergraduate enrollment. Enrollment at the college for the Spring 2022 semester was 14,511. Oakland Community College has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1971. The college offers 57 associate degree programs and 41 other academic programs.

The Kalamazoo Public Library is an independent district library in Kalamazoo, Michigan, that serves about 120,000 people, has a salaried staff of 90, and spends about $10 million annually. The library consists of the central branch downtown, and four branch libraries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffersonville Township Public Library</span>

The Jeffersonville Township Public Library is a public library system in Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States comprising two locations: the main library at 211 East Court Avenue in Jeffersonville and the Clarksville Branch at 1312 Eastern Boulevard in Clarksville, Indiana. The rest of Clark County, Indiana is served by the Charlestown-Clark County Public Library system, with which the Jeffersonville library has a reciprocal borrowing agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toa Payoh Public Library</span> Public library in Singapore

The Toa Payoh Public Library, formerly Toa Payoh Community Library and Toa Payoh Branch Library, is an established library located in the Toa Payoh Town Centre, Singapore, opened on 7 February 1974. It consists of three floors and has a large floor area of approximately 4125 m2. The building which the library currently based in once housed the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games Secretariat for the 1973 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games in Singapore. The library is also within walking distance of HDB Hub, Toa Payoh Bus Interchange and Toa Payoh MRT station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linden Hills Library</span> United States historic place

Linden Hills Library is a public library in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The branch library originally opened in 1911 on the first floor of the Lake Harriet Commercial Club building. In 1931, under the leadership of Minneapolis Public Library's chief librarian Gratia Countryman, the library moved into its own building on 2900 West 43rd Street. Area resident Joseph Victor Vanderbilt designed the library in the Tudor Revival style. Head librarian Edith Frost served for over thirty years. The library has also hosted community groups such as children's clubs, neighborhood groups, and women's organizations. The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and renovated in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Island Public Library</span> Public library in Illinois

The Rock Island Public Library is located in Rock Island, Illinois. It serves the public from the Downtown Library, Southwest Branch, and the Watts-Midtown Branch, as well as a roving bookmobile (Library2Go) and a robust online presence. The Rock Island Public Library traces its beginnings to November 25, 1872, making it one the first public libraries to open after the passing of the Illinois Local Library Act in 1872. Fee-based public libraries started in 1855 in Rock Island and have contributed to the history of Illinois' original library system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ypsilanti District Library</span> Library in Washtenaw County, Michigan

The Ypsilanti District Library is a library in Washtenaw County, Michigan, serving Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, and Superior Township. The library has been in operation since 1868, and today provides services with three branches and a bookmobile.

The West Bloomfield Township Public Library is located in West Bloomfield, Michigan, 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Detroit. The library system consists of the Main Branch and the Westacres Branch and serves the communities of West Bloomfield Township, and the cities of Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake and Sylvan Lake. West Bloomfield was ranked on Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings Index of top public libraries in 2005 and 2008 and has overall 150 employees. The West Bloomfield Township Public Library has been named one of 10 recipients of the 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the United States of America's highest honor for museums and libraries. The annual award, made by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) since 1994, recognizes institutions for outstanding social, educational, environmental, or economic contributions to their communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cass District Library</span> Library system in Michigan, United States

Cass District Library is the library system which services Calvin, Howard, Jefferson, LaGrange, Mason, Milton, Newberg, Ontwa, Penn, Pokagon, Porter and Volinia Townships in Cass County, Michigan, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libraries in Cardiff</span>

Public libraries in Cardiff are owned and operated by Cardiff Council. There are 20 public libraries in the capital of Wales, the largest of which is Cardiff Central Library. A mobile library service is also provided. In 2018/19, there were almost 91,000 Cardiff residents, around 25% of the city's population, who borrowed an item from a municipal library. Increases in visits, active borrowers and library members have taken place during 18/19 as the service continues to grow in popularity with Cardiff's citizens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library</span> Public library system in Evansville, Indiana

The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (EVPL) is a public library system serving Evansville and Vanderburgh County in Indiana, USA. The EVPL also supplements the services provided by the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation and has the authority to approve the tax levy of the independently run and operated Willard Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Library (Columbus, Ohio)</span> Columbus, Ohios main lending library

The Main Library of the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) system is located in Downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States. The public library is the largest in the library system and holds approximately 300,000 volumes. It includes numerous rooms, including separate spaces for children, teens, an adult reading room, newspaper room, auditorium, gallery, gift shop, and a cafe. The third floor includes a computer lab and houses the Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society.

The Shaler North Hills Library is the public library serving Shaler Township, Pennsylvania, the Shaler Area School District and environs. The library can be found in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, the central municipality of Shaler Township, located 7.2 miles (11.6 km) north northeast of Pittsburgh. A community and cultural resource since 1942, the Shaler North Hills Library offers a variety of materials and services. Shaler North Hills Library holds over 120,000 titles at its single branch location, including fiction and non-fiction books, DVDs, music CDs, audio books, and magazines, along with online resources. The Library also has access to the materials of all other participating Allegheny County Library Association libraries.

References

  1. "Farmington Community Library".
  2. "The Farmington Community Library: Branches and Hours". Farmlib.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
  3. "Farmington Community Library History". www.farmlib.org. Archived from the original on 2008-02-12.
  4. "Farmington Community Library History". www.farmlib.org. Archived from the original on 2008-02-12.
  5. "Farmington Community Library History". www.farmlib.org. Archived from the original on 2008-02-12.
  6. "Farmington Community Library (Farmington Branch) in Farmington, MI | LibraryThing Local". Librarything.com. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
  7. Archived October 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Current Library Board". 2014-07-23. Retrieved 2019-07-23.