Michigan Governor Eliminates State-Library Department

In a money-saving move July 13, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm issued an executive order (PDF file) to eliminate the Michigan Department of History, Arts, and Libraries. The move will save about $2 million per year and will reorganize the State Library of Michigan.

Under this order, the library, its board of trustees, its staff, and its collection (except services for the blind and physically handicapped and services related to census data) will be transferred to the Department of Education as of October 1. Michigan State Librarian Nancy Robertson told American Libraries that she and her staff “remain committed to our mission to serve Michigan’s residents, its government, and its libraries. Regardless of the circumstances or challenges, we will continue the important, essential work of providing our customers with access to quality information, services and programs.”

Library services for the blind and physically handicapped will move to the Michigan Blind Commission. Census reporting will be transferred to the Department of Information Technology.

Meanwhile, the governor also announced July 13 conceptual plans for an initiative that would take over the current state-library holdings. That initiative, called the Michigan Center for Innovation and Renovation, would come about in partnership with the city of Lansing and Michigan State University, which will receive most of the collections from the current library. Granholm’s executive order dissolving HAL specifies the formation of a board for the MCIR.

The proposed initiative has several objectives, including promoting understanding of state history and the cultural diversity of Michigan citizens; educating children and adults in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and enhancing the competitiveness of Michigan citizens in the world economy through research and education. “The center would draw upon Michigan’s rich history of entrepreneurship for lessons to help stimulate the innovations needed for today’s knowledge-based economy,” said Gov. Granholm in a July 13 press release.

In an effort to preserve the HAL, the Michigan Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing July 15 on a bill package that would keep the department together, transferring it to the Department of State, where the individual functions resided before HAL was created.

—Sean Fitzpatrick, American Libraries Online
Posted on July 15, 2009.

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