HANCOCK — A February 22, 2024, report from the Michigan Library Association states that for eight years of the Snyder Administration and the sixth year of Gov. Whitmer’s administration, the FY25 State Aid to Libraries budget remains flat. There are also no increases for Library of Michigan programs/staff.

Another MLA report says that on average, Michigan Libraries depend on locally dedicated millages for 77% of their funding and this number is increasing nearly 1% each year.

Like other libraries across the state, the Hancock School Public Library is seeing financial stresses. But Hancock faces additional challenges, because it is one of the few remaining libraries in Michigan that is located on a school campus and houses both the Hancock School District’s public library and the school library in the same space.

Compounding Hancock’s financial issue is that according to the Michigan District Library Law, school districts cannot join a library district. According to the Michigan State Aid to Public Libraries Act of 1977, by definition, public library does not include a special library such as a professional, technical or school library.

While the Hancock School District’s contract with the Portage Lake District Library is up for renewal, the School Board is facing the financial challenges of operating the library.

In looking towards the future, PLDL Director Katrina Linde-Moriarty last May suggested that the city of Hancock consider establishing a new district library separate from the school library.

The current contract agreement currently costs the school district about $100,000 a year. Establishing a district library would alleviate the district of that burden.

Moving forward, some options for the school district are:

• To continue to contract for services;

• Continue to contract for services with an added contractual clause that requires the municipalities of the school district to levy a millage to support the library;

• Pursue a PLDL millage with the municipalities that make up the school district. The school district comprises the city of Hancock, and Hancock, Quincy and Franklin townships.

According to a report by PLDL, a district library can only levy up to four mills in total and PLDL already levies 1.96 mills in its district. If PLDL levies additional mills outside of its own district, they cannot total more than 2.04 mills. That means PLDL could only levy up to .51 mills in each of the school district’s four municipalities. That, however, is not feasible, because Hancock’s district would not pay an equal millage rate to PLDL. In addition, .51 mills is not sufficient to support library operations in the long term when variable expenses increasing over time are factored in.

With the current contract set for June 2024 renewal, PLDL has said that while it is not opposed to a short extension of the current contract, it is aware that it may no longer be possible for the school district to commit funds to a contract for library services.

PLDL also cautions that a multiyear extension of the contract, with the same level of financial support for library operations, it would not be able to provide the same level of services in the long run that PLDL currently provides.

With the third option, PLDL would pursue a millage to incorporate the four municipalities within Hancock Public School District, expanding the combined library district. The millage rate would need to match the current 1.96 millage rate in Houghton and Portage Township to offer a fair rate to all taxpayers involved.

“If a millage was achieved, and the library district expanded,” the report points out, “taxpayers would be funding the operations of both libraries.”

That would free up current funds allocated by Hancock School District to be used in other areas. At the same time, resources would be shared freely with the new, expanded district, and new opportunities across it could be explored such as a book mobile or downtown location.

During the winter of 2022-23, the library and the school district sent an online survey to residents which revealed that the public was uncomfortable entering the school, while parents of children were uncomfortable with the public doing so.