The Garden Club of Dearborn, meeting at the home of Mrs. Henry Ford, appoints a committee (consisting of Miss Clara Snow and Mrs. E. R. Bryant) to initiate a movement for the establishment of a public library in Dearborn

The Village Commission votes at its meeting of October 15, 1919, to decorate a room in the Village Hall to be used for a public library.

Mrs. Henry Ford offers to donate the site on the corner of Michigan and Mason if the Township of Dearborn will vote a bond issue to erect a library building.

Since a bond issue would require a special election and cause further delay, the Garden Club decides to approach the Board of Education of School District No. 7 for an appropriation.

The Board of Education notifies the Garden Club that the sum of $8,000 will be placed in the school budget for the year 1920-21 to provide for the salary of a librarian and the purchase of books.

The School Board appoints a Library Board to manage the affairs of the new public library. (The members of the first library board are:  Chairman, Miss Clara L. Snow; Secretary and Treasurer, Dr. William Dawe; Mrs. E.R. Bryant, Mr. W.J. Cameron and Mr. E. R. Bryant as other members.)

A furnished room in the Village Hall supplied with thirty-five magazines, opens as a reading-room in early March.  A high school student, Miss Carrie Carlton, acts as attendant.

Miss Isabelle L. Chaffin, a trained librarian from Worcester, Mass. Takes charge of the new library on April 1, 1921.

The library continues as a reading-room while books are being selected and purchased.  The first registrations and the first circulation of books are made on June 8, 1921.  Mr. Earl E. Hole was the first adult applicant and Ruth Van Fleet was the first juvenile applicant to register and borrow books.

At the annual township election, it is voted that the Township of Dearborn shall establish a Free Public Library in accordance with Act No. 164 of the Public Acts of 1877

A resolution is passed by the Dearborn School Board of District No. 7 to donate the books in the collection of the Dearborn Public Library of School District No. 7 to the Township of Dearborn.

The Dearborn Township Board appoints a Provisional Library Board to hold office until April, 1923.  (Members:  Miss Clara L. Snow, Mrs. Frank McDonald, Mr. William J. Cameron, Mr. Clyde Ford, Mr. A. R. Little and Mr. Frank Fellrath.)

The Library Board holds its first meeting on May, 15th, 1922.  The following officers are elected:  Mr. W. J. Cameron, President; Miss Clara L. Snow, Vice-President; Mr. A.R. Little, Treasurer.  The Librarian was appointed to act as Secretary to the Board.

Mrs. Henry Ford renews her offer to give the land at Michigan and Mason for a library building.

The Township of Dearborn votes a bond issue of $150,000 for a new library building on April 2nd, 1923.

At this same election, members of the Provisional Library Board are elected by popular vote as members of the Board of Directors of the Dearborn Public Library.

The Board of Directors hold their first meeting on April 9th, 1923.  Mr. Clyde Ford is elected President; Miss Clara Snow and Mr. Little are re-elected as Vice-President and Treasurer respectively.

Mr. Edward L. Tilton of New York City is appointed as architect for the new library on July 9th, 1923.

The Building contract is awarded to the F. R. Patterson Construction Co. of Detroit on November 9th, 1923.

Mrs. Henry Ford turns the first sod for the new library on the site at Michigan and Mason on November 20th, 1923.

The cornerstone ceremony is held on December 28, 1923.  Local newspapers, a history of the library and other information are placed in the cornerstone for the interest of the future.

The formal opening and dedication of the Dearborn Public Library with Mr. Henry Haigh as speaker on November 25th, 1924. 

Mr. Stephen Butts appointed to Library Board (in place of Mr. Fellrath).

Mr. Ralph Ernest appointed to Library Board.

Mr. Glenn Chapman and Mrs. Ione Wills appointed to the Library Commission.

City Hall Branch opens on the second floor of the municipal building after consolidation of the cities of Dearborn and Fordson.

Mr. Ray Renton, Mr. Homer C. Beadle appointed to Library Commission.

Mr. William J. Cameron appointed to the Library Commission.

The City Hall Branch moves into larger quarters in the basement of the municipal building.

Rev. Samuel C. Weir appointed to the Library Commission.

The Southeast Branch opens at 2121 Salina on February 28, 1941.  A major portion of the cost is furnished through a WPA grant.

Northeast Branch opens on September 5th, 1944, with a collection of 1866 books.  Location is in a store building at 13114 Warren near Reuter.

Miss Isabelle L. Chaffin resigns as Chief Librarian on January 1st, 1948.

Mr. Alex Lebedeff appointed to the Library Commission.

Miss Eleanor A. Ferguson is appointed Chief Librarian on July 1st, 1948.

The Film Office opens at the Main Library on October 20th, 1948, with a staff of .5 FTE with 76 reels available.

Bookmobile service is added to the Dearborn Public Library.

Northeast Branch moves to a new library building at 12929 Warren Avenue and is renamed the Warren Branch.  Book collection at this time is 10,000.  The architect was MacGregor and Sherman. Cost $134,068.

Miss Eleanor A. Ferguson resigns on October 3rd, 1955.

Miss Gertrude Collins, Mr. Gregory Battistone appointed to the Library Commission.

Mr. Walter Kostaroff appointed to the Library Commission.

Mr. Edward B. Daniels is appointed Chief Librarian on July 9th, 1956.

Mr. Cecil Betron appointed to the Library Commission.

Mr. Richard Ruddell appointed to the Library Commission.

Ground Breaking for Princeton Branch Library on November 20th, 1958.

Dr. Harry E. Bagley appointed to the Library Commission.

Princeton Branch opens in West Dearborn on January 17th, 1960, with a book collection of 15,000 volumes.  Located at 23950 Princeton at Telegraph, this is the fifth library to be established in Dearborn.  Architects – Jahr, Anderson, Machida Associates, Inc. Cost $254,80.

Mr. Ray A. Howe appointed to the Library Commission.

Warren Branch is renamed the Anthony M. Esper Branch on October 29th, 1961.  Mr. Esper was a member of a pioneer Dearborn family that once farmed the land on which the library now stands.  He was also a Dearborn councilman for 24 years.

Mr. Edward B. Daniels resigns as Chief Librarian on June 15th, 1962.

Princeton Branch is named the Clara Snow Branch at a Dedication ceremony on July 1st, 1962.

The Library Commission formally proposed to the Ford Foundation on August 29th, 1962, that a grant be considered for the erection of a library in Dearborn as a suitable memorial to Henry Ford on the occasion of the centennial of his birth.

Mr. Harold D. Martelle is appointed Chief Librarian on September 4th, 1962.

City Hall Branch moves to larger quarters in the City Hall Annex at 4500 Maple near Michigan on December 21st, 1962.

A letter is sent by Mayor Hubbard to Mr. Henry T. Heald, President of The Ford Foundation on March 18th, 1963. This letter officially requested a grant for the construction of a new library as a memorial to Henry Ford.

A letter is sent to Mayor Hubbard from The Ford Foundation announcing the approval of a $3 million grant for the construction of the new library on April 9th, 1963.

The City Council accepts the deed on July 30th, 1963, to 15.3 acres of land (at 16301 Michigan near Greenfield) from Ford Motor Company for the site of the new library.

Mr. Harold D. Martelle resigns as Chief Librarian on January 31st, 1964.

Mr. Rollin P. Marquis is appointed Chief Librarian on July 1st, 1964.

Design contract for the new library is awarded to the architectural firm of Harley, Ellington, Associates.

The Dearborn Public Library joins with the Wayne County Public Library to form the Wayne Count Federated Library System (WOLF) on June 17th, 1966.

Mrs. Sylvia M. Pressman appointed to the Library Commission on July 5th, 1966.

Construction contract for the new library is awarded to Barton-Malow Co. of Detroit for $3,010,000.

Ground-breaking ceremony for the Henry Ford Centennial Library is held on December 14th, 1966.

Datestone ceremony at the site of the Henry Ford Centennial Library on July 30th, 1967.  Announcement is made at this time of an additional half-million dollar grant by the Ford Foundation, bringing the total gift for the new building to $3.5 million.

Datestone ceremony at the site of the Henry Ford Centennial Library on July 30th, 1967.  Announcement is made at this time of an additional half-million dollar grant by the Ford Foundation, bringing the total gift for the new building to $3.5 million.

Civic and business leaders launch a drive on April 22nd, 1968, to raise $50,000 for a statue of the late Henry Ford to be placed on the Henry Ford Centennial Library grounds.  The sculptor is to be Marshall Fredericks.  Mrs. Michael Ference, Jr. is appointed Chairman.

Mr. Marquis announces the decision to discontinue Bookmobile service and to open a branch at the present Main Library.

Glen Michaels’ bas-relief is reassembled on the second floor of the Henry Ford Centennial Library.  This mural is from Ford Motor Company’s pavilion at the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York and is a gift from Ford Motor Company. 20 ‘ x  8’ – five four-foot panel.

Mr. Robert A. Taub is appointed to the Library Commission on December 18th, 1968.

Serpentine Wall”, a $9,500 sculpture by Glen Michaels, is installed in the reflecting pool in the rotunda area of the Henry Ford Centennial Library.

Dedication of the Henry Ford Centennial Library on November 25th, 1969. Total cost of building $4,200,000.

After a period of renovation, the former Main Library building at 22100 Michigan opens again as the Mason Branch on January 29th, 1970.

City Hall Branch Library closes and a Reading Room is retained at that location with newspapers, periodicals, paperback books and a small reference collection.

Miss Christine Dombrowski resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Full reciprocal borrowing privileges extended to all member libraries of the Wayne County Federated Library system.

Death of Library Commissioner Gregory Battistone who served on the Dearborn Library Commission for over sixteen years.

Southeast Branch Library is converted to a Reading Room on June 20, 1972.  The collection was offered to the Salina School library.  A collection of paperback books, newspapers and periodicals is retained for the Reading Room.

James L. Limbacher, Audio-Visual Librarian elected Librarian of the Year by the Michigan Library Association.  The honor was conferred at the MLA Conference on October 24th, 1974, in Lansing.

50th Anniversary of the dedication of the Dearborn Public Library, held at the Mason Branch Library (the former Main Library building) on November 25th, 1974.

Grant of $80,000 from Ford Foundation for landscaping.

Dedication of Henry Ford statue on June 8th, 1975. Created by noted sculptor Marshall Fredericks.

Grant received from the Ford Motor Company Fund for execution of a three dimensional tapestry and a Punch and Judy sculpture by Glen Michaels for the Henry Ford Centennial Library.

Free library cards to all Detroit residents who applied, as reciprocity to the Detroit Public Library’s issuing free cards to all residents of Michigan who made application.

Paperback book collection and furniture of Southeast Reading Room is moved to the Dix-Vernor Community Center, 2651 Saulino Ct. under the management of Mr. Stan Hughes on December 17, 1976.

By action of the Dearborn Library Commission, Mason Branch Library renamed Bryant Branch Library on April 2nd, 1977, in honor of Katherine Wright Bryant, wife of E. Roy Bryant and sister-in-law of Mrs. Clara Bryant Ford. Katherine Wright Bryant was a member of the first library board in 1920.

Mr. Daniel Mulcahy appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on January 20th, 1978.

Wayne County Federated Library System’s legal existence terminated by new State law and the organization has been re-formed as the Wayne Oakland Library Federation, a State-approved library cooperative.

Mr. Richard Ruddell resigns from Dearborn Library Commission.

Dissolution of the Community Services Division of the Dearborn Public Library.

Electronic security system installed at the beginning of the year at all four libraries.

Library Commission approves the establishment of the Friends group and plans are made for it to commence activity in the fall.

Mr. Alex Lebedeff resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Library Management Audit conducted by Public Research and Management, Inc. (PRM)

Sunday library hours at HFCL eliminated.

Recommendations of the Library Management Audit implemented:  1) Reorganization of library staff structure, 2) Termination of membership in the Wayne Oakland Library Federation (WOLF) together with realignment of procurement procedures to process book purchasing, binding and transaction slip services, thru the City’s Purchasing Division, 3) Increase in non-resident library card registration fee (from $2 to $25.00) and 4) Development of data processing system for the library.

With the withdrawal from the Wayne-Oakland Library Federation, the Dearborn Public Library no longer provides free lending service to residents of Detroit and of Wayne and Oakland Counties.

Re-organization of the Department of Libraries results in the combining of the Audio-Visual, Humanities and Social & Natural Sciences Division into one Adult Services Division; and the Circulation and Processing Divisions in one Technical Services Division.

The administrative position of Deputy City Librarian was abolished, as were the four senior supervisory positions of Audio-Visual Librarian, Children’s Librarian, Humanities Librarian and Social & Natural Sciences Librarian.  In their stead were established four administrative positions:  Public Services Librarian, under the City Librarian; and Central Librarian, Branch Librarian and Technical Services Librarian, under the Public Services Librarian.

Establishment of a video-cassette circulating collection as part of audio-visual services.

Snow Branch Library celebrates 25th Anniversary on January 17th, 1985, with an Open House Celebration.

Online circulation of library materials begins June 15th, 1985.

Millage referendum creates additional tax to maintain the library and other city services named: Save our Services Campaign.

Mr. R. Patrick Coady is appointed City Librarian on December 5th, 1989.

Historical Marker erected by the Dearborn Historical Commission and Dearborn Historical Society on November 3rd, 1991, at Bryant Branch Library.

Retrospective Conversion Project completed.

Branch Services Librarian, Central Services Librarian and Technical Services Librarian re-titled Administrative Librarians. 

Implementation of a new library automation system, Dynix.

Mr. Michael Meiss appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on May 3rd, 1994.

Mrs. Leah O. Hamood appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission.

Dearborn Public Library joins The Library Network. The Library Network is different from the old WOLF in that you only purchase needed packages/services. Reciprocal borrowing is no longer a requirement of membership.

Mr. Alex Shami appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on October 3rd, 1994.

Library newsletter is delivered to homes of Dearborn residents.

25th Anniversary Celebration for Henry Ford Centennial Library.

Mrs. Peg Watson resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Mr. David Schlaff appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on April 23, 1996.

Library Commission retreat held to form a strategic plan for the Library. Focus is on technology, customer service and marketing.

Library Commission approves Library Mission Statement on September 13th, 1996: The Dearborn Public library System will provide a full range of quality services and a balanced collection of materials to meet the educational, informational and recreational needs of the community.  Library services will include programs for adults, young adults and children.  All members of the community will have unrestricted and equal access to the library system.  Library staff will give the public effective and courteous personal assistance in finding and using library material and the staff will continually strive to improve services and collections. 

Mr. Robert A. Taub awarded the Michigan Library Association Trustee of the Year Citation of Merit Award, presented at the Michigan Library Association Conference in October. A reception in Mr. Taub’s honor was held at the Henry Ford Centennial Library on November 14th, 1997.

Ms. Candyce Abbatt appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on November 19th, 1997.

Death of Library Commissioner Rosemary Fordell who served on the Commission from 1982 until her death in June 1998.

Mrs. Nancy Zakar appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on October 2nd, 1998.

Mr. Robia Baydoun appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission.

Library Commission revises Library Mission Statement on May 14th, 1999:  The Dearborn Public Library provides a full range of quality services and a balanced collection of materials to meet the educational, informational and recreational needs of the community.  Library services include programs for adults, young adults and children.  All members of the community are encouraged to make use of the library system.  Library staff give the public effective and courteous personal assistance in finding and using library materials and the staff continually strive to improve services and collections.

Ms. Carole Lennis appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on June 18th, 1999.

Library Commission re-instates Sunday hours at Henry Ford Centennial Library, October – May, 1 pm to 5 pm.

Mrs. Leah O. Hamood resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Ms. Carole Lennis resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Ms. Lila A. Amen appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission.

Internet access available for the public at all Dearborn Public Libraries.

Esper Branch Library expansion/renovation completed.

Library Commission develops Library Roles Statement: Popular Materials, Reference Resources and Independent Learning. Posted on December 12th, 2000.

Library Commission approves Code of Conduct for Library Patrons.

Fountain at the Henry Ford Centennial Library renovated with the gift from the Moon family.

Dearborn Library Commission make significant strides in the formation of the Dearborn Library Foundation.

Mr. Marcel Pultorak appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on June 30th, 2002.

Mr. Ronald Watters appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on September 17th, 2002.

Library branch hours reduced from 46.5 to 33 hours per week on July 1st, 2003, due to the loss of one full-time staff member at each location.

Job title of City Librarian and Assistant City Librarian changed to Library Director and Deputy Library Director.

Dearborn Library Commission approves the Insider’s Guide to the Dearborn Library Commission brochure.

Dearborn Library Commission approves the re-alignment of weekend hours on July 1st, 2004: Weekend hours will end the weekend before Memorial Day and begin the weekend after Labor Day.

Restoration of the Reflecting Pool at the Henry Ford Centennial Library. Glen Michaels installs a etched glass bottom. (Celebration held Friday, October 15, 2004)

Ms. Lila Amen resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Ms. Diane S. Pepper appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on June 14th, 2005.

Dearborn Library Foundation holds its first meeting on August 31, 2005. The Foundation Board consists of Ann Knoop, Steve Roberts, Marge Bryer, Janine Brycz, Allison Fishwick, and Michael Nowlan.  

Dearborn Library Commission approves Value Statements on September 5th, 2005: In order to provide effective management with ethical standards, we will: Respond to community needs, Be good stewards of community resources, Protect privacy rights of patrons and staff, Promote teamwork, Encourage use by all, Collaborate with community groups, Provide a user friendly environment.  

Dearborn Library Commission approves Vision Statement on September 9th, 2005: The Dearborn Public Library fosters the spirit of exploration, the joy of reading, and the pursuit of knowledge for all ages and cultures starting with the very young. 

Dearborn Library Commission revises Mission Statement on September 9th, 2005: The Dearborn Public Library provides a broad range of effective, courteous, quality services and a balanced collection of materials for the educational, informational and recreational needs of the Dearborn community. 

CDTV relocates to northwest corridor of the Henry Ford Centennial Library, sharing the corridor space with the Dearborn Health Department.

Library Director, Dr. R. Patrick Coady, retires after 17 years of service. Dearborn Library Commission dedicates the HFCL reflecting pool on May 1st, 2006, in his honor, renaming it the Coady Reflecting Pool.

Mrs. Maryanne Bartles appointed Library Director on May 16th, 2006.

Library Commissioner Sylvia Pressman resigns after 40 years of service on the Dearborn Library Commission. She is presented with a Citation from Mayor Michael A. Guido thanking her for her years of exemplary service on September 8th, 2006.

Dearborn Library Commission revises Library Code of Conduct on November 10th, 2006, specifically to include language regarding thief, staring or stalking behavior and unattended children.

Dearborn Public Library achieves Essential Level of the Library of Michigan’s Quality Services Audit Checklist (QSAC) on November 14th, 2006.

Library Commissioner Ronald Watters resigns.

Library Commissioner Diane Pepper resigns.

The inaugural project of the Dearborn Library Foundation, the renovated Children’s area at the Henry Ford Centennial Library, is complete.

Ms. Jihan A. Jawad appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on June 3rd, 2008.

Creation of logo (3 different versions) for the Dearborn Public Library by JCI Design.

Ms. Antonia Straley appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on May 29th, 2009.

Ms. Rachel Fawaz appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on August 4th, 2009.

Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center offices open on the first floor of the Bryant Branch Library.

Ms. Sally Smith appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on November 13th, 2009.

Branch libraries change from a full-service model to a popular material library model due to the reduction of nine full-time employee.

Began a reciprocal borrowing agreement with the Dearborn Heights Public Library.

Dr. Ryan Lazar appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission.

Completed the renovation of the west side of the HFCL Mezzanine (third floor), creating three small study rooms, one large quiet study room, one large conference room, one kitchenette, two public restrooms and an enclosed storage room for the Friends of the Library-Dearbor.

Failure of HFCL fountain motor forcing the closure of the fountain.

Closure of the Snow Branch Library.

Relocated the Processing agency from the HFCL mezzanine to the first floor, northwest corridor (former Health Department) for greater efficiency when receiving and dispatching library material.

Launched MeLCat interlibrary loan service which allows patrons to borrow material from over 400 Michigan libraries (public, school and university) and have that material delivered to the HFCL.

Awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to participate in The Big Read. Dearborn Public Library was one of 77 libraries in the nation and one of two libraries in Michigan to receive the grant. Events and activities centered on Jack London’s classic novel, The Call of the Wild are planned for March 2014 through May 2014. The program will be called “The Big Read Dearborn” and is themed “Call of the Wild:  EmBARKING on Discovery.”  Another marketing catch phrase is “Do you hear the Call?”

Mr. Ali Daghar appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission.

Approved the renewal, for five years, of the Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement between the Dearborn and Dearborn Heights libraries. The expiration date will be February 28, 2019.

Beginning in FY 2014-2015, as the revenue from 1 mill is insufficient to meet the funding needs of the library, the City Council approved an additional .54 mill for library services

Received approval and funding for a major change to the Integrated Library System (ILS) software used by the Library. We entered into a seven-year maintenance agreement and the new software will be hosted off-site through Software as a Service (SaaS). 

Dearborn Library Commission revises Library Code of Conduct, specifically to include clarify language regarding eating and smoking in the library.

Celebrated the 90^th anniversary of the Bryant Branch Library with an open house serving cake and beverages.  The celebration was enjoyed by 150 patrons.

Sally Smith resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Antonia Straley resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Awarded, for a second time, the Big Read grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The book chosen by the 2016 Dearborn Big Read Committee is Edgar Allan Poe’s Stories and Poems

Long-serving (47 years) Library Commissioner Robert Taub resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission.

Barth Bucciarelli appointed to Dearborn Library Commission on June 15th, 2015.

Michelle Jawad appointed to Dearborn Library Commission on June 15th, 2015.

Arrwa Mogalli appointed to Dearborn Library Commission on June 15th, 2015.

The Library Commission approves full reciprocity with all The Library Network (TLN) libraries, with some restrictions on lending (June 2015); Service is launched in September 2015.

Replaced the roof, including the three canopies, at the HFCL.

Replaced the north and south public entrances at the HFCL with sliding doors.

Changed library hours in order to better serve our users. All libraries will be open Saturdays year-round and branch libraries will open earlier and close earlier. Library hours, effective January 1, 2017, will be as follows: 

HFCL: 

• Monday-Thursday 9:30am – 8:30pm
• Friday and Saturday 9:30am – 5:30pm
• Sunday from September thru May 1pm – 5pm. 

Bryant and Esper branch libraries: 

• Monday-Tuesday 11:00am – 7:00pm
• Wednesday-Thursday 11:00am – 5:30pm
• Closed Friday
• Saturday 11:00am – 5:30pm
• Closed Sunday

Completed the Veterans Park and War Memorial and held a dedication in partnership with the Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council on Saturday, September 24, 2016. Neuman-Smith was the architectural firm and the Economic and Community Development Department was the lead City department on the Veterans Park and War Memorial construction.

Installed and dedicated the Dearborn Public Library’s first Little Free Library at the John D. Dingell Transit Center. The Free Library, which is a replica of a locomotive engine, was designed by Brenda Hay of Troop 1147 as his Eagle Scout project and dedicated in November, 2016.

Celebrated the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking of the HFCL. Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr. began the festivities with a short speech followed by a presentation by Shirley Damps who is a Clara Ford expert.

Approved a change to the Unattended Children policy requiring all children under the age of 13 to be accompanied by someone 18 years or older. Previously children under six could be under the supervision of someone as young as 13.

Agreed that the tax increment revenues generated by library millages shall be fully subject to capture by each of the Authorities (the West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority, the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority, the Dix-Vernor Business Improvement Authority and the Warren Business District Improvement Authority) beginning with FY 2016-2017.

Installed Comprise software which allows patrons to pay for all purchases (flash drives, copies, earbuds, used books, book bags etc.) as well as fines and fees with a credit or debit card. Patrons can also conduct some transactions through self-service kiosks. In addition, patrons can now pay fines online.

Received an LSTA grant in the amount of $110,000 to install a remote locker at the Salina Intermediate School. Students and members of the community can place requests on library material which will be delivered when available to the remote locker.

Selected, for a third time, to receive a grant to participate in the Big Read. The grant amount is $12,800 and the book chosen by our primary partner, the Dearborn Public School, is The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Our theme is “What’s in a name?”

Approved the library plan to allow the loaning of media (DVD’s, audiobooks on CD and music CD’s) through MeLCat. This will allow Dearborn residents with library cards to borrow media from other libraries and vice-versa.

Selected, for a fourth time, to receive a grant to participate in the Big Read. The grant amount is $15,000 and the book chosen by our primary partner, the Dearborn Public School, is Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. Our theme is “The World is Your Lab”.

The Henry Ford Centennial Library closes late May 2019 for a major HVAC upgrade as well as an interior renovation project. Our planned reopening (after several delays) was April 25, 2020.  Unfortunately the COVID closure made it impossible to reopen.  Our Big Read activities in March and April 2020 were hampered by both the closure and COVID.

David Schlaff resigns from the Dearborn Library Commission after 23 years of service.

The Library Commission approved a fine free policy for youth and teen material effective July 1, 2020.

Library Commissioner Nancy Zakar passes away on December 13, 2019. Nancy was an active board member and had served on the Library Commission since 1998.

Eva Gogola appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on January 28th, 2020.

Library Commissioner David Schlaff passes away on January 29th, 2020.

All Dearborn Public Libraries closed due to the COVID pandemic. No fines were charged on any material. Library cards were automatically renewed and a digital library card was created so that patrons without library cards could access our online resources. All programs and meetings transitioned to Zoom. All libraries offered curbside delivery of library material

Mansour S. Sharha appointed to the Dearborn Library Commission on June 1, 2020.

The Dearborn Public Library began to slowly re-open to the public on February 16, 2021 starting with both the Henry Ford Centennial Library and the Esper Branch Library with limited hours. Curbside Pick-Up was still an option for patrons. Bryant Branch Library offered Curbside Pick-Up only.

Expanded Library hours begin.

HFCL:

• Mon-Thursday 10 am-8 pm
• Friday closed
• Saturday 10 am-5:30 pm

Bryant and Esper branches will both be open:

• Mon-Tuesday 11 am-7 pm
• Wed-Thurs 11 am-5:30 pm
• Friday closed and Saturday 11 am-5:30 pm.

Curbside Pickup service ends with these expanded hours. In addition, D-Lab service begins again and individual study rooms on the 2nd floor of HFCL are now open, starting July 6, 2021.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) partnered with the Library to help residents complete claim forms after the June 2021 flooding.  Both agencies were housed on the mezzanine of HFCL from July to October 2021.

Effective January 1, 2022, the Dearborn Public Library is officially overdue fine free. Fines remain on specialized collections such as book club kits, wireless hotspots, circulating tablets and in-building use laptops. Charges remain for lost or damaged items. The move to a permanent fine-free policy was a natural progression as fines had not been collected since March 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. In addition, youth and teen material were permanently fine-free beginning in June 2020.

On March 25, 2022 HFCL reopens on Fridays, 10 am – 5:30 pm. Due to part-time staffing issues, we have maintained the 10 am opening and 8 pm closure at HFCL, rather than 9:30 am opening and 8:30 pm closure.

A Staff Training Day was held on April 14, 2022. All libraries were closed to the public and staff participated in the following training: Active Shooter Scenario, Stop the Bleed Training, and Body Language of Customer Service. While staff have attended many training sessions throughout the year, this was the first time in many years that we closed the main library and the branches to the public so staff could all attend. We plan on holding annual or bi-annual staff development training days on a regular basis going forward.  

On May 26, 2022, the Reflection Room (located on the Mezzanine at HFCL) was opened. This room serves as a space for quiet reflection, meditation and prayer. Guidelines for usage are posted on the door of this room (M-17), but please note that this doesn’t mean that people cannot continue to use the rest of the building for these types of purposes. This room is to allow a modicum of privacy.

Zeinab Alhashemi is appointed to a 3-year term of office on the Library Commission by Mayor Abdullah Hammoud.

Gerilyn Biggs is appointed to a 3-year term of office on the Library Commission by Mayor Abdullah Hammoud.

Amira Haidar is appointed to a 3-year term of office on the Library Commission by Mayor Abdullah Hammoud.