Belleville District Library suffers loss of internet, phone on Nov. 12

The internet and phone lines were down all day Nov. 12 at the Belleville Area District Library, but were back in service the next day.
Library Director Mary Jo Suchy told the library board at its regular meeting on the evening of Nov. 12 that all the libraries in the Library Network had the same issue and it is due to something happening downtown.
In other business at the 37-minute meeting, the library board:
• Learned the library finally received its penal fine payment for 2024 from Wayne County in the amount of $39,198. A letter from the Library of Michigan explaining the problems it had with Wayne County miscalculating fines was included in the meeting packet. Director Suchy said there are two kinds of fines, for criminal and for traffic offenses, and the libraries get a combination of the two based on a formula. She said Belleville may still end up owing money once all the calculations are done by the state. Board members said the local library shouldn’t suffer because of other agencies’ mistakes. There are no missing funds, only years of miscalculations, the state said in its letter;
• Congratulated newly elected board member Maria Jackson-Smith, who will be replacing John Juriga, who did not run for reelection. Board members also congratulated Joy Cichiewicz and Alma Hughes-Grubbs, who were re-elected. All three will be sworn in at a ceremony at the January meeting;
• Heard Suchy say the five-year-old library building is having five-year-old maintenance problems, including fixtures in the colored up-lighting in the children’s room need to be replaced and the units have been ordered. Also, the large-screen HD monitors in the teen room and over the circulation room desk had to be replaced at a total cost of $4,998. Suchy said the screens were flashing and getting bluer and bluer;
• Learned the Friends of the Library finished its used-book sale and are gearing up to sell the library’s honey once it arrives. Suchy said there are 192 jars, from the beehives on the library roof, which are great stocking-stuffers. Also, at its October meeting the Friends voted to fund the training for the adult literacy volunteers as well as pick up the tab for refreshments and supplies for the library’s Memory Café;
• Was informed the next classic movie night will be at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, and features Clint Eastwood in “Coogan’s Bluff.” This is the final movie in the fall series. Also, two book clubs are joining together at 7 p.m., Nov. 21, to discuss “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride. Also, November is Dinovember at the library and the dinosaur costume is being used for several programs and activities. Also, a new Chess Masters group is meeting from 4 to 5 p.m. every Tuesday for ages 6-12 and their guardians; and
• Learned the winning art from the recent Belleville Area Council for the Arts community art show is now on display in the library.