TLN is saddened to hear of the passing of John MacDonald. A well-loved employee of Wayne Public Library of over 40 years, dating back when it was called the Wayne/Westland Library, we send our condolences to his family, loved ones, and patrons whose lives he touched.

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Click on the link below to start your adventure at Michigan Activity Pass.

MiActivityPass.org

Don't have a library card yet? Click on the link below to locate your home library and get your free Michigan public library card.

MiLibraryFinder.org

“Libraries exist to make space for every story and every lived experience,” said ALA President Sam Helmick. “As we celebrate National Library Week, we reaffirm that libraries are places for knowledge, for access, and for all.”

You can read and download the report at the link below.

Check It Out!

Check It Out!

TLN remembers former Director to Canton Public Library, Jean Tabor who passed on December 1. We applaud her dedication to libraries and wish condolences to her family and friends.

"Jean found her true calling at the Canton Public Library where she began as a reference librarian and was quickly promoted to Library Director, a position she held for 21 years. She was recognized nationwide as a visionary leader in library services and a pioneer of digital access, regularly serving as keynote speaker at library conferences across the US. Her legacy lives on in the many libraries that followed Canton’s lead, enriching the lives of young readers and library patrons alike."

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Please be patient with our Michigan Public Libraries when it comes to new books in the coming weeks and months! Recently we received word that Baker & Taylor, the primary wholesaler/supplier of books and other materials to libraries that has been in business for 100+ years, laid off the majority of its staff and will cease operations in January, 2026.

This has left libraries scrambling to find alternative suppliers for new books. This can take some time to accomplish, largely because those alternative suppliers are overwhelmed with the influx of new library business. Libraries are working very hard to make this transition to new suppliers as quickly as possible, but in the meantime there may be some delays when it comes to the receipt of new books.

We appreciate your patience, understanding, and support during this transition!

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Now Extended Through October 2025!

This summer Michigan Activity Pass and The Library Network are partnering with Wayne Metro to provide transportation for your MAP adventure, to qualified users of MAP.

MAP provides Michigan library cardholders the opportunity to discover and explore participating cultural destinations, parks, and recreation areas in the state at a discounted rate. This summer we are also offering summer transportation to make MAP more accessible to individuals over age 60 in Macomb, Oakland, or Wayne counties.

Qualifying individuals, when booking a MAP ticket between July and September, can also request roundtrip transportation for themselves and a caregiver or companion (family and friends) in order to increase the use and usability of MAP for the 60+ community in Southeast Michigan.

If you live in Macomb, Oakland, or Wayne County and age 60 or older you qualify for this summer’s transportation project with MAP. Once you book a ticket for yourself (and your companion if needed) you may call the number below to connect with Wayne Metro to schedule your free roundtrip transportation for your MAP activity.

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Download Flyer

Read the full article from Metro Parent at the link below.

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Chelsea District Library is excited to share a new collection we've just launched: our Community Care Collection. This collection consists of free resources and books on stigmatized or sensitive topics such as domestic violence, addiction, mental health, divorce, LGBTQ health, veteran health, and more. Patrons may take these books with no need to check them out or return them. The new collection is located in a discreet corner of the library lobby, ensuring privacy for patrons accessing the resources. All of the titles and resources were chosen with assistance from our Community Social Worker, and we received funding and support from the Chelsea Rotary Club, as well as materials from the Washtenaw County Health Department.

We are located in Western Washtenaw County. If you or someone you know might benefit from these resources, please stop in or send them our way. No library card or ID of any kind is required. Patrons can take the books or handouts without even speaking with the library staff if they prefer.

The Community Care Collection was inspired by library collections featured in an American Libraries article, No Questions Asked.

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Monetary donations may be made at:

Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation Emergency Fund

Miigwech List

And healthy snacks and Keurig k-cups can be sent to these three libraries:

Montmorency County Public Libraries

Atlanta Public Library
11901 Haymeadow St
PO Box 438, Atlanta, MI 49709
Fax & Phone (989) 785-3941

Hillman-Wright Public Library
610 Caring Street
PO Box 247, Hillman, MI 49746
Fax & Phone (989) 742-4021

Lewiston Public Library
2851 Kneeland St
PO Box 148, Lewiston, MI 49756
Fax & Phone (989) 786-2985

You can help out libraries that were affected by the severe storms in Otsego County that still need help recovering. Help the residents of the area or help support the libraries as they do the same.

Monetary donations may be made at:

Otsego Community Foundation

Michigan Attorney General Nessel Sues Trump Administration to Protect Libraries and Museums

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Concerned library staff and the public are asked to advocate for libraries by reaching out to their member of Congress. Use the button below to be directed to ALA's call on Congress to Protect IMLS to get the resources you need to make the call. 

Take Action

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On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) that adversely affects the only federal agency that provides resources to our nation’s libraries, museums, and archives. The EO “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy” directs the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to eliminate non-statutory programs and reduce its functions and personnel to the minimum required by law. For IMLS, this would mean a dramatic reduction in its scope and capacity to support our nation's cultural institutions. Libraries and museums across the country will feel the effects of these cuts, particularly in areas reliant on discretionary funding and special initiatives.

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"Marking this important anniversary, the Sun Times News (STN) connected with McCann to ask him about the past 30 years and what it means to him."

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This outage was not caused by any actions taken by TLN staff. There is evidence of a L2 loop along the network which caused an outage that was centered in Downtown Detroit. This was not a cyber-attack. This event underlines the critical importance of network and technology outage preparedness. TLN was well prepared with back-up plans to our back-up plans. Power was generated to ensure a 24/7 operation and redundant fiber circuits for hosted data availability. Despite how well prepared we were, TLN and the member libraries were all impacted. The TLN Technology Team will continue to build upon its many guardrails to not only harden but enhance resiliency.

TLN staff provided exceptional service to work and resolve this issue. We thank the TLN staff that were involved in mitigating this situation. We thank our Shared Automated System Team, led by SAS Coordinator Anne Neville, in helping provide support and assistance. We additionally applaud the efforts taken by the Technology Services Department, led by Technology Services Manager Damon Dye, to troubleshoot and address the outage.

“This week has been busy to say the least,” says Dye. “This outage proved to be a problem throughout our office and member libraries, but I’m proud of the service and skill that our Technology Team provided. We would not be able to do what we do without the individuals who worked tirelessly to address this critical issue.”

Additionally, we appreciate the efforts, support, and patience provided by our member libraries while experiencing this outage. We understand the difficulty that this outage provided and thank you for patience and understanding.

"We intend this Field Guide to be useful to all library staff, although staff at different levels and with different experiences will use the information within the context of their own work. . . . While this Field Guide focuses on supporting non-dominant youth and families, we believe it can be adapted to serve the needs of other age groups."

Check It Out!

We are thrilled to announce that Saline District Library has joined the Check It Out! with TLN walk-in sharing program, beginning on June 1, 2024.

With our Check It Out! with TLN program, anyone with a library card from a participating TLN library can walk in and check out books.

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