Hancock Area District Library - Special Project Fund
Fundraising Goal Met - Thank You!
Thanks to the incredible generosity of community members and donors, the Hancock Area District Library Special Project Fund has reached its goal! Thank you to everyone who supported this effort.
Support Long-Term Funding Through the New Endowment Fund
Community members who want to continue supporting the future of the library can invest in an endowment designed to provide lasting financial support for local library services.
If the millage does not pass, the Hancock Area District Library Endowment Fund will continue supporting the Hancock School Public Library, providing a permanent source of support for the community's library.
About the Fundraiser
The Hancock Area District Library Special Project Fund raised $10,000 to cover the legal and administrative costs of bringing the library millage question to voters on the November 2026 ballot.
This will allow voters in the City of Hancock, Hancock Township, Franklin Township, and Quincy Township to make the final decision about their local library.
What the Fund Supports
Getting a question in front of voters requires real costs, from legal filing requirements to public education materials and establishing a new district library. This fund covers that groundwork so the decision can be put to the community.
The fund supports:
Legal expenses to place the millage on the November 2026 ballot
Educational materials that inform residents about the millage—what it is, what it would fund, and what happens if it does or does not pass
Operating expenses for the new Hancock Area District Library
If the millage does not pass, any remaining funds will be donated to Hancock Public Schools for the explicit purpose of operating the school public library.
About the Hancock Area District Library
The Hancock Area District Library (HADL) serves the residents of the Hancock Public Schools District—including the City of Hancock, Quincy Township, Franklin Township, and Hancock Township.
The proposed millage would provide funding for HADL to continue library services, such as:
Staffed library hours beyond the school day
Purchasing new books and materials
Interlibrary loan with participating libraries across the UP
Copying and printing services
Computer and internet access
Children’s reading room
Summer reading program
1000 Books Before Kindergarten program
Storytime program
The Library of Things
The Book Vending Machine
Digital services including Libby, Hoopla and Kanopy
The public is currently welcome to visit the library and use on-site services, like computer and internet access. To get full access to library services, such as book lending and digital subscriptions, you must have a library card.
Visit the library’s website for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
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On November 3, 2026, voters in the City of Hancock, Hancock Township, Franklin Township, and Quincy Township will have the opportunity to vote whether to authorize the “Hancock Area District Library” to levy a millage to support library operations.
The goal of the millage is to continue current service levels as the library transitions from Portage Lake District Library (PLDL) support to independent, voter-funded operation. This includes:
Staffing the library outside school hours
Purchasing new books and materials
Supporting library programming (summer reading, The Library of Things, tokens for the book vending machine)
Maintaining digital service subscriptions (e.g., Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, etc)
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A millage is a property tax rate. One "mill" equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's taxable value. For this millage, the taxable value is half of your home’s market value.
The proposed millage is 0.70 mill, meaning $0.70 per $1,000 of taxable value.
To estimate your own cost: Take your property's taxable value (found on your tax statement or your county's online property search). This is usually less than or equal to ½ of your home’s market value.
Example: For a home with a market value of $80,000 and a taxable value of $40,000 → 40,000 × 0.0007 = $28.00/year.
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If the millage passes, the Hancock Area District Library (HADL) will continue to exist and provide current service levels.
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If the millage does not pass, the library would revert to operating as a School Public Library. This would mean the library would be funded by the local school district budget and would operate with a narrower scope of service.
Click the button below to download the full FAQ document.
Thank you for your support.
“We believe in our library and want to see it continue to thrive!”
