Frequently Asked Questions

What is the service area for this proposed library and what happens when the TK School District makes the decision to close the library to the community?

Legal counsel from the Library of Michigan has clarified that the service area for a new library would be Thornapple and Yankee Springs townships and that households within the Thornapple Kellogg School District that are not in these two townships are already serviced by another nearby library branch. We are working with the TK school administration to be sure that the timing of a library departure from the school would never create a lapse in library services for anyone in the district. If plans for a new library are not in place before the current library is closed to the public, existing library cards would be deactivated and no longer usable at surrounding libraries. Other libraries may not be able to issue new library cards, especially not for free, to folks who live outside of their service areas.

What does the TK School Board think about this?

Members have previously voiced support for moving public service to a free-standing library outside the high school. The board pledged $2500 to help cover the expense of the need assessment study in 2024. Recently, we met with Superintendent Pouch and Deputy Superintendent Provost to answer their questions and to clarify that the community library is indeed a financial liability to the district and not the great asset to the community it could be. They support our efforts and understand the unique position we are in.

Where are we?

Friends of the Middleville Area Community raised funds for a “Feasibility Study”, or need assessment for a freestanding library project that was completed in March of 2025. Results of that study can be found linked above. It helped shed light on how much support this project has from our donor community and to what degree we can rely on philanthropic fundraising from that support. With feedback from this study, Ad Hoc Library Committee members reported to Village Council and Thornapple Township and next steps are being taken to inform the community of the study results and to receive community comment and input on the project as it moves forward. Once sufficient opportunity has been provided to our community, our group gathers 50 petition signatures in each Thornapple and Yankee Springs townships to get a millage vote on ballots in an upcoming election. If the millage has community support and passes, a library board will be appointed by the townships to oversee the institution of our new library and the levy of taxes for a library fund will begin.

What are the perks of opening a new independent library?

The reasons that we feel our current library is lacking are due largely to the limited access to the building itself. A safe, free and indoor place for our community to meet and gather is sorely lacking and the invaluable community building opportunities provided by daytime library programming for our youth and seniors is currently being outsourced to other communities. We need a community center, access to learning and the material resources that only a local library branch can provide.

What kind of millage support will our library access require?

An independent branch requires a library board to govern the provision of materials, technology, staffing and programming independently from the resources of a district library and those expenses will require a higher millage. We estimate 1.7 using the Library of Michigan calculation methods. This would cost the average Thornapple Township household approximately $250 annually or $21 per month and would ensure that our community has local access and control of a fully operational library with regular hours and robust programming.

Where will a new library building go, will it be newly built or repurposed, who will pay for it, when will it be built?

Feedback from the study favored a downtown location with a focus on easy accessibility and parking. Final determination of a new site and the building specifications will be decided between the Village and the generosity of our donor community. In late 2025, the concept of a mixed-use municipal and library space was introduced as a way to better utilize available funding. The construction of the building would be paid for by a combination of municipal and privately donated funds once a library contract with Thornapple and/or Yankee Springs Townships can be negotiated and millage support determined. With support from the needs assessment, we have estimated our new project budget to be $3-4million. Fundraising efforts for the building and campaigning for the operational library millage have currently begun in earnest.