Call Your Legislators and Urge Them to Support Library Funding in the Michigan FY2026 Budget!
Last week, the Michigan House of Representatives approved an omnibus budget bill, HB 4706, for fiscal year 2026. Now with less than a month before a signed state budget is due, the budget process is entering its final, most critical phase: reconciling major differences in Michigan's budget across Chambers and the Governor’s office.
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Written by Dillon Geshel, Interim Executive Director
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Michigan’s Trial Court Funding Recommendations Threaten Vital Support Earmarked for Libraries
Dillon Geshel, Interim Executive Director
In 2017, the Michigan Legislature created the Trial Court Funding Commission, which spent several years developing recommendations to help stabilize the court’s funding system. In 2023, the Michigan Judicial Council formed the Alternative Funding for Trial Courts Workgroup (AFTCW) to review those recommendations and develop a plan for implementation. Why is this of interest to libraries? A familiar funding source for libraries, penal and civil fines, is at risk of capture under the workgroup’s recommendations. The workgroup’s final concept paper proposes that all revenue from penal fines and civil infractions is redirected to trial courts, which would have a disastrous impact on Michigan’s public libraries.
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Federal Budget Update
On the evening of Wednesday, November 12, the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history came to an end. Largely along party lines, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution, a temporary funding measure that reopens and funds government operations through January 30, 2026.
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MLA Hosts Roundtable With Attorney General Dana Nessel
On November 13, MLA brought together library leaders from across Michigan for an energizing roundtable with Attorney General Dana Nessel at the Kent District Library Service Center in Grand Rapids. More than just a policy discussion, the gathering underscored the shared commitment between Michigan’s library community and the Attorney General’s office to protect access to information and opportunity for Michiganders.
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Chapter & Verse: Storytime from the Stacks New Episode
Check out the latest episode of Chapter & Verse: Library Leadership in Action: What’s Shaping Michigan Libraries.
In this episode, host Dillon Geshel is joined by Jenny Marr, Executive Director of the Capital Area District Libraries and current MLA Board President, along with Steven Bowers, Executive Director of The Library Network and immediate past chair of the Library Cooperatives of Michigan. Together, they explore how Michigan’s libraries continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of their communities. Jenny and Steven share their early paths into library work, discuss emerging trends in services and programming, and highlight the vital role libraries play in championing intellectual freedom and community engagement. The conversation also examines the sector’s biggest challenges—from staff recruitment and retention to rising censorship efforts—and how library leaders are adapting to support diverse access, inclusion, and a thriving public library ecosystem.
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