DECATUR – On May 7, Van Buren County residents showed their support for the Van Buren District Library by voting to approve a millage increase. This decision will provide vital funding for library services.
Dan Hutchins, Van Buren District Library director, expressed his gratitude, saying, “I cannot overstate how pleased the board and staff of Van Buren District Library are that the millage ballot question was decisively passed by the library’s patrons. In the nearly seven years I have served as Van Buren District Library’s executive director, our mandate has been to give people more; more events and classes, more popular materials, and more services that people need. Thanks to the support of the voters of VBDL’s service area, not only can we continue delivering what everyone has come to expect from the library, but we may also expand our offerings further to include even more.”
With 2,616 votes in favor of the 0.4 millage increase, the library now has the funding to begin several initiatives aimed at serving the community such as:
Expanding WiFi Access: Increasing the number of WiFi hotspots available for patrons to borrow.
Library Programming: An increased budget for more and higher quality programs for all ages, from infants to seniors.
Outreach to Homebound Individuals: Establishing a library material delivery system forthose unable to visit the library in person.
Improving Employee Compensation: Enhancing compensation to attract and retain qualified library staff to better serve the public.
For more information about the library millage, visit www.vbdl.org/about/millage2024/.
The Van Buren District Library is headquartered at the Webster Memorial Branch in Decatur with branches in Bangor, Bloomingdale, Covert, Gobles, Lawrence, and Mattawan. To learn more about library services, visit VBDL.org, email info@vbdl.org, or call (269) 423-4771.
