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MACOMB COUNTY — Although the world is seeing a digital shift, libraries are still thriving with increased programming and continued renovations to better suit the needs of their communities.
Harrison Township Public Library
Melissa Goins, Harrison Township library director, said the library has done very well over the last couple of years. In November 2022, a millage was passed giving the library more funding.
“With that money we hired full-time staff, full-time librarians, and we’ve really kicked up our programming in 2023,” Goins said.
She said their programming has been “skyrocketing” ever since with around 1,000 more programs added in 2024 than there was in 2023.
The library is wrapping up renovations that added two study rooms. Each room can hold up to eight people.
“They’re not quite ready for the public yet,” Goins said. “We’re hoping that they will be ready for the public in another month or so.”
Policies for the rooms have not yet been finalized, but one stipulation may say that Harrison Township residents and taxpayers can use the rooms first.
A joint construction project with the township is also planned around 2026 that will expand the library.
The Harrison Township Public Library holds around 30,000 physical items and Goins said they’re consistently in circulation.
She said libraries have seen a shift from physical checkouts to digital checkouts with audio book checkouts skyrocketing.
“The interesting thing is even though physical checkouts aren’t where they used to be and digital checkouts are climbing, we’re still getting the foot traffic in the library,” Goins said. “It’s because of programming that people are still coming into the library and they’re using libraries differently than they have in the past.”
Goins said they’ve also seen an increase in patrons using the libraries to print out documents and other things like that.
“People aren’t buying home printers anymore,” Goins said. “So much of our world is digital so that when they do need something printed, they come to the library.”
The library is also working on its summer reading program, and the kickoff will be on June 21. The theme this year is “Color Our World.”
Goins agreed that libraries are an important part of the community.
“I think libraries build community,” Goins said. “I mean, they bring people together and people come here for programs and meet their neighbors and are able to talk with their neighbors.”
Goins said she’s excited for the future of the library. In 2009, the library started off as a volunteer-run effort and the township passed a millage to be a tax-funded library in 2015.
“The addition of the study rooms is an area of growth and we’ve been regularly growing since then to be a better library for our community,” Goins said.
Clinton-Macomb Public Library
Change is in the air throughout the Clinton-Macomb Public Library system, and nowhere are those changes bigger than at the Main Library on Romeo Plank Road. Work to modernize the facility that is over 20 years old continues since its start last May, which now enters its fourth phase.
“(Construction now) is all upstairs and the second floor needs to remain closed as they work on upgrading our lights to LED, laying new carpet and making improvements to the heating and cooling components,” Jamie Morris, head of CMPL communications and strategy, said via email. “Even though the second floor is closed, we have brought down items from children’s, teen and adult nonfiction to the first floor so there is a browsable collection of popular items for people to see. We are also happy to place holds on items that are upstairs and let people know when they are available. We have even turned half of the auditorium into a children’s area with a few favorite toys, puppets and activity table(s).”
The branch’s heating and cooling equipment is being changed to a geothermal system similar to the one found at the much newer North Branch in Macomb Township. Installation of the geothermal wells required drilling into the branch’s eastern parking lot.
While Morris expects the project will be completed by the end of June the prior phases of the project have seen patrons adjust their library habits by visiting the north and south branches.
“We usually recognize a lot of people, so we can tell when (someone is new) because they’ve come to a program and … their card might be from Main,” said Margaret Dekovich, head of staff development at the CMPL’s South Branch. “I would say (it’s) at least a 25% increase.”
Programs and events, such as movie screenings or 1-2-3 Initiative speakers, moving to the branches has been a large part of the increased traffic at the South Branch. Dekovich says the changes have not led to any material circulation issues. Project updates can be found at cmpl.org/alert_detail.php and listings of events across the CMPL system can be found at cmpl.libnet.info/events.
Mount Clemens Public Library
The Mount Clemens Public Library underwent its own renovation from 2020-2023. Among the changes made in that time included a slew of environmentally-efficient upgrades — installation of more durable building materials, LED lighting, its own geothermal system and the creation of rain gardens — and the creation of two makerspaces. An intensive makerspace is located in the basement with overhead electrical outlets, glass cutters and an airbrush sprayer.
The upstairs tech lab features a heat press, a Cricut cutting machine, a sublimation printer and several types of 3D printers.
“We can do more of the dirtier crafts, like making slime (in the makerspace),” Mount Clemens Public Library Interim Director Kathy McKinney said. “It has electrical units above every station in there if somebody needs electricity to work on a project. Maybe they want to work on a cosplay outfit, and they need a foam cutter or something like that where they need to get hands-on and dirty. That’s what our makerspace is more used for.”
Additions continue to be made to the tech lab with the recent inclusion of sewing machines.
Those who have not seen the library since it reopened or would like a more comprehensive look at their local library’s services are invited to an open house on Saturday, March 15.
“We just want people to come into the library if they haven’t yet been in and take a look around at all of the amenities and things that we have here,” McKinney said. “All of our librarians are putting together some programs … we will have arts and crafts in the different areas of the library whether it be the children’s, the teens, adults (or) local history.”
The Mount Clemens Public Library regularly hosts events and programming. A full listing can be found at mtclib.events.mylibrary.digital.
