A tremendous and heartfelt thank you is warranted today – the first day of Michigan Library Appreciation Month! As the new budget cycle begins today, we are here to show our appreciation to you and to other Michigan legislators for increasing State Aid to Libraries by $1 million for FY21. We know that this was a tight budget year, so this critical increase is even more significant.
While the global pandemic still surrounds us, the 396 public library systems in Michigan pivoted quickly to a new reality in early March. While facts and figures aren’t available yet for 2020, we want you to see how your investment in public libraries helped them achieve these remarkable statistics across Michigan in 2019. Last year our Michigan libraries:
- Checked out more than 75 million books, movies, music and electronic materials like eBooks to patrons.
- Had 49.8 Million visits to library websites.
- Had 43.6 million patrons walk through their doors.
- Offered 176,353 programs and enrichment opportunities.
- Hosted more than 4 million people at Michigan library programs.
- Answered more than 7.1 million reference questions.
- Provided WiFi that was used more than 13 million times and library computers that were used more than 6 million times.
- Employed 8,162 people.
With the FY21 budget increase of $1 million in State Aid, we know that you have put a high value on the vital services that our library provides in your community and district. We guarantee that libraries across Michigan will continue these activities that make our state the thriving and dynamic place our citizens want to live, work and visit.
Please feel free to reach out to me at any time if I can provide more detailed facts and figures on libraries and library usage.
Sincerely,
