ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order reducing the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to the maximum extent of the law. In WZMQ 19’s continuing coverage of the order, we spoke with the director of the Escanaba Public Library about how it could impact library cardholders here in the U.P.
Although the Escanaba Public Library does not operate on federal funding, the IMLS does provide funds to states. According to Library Director Carolyn Stacey, the State of Michigan puts much of that funding toward a valuable service to local libraries known as the Michigan eLibrary.
“That’s a program that has two components,” she explained. “First, it’s an online digital library—just a vast resource of electronic subscription databases for professional, educational, recreational use. The second component is MeLCat, a statewide, resource-sharing network. MeLCat supplies the infrastructure for us to be able to loan items back and forth.”
Stacey says in Delta County, those free resources—particularly the ability to access collections from 435 other libraries—are widely used.
“If you’re an Escanaba Public Library card-holder, you’re not limited to what you can see on the shelves here,” said Stacey. “Not at all. In fiscal year ’23 – ’24, we borrowed over 3,000 items for our library card-holders.”
She says that results in a breadth of materials for patrons, as well as a cost-effective way for the library to expand its catalog.
“When you consider what it would costs if we had to purchase those items, it just far exceeds what our materials budget is,” Stacey said. “It enables rural libraries—like a lot of U.P. libraries—to be able to offer the same level of access to materials, the same high-quality experience with collections, as larger, urban libraries.”
Stacey believes those who would be impacted the most by cutting off access to the eLibrary are patrons, like the ones who benefit from the Learning Express Library.
“That’s a collection of study guides, online practice tests—like studying for the SAT, somebody who’s going into the miltitary and you need to do the ASVAB, any number of vocational tests,” she said. “It used to be that we had to buy thick reference books every year to try and keep up with that. If we don’t have access to that and somebody comes in and wants to study for some type of test like that, we’re not going to have the information for them.”
Right now, libraries have more questions than answers. Stacey says the Escanaba Public Library plans to discuss a path forward with other libraries in the region. In the meantime, they continue to wait for more information from the State.
“The local impact can really be seen in terms of access, in terms of efficiency, and in terms of the quality of services or the level of patron satisfaction,” said Stacey. “We really do get a lot out of it.”
Escanaba Public Library patrons interested in learning more about how the IMLS and Michigan eLibrary work are encouraged to reach out to Stacey at cstacey@escanabalibrary.org.
