By: Andy Kozlowski | Madison-Park News | Published May 18, 2023
MADISON HEIGHTS — Robert Corbett, who died in March 2022, was known for many things.
Those who worked with him during his 20-plus years on the Madison Heights City Council remember his kindness, his humor and his thoughtful approach to public service, dispensing wisdom as the group’s elder statesman. He was also known for his deep love of words, and often used his gift of gab to promote causes such as accessible parks and a strong library.
Now, thanks to renovations Corbett helped plan years ago, the Madison Heights Public Library is stronger than ever. It reopened May 8, with new facilities including a makerspace and exhibit room, as well as a reworked floorplan featuring an expanded teen section, and shorter shelving units that free up windows for more natural light.
On the same day, officials also paid tribute to Corbett with a new space named in his honor: The Robert J. Corbett Youth Room. When one passes through the library’s main entrance, the new room is on the left, with peekaboo windows allowing people to see what’s happening before entering.
The room includes a “concept corner” with books for teaching toddlers about letters, numbers, shapes and colors. That corner will also be used for story time, and as a play space for children.
Next to it is an area for “imaginative play,” with learning toys suitable for students in preschool through elementary school. The new room is already popular with kids using log builders to create houses or forts big enough for them to fit inside.
“Bob Corbett thought libraries are important. He believed in the importance of reading to kids,” said Madison Heights Mayor Roslyn Grafstein. “The library, really, is the connector in a community. Back during the Great Recession, the city was looking at cuts, and the library was one of the places considered, since it’s not a profit center — it costs the city money. But Bob said that you need to see all the people at the library, including those who were using the computers there to look for jobs. Bob saw all of this, and understood how important the library is. He fought to keep it open.
“He was a voice of wisdom and clarity, a real straight shooter,” she added. “I would talk to him, and there were times where I didn’t like what he had to say. But he would acknowledge that, and then be honest with me and tell me what I needed to hear. He always had the city’s best interests at heart.”
Mark Bliss, the mayor pro tem, is on the Historical Commission’s subcommittee dedicated to naming parks and facilities in honor of community members.
“It’s an interesting scenario to me because I’ve known Bob since I was a kid. I sat on a mock City Council as a freshman in high school, and Bob Corbett was one of the few members who took me under his wing that evening, teaching me more about the city than I wanted to know at that time of my life — he went very, very deep,” Bliss said with a laugh.
He recalled how Corbett pushed for the library renovations as the council representative on the library board. One feature that Corbett wanted to see was a makerspace.
Now, it’s a reality. Officially named the Creative Techspace, the room features nine stations focused on different crafts. Categories include 3D printing, sewing and embroidery, media conversion, design and engineering, vinyl cutting and paper arts, sublimation, heat press, office and document, and tinkering and crafts.
The equipment is sorted into different skills levels. Green-level equipment is usable by anyone, yellow-level equipment requires training with a staff member first, and red-level equipment can only be operated by a trained staff member. Most stations are green level.
“I distinctly remember the first time our library advisory board discussed a makerspace room in the library, some five or six years ago, and how Bob was a huge advocate for that. To now realize it’s in this library, well, it’s sad and a shame he isn’t there to see it,” Bliss said. “But I’m incredibly thankful to my colleagues for allowing us to name that room after him, since it allowed him to be a part of this.
“He spent the last five years of his life making sure that this got done, and before that, he spent decades of his life making sure that the library itself was as strong as can be. He was the driving force to save the library during the Great Recession,” Bliss said. “I would call Bob Corbett the single most influential member of the council for this project. I truly appreciate that he will be a part of it forever.”
Madison Heights City Councilman Quinn Wright said he’s thankful to everyone who made the library project a reality.
“It’s the culmination of things that have been in the making for years, but with the cost of materials and everything going on, I was very excited for us to be able to bring it over the finish line, putting together something that the community can enjoy for years to come,” Wright said.
“Bob Corbett was very passionate about the city, and I think it shows with his commitment to see this project through,” he added. “I admire the legacy that he’s left behind for future generations, with both the library project and also parks and recreation. And we should also recognize all the hard work that the city staff did carrying out that vision, managing the material and working with the contractors and such. They did the heavy lifting.”
Bliss said the project was a long time coming, with a dozen individual councilmembers across three different councils advising on it, as well as two mayors and two library directors.
“The baton kept being passed, and while we got to stand out there to cut the ribbon, we were merely the last people holding the baton,” Bliss said. “It’s been such a long journey, all those years — and Bob Corbett was a significant part of that journey.”
The Madison Heights Public Library is located at 240 W. 13 Mile Road, west of John R Road. It is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (248) 588-7763 or visit madison-heights.org.