The Supreme Court of the state of Michigan is hearing the case of George Goldstone of Bloomfield Hills who was told that he couldn’t check out books at the Bloomfield Township Library.
If Goldstone’s attorney prevails in his argument that the Michigan Constitution gives all residents equal access to any public library, then librarians fear that the local taxes some communities now assess to enhance their libraries will disappear — along with the special programs that the taxes fund.
“This is not just a battle over one local library,” Gretchen Couraud, executive director of the Michigan Library Association, said Monday. “It could have an impact on all public libraries in the state.” More on the case.
equal input
Here’s the heart of it:
I don’t know how big Bloomfield Hills is but they should either build a library or go with the contract. This guy is looking for a free ride.
Re:equal input
I grew up outside of the Hills–trust me, agreeing to the contract would be just pennies in those residents’ pockets.
Library Books
It is interesting at a time when all the non-librarian pundits are saying that public libraries are dying due to everything being on the Internet, that a citizens is suing for the opportunity to check out a library book. Many people are convinced that books aren’t read anymore, and that public libraries are dying from lack of use. Here, right or wrong, the relationship between a desired service and access to books versus cost and tax powers, is being challenged.
Maybe the pundits are wrong.
More on the subject
Here is more info from the Michigan Library Association website, plus a link to an FAQ sheet.
http://www.mla.lib.mi.us/node/469