District Library Board discusses President Trump’s executive order

Members of the Belleville Area District Library Board voiced concerns about President Trump’s March 14 executive order that adversely affects the only federal agency that provides resources to the nation’s libraries, museums, and archives.
At its regular board meeting on April 8, library director Mary Jo Suchy said the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a federal program which funds statewide grants and services in Michigan. In response to President Trump’s executive order, almost all of the staff of the IMLS has been placed on leave and all processing of grants has been suspended.
Director Suchy said through IMLS funding, the Belleville library’s patrons have received free access to Melcat, the statewide interlibrary book loaning service, as well as a wide variety of Michigan eLibrary (MeL) databases.
She said that included Learning Express (resume and cover letter assistance, GED test prep, ACT and SAT test prep, computer basics video courses, etc.), auto repair guides, and search databases.
“I do not yet have any information regarding the discontinuation or interruption of these services, or if a library will be able to fund them independently of the loss of IMLS funding,” Suchy told the board. She said MeL and MeLCat are paid for through $3.4 million in federal funding and $1.4 million in state funding.
Suchy said she doesn’t know the next step, but 20 states have filed an emergency restraining order.
Board member Joy Cichewicz suggested board members reach out to their elected political representatives.
Board vice chairperson Linda Priest suggested they call a website she knows where you just fill in the blanks and it sends your message to five places.
“If there’s any savings for the government, it’s penny wise and pound foolish,” said chairperson Sharon Peters, who noted the funding allows libraries to share across the state.
“It’s important for us to pay attention,” she said.
Deputy Director Hilary Savage said she and Suchy are looking at priorities as the upcoming budget is being prepared.
“We need to let the public know what they will be missing,” Peters said. “People of means won’t miss much, but those without means will.”
“Not everything is on Google,” Suchy said, referring to where those without means will seek information.
“And, they hit paywalls,” Savage noted.
Suchy said they should stay tuned because there is no announced time line on this.
Peters said the government is not being responsive to the courts and there is “stuff we can do.”
Later in the meeting, Peters said, “Our appreciation to the library staff who stay on top of all of this, and explain it to the board, “so we can understand.”
BS&A Cloud Accounting Software
The board also heard Suchy describe how she had to move forward to find new accounting software.
“Tyler Technologies will discontinue our old government accounting software, FundBalance, in December 2026,” Suchy said, adding she and accountant Sharon Duckworth have been exploring three possible replacement systems.
“A lot has changed since the last time we chose accounting software, including the price, but new software will provide us with a secure, cloud-based product that will offer more flexibility and reporting functionality,” she said.
She said BS&A is also used by the city of Belleville, the Canton Public Library, the Plymouth District Library, and the Orion Township Library.
Suchy said the change for the Belleville library is almost like going from a horse and buggy to a car. It will take four to five months for transition and they will time it as best between the budgets.
The library’s current software is Windows using the Pervasive database engine which was released in 2008.
The total cost for BS&A Cloud is estimated at $18,125 and the final invoice will reflect actual expenses following the completion of all training activities based on the Federal Guidelines.
The board voted unanimously to purchase the new BS&A software and Peters said, “We have a 21st century building and now we have 21st century software.”
In other business at the 70-minute meeting, the board:
• Heard Suchy report that Matt Ratzow of O’Neal Construction came out to meet with the installer and the electrician at the bathrooms to plan the installation of the automatic doors. It probably will be done on April 25 when the library is closed for a staff and service day. She said the work is expected to take a day or two;
• Was informed that during the recent rain storms, there was a leak from the green roof into the Cozadd room, but the storms are over and the leak is now dry. The places have been patched up where there might have leaks, but they won’t know for sure until the next big storm;
• Heard Suchy say she has been in contact with the new Wayne County commissioner Allen Wilson concerning the penal fines issue. She said the County Ways and Means Committee met regarding this issue, but this library has not received any official communications from the commissioner or the county;
• Heard Maria Jackson-Smith, chairperson of the Outreach committee, say she met with library staff to get ideas on what needs doing. She said they suggested getting input from the community and how to attract those who don’t use the library. She said an update of the library’s strategic plan is in order and Suchy agreed that it’s been a while since the last one was put together. Priest said a lot of people work from home these days and haven’t come to the library. Peters said when the power goes out, especially during the cold months, people crowd into the library to keep warm and get around the fireplace. Suchy said when they need to concentrate, they’ll come to the library. She said during COVID when she was working from home, “The next thing I knew, I was doing the laundry.” Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate at home, she said;
• Heard Peters report that there are two displays of homegrown art at the library each year: student art in the spring, which is up now, and Belleville Area Council for the Arts art contest winners in the fall. She said the library is very grateful to have the volunteer help of Michele Montour, a professional artist who curates and mounts the art for display. Savage said they have found that there will be about three and a half weeks of empty art area this spring and they will fill that with art from library employees. It will go up the last week in May;
• Heard Nikki Pickeral explain how she was allowed to look through the items at the Belleville Area Museum when it was closed. She said she found a letter from the Civil War and other early letters. She said there are letters between Fred C. Fischer and his wife and letters between his wife and her friend in Colorado, who is an extremely charming person. Pickeral’s first public event at the museum on old letters was set for April 12, but there are so many letters that she said she will have other such events in the future;
• Was informed that the library’s annual staff in-service day is Friday, April 25. They have hired a trainer from the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services to hold a workshop on workplace well-being and resiliency. It will cover stress reduction and techniques for staff to bring out the best in themselves and others. The afternoon will feature mini-Ted talks from staff members on a variety of topics (in homage to Fred C. Fischer, they are calling them Fred Talks). The librarians will also spend time this day in the stacks working on collection development;
• Heard Suchy announce that the Belleville Area District Library is a stop on American Library Association president Cindy Hohl’s “We All Belong” library tour which will focus on the important work of librarians and library workers. The public and the boards and staff of this library and neighboring libraries are invited to attend at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 6. Following her talk, she will present a children’s storytime at 11 a.m.; and
• Was informed Pickeral repainted the Sumpter Media Center’s hours on the front entrance with a spring theme. A family who was driving down the road happened to see the artwork and stopped in. They happily received library cards and checked out some books for their children.