Community Raises $10,000 for Hancock Area District Library in Less Than Two Weeks
The Hancock Area District Library Special Project Fund was created to give residents an opportunity to help cover the costs of bringing the library funding question to voters. The fund was intentionally structured to be nonpartisan, supporting the process of placing the question on the ballot and providing educational information to residents rather than advocating for a particular outcome.
Reaching the $10,000 goal in less than two weeks reflects how much the community cares about the future of the Hancock Area District Library. With the immediate fundraising need met, additional gifts can now help build long-term support for the library through the newly established Hancock Area District Library Endowment Fund.
What Happens Next
On November 3, voters in the City of Hancock, Hancock Township, Franklin Township, and Quincy Township will consider a millage to provide ongoing funding for the Hancock Area District Library. If approved, the millage would support services including library staffing, after-school hours, new materials, interlibrary loan, digital resources, and special reading programs.
The library currently operates through a management contract with the Portage Lake District Library that ends in March 2027. The millage asks voters whether they’d like to support funding to continue operating these library services beyond March.
If the millage does not pass, the Library would revert to operating as a school public library. The Library would be funded by the local school district budget and would operate with a narrower scope of service. The endowment fund would continue to support Hancock Public Schools for the explicit purpose of operating the public school library.
Learn More and Support the Library
Community members who would like to continue supporting the library can make a gift to the newly established Hancock Area District Library Endowment Fund held at the Keweenaw Community Foundation. Community members can also support this effort by sharing information with neighbors or reaching out with questions.
To learn more or get involved, contact Carolyn Dekker, Hancock Area District Library board president, at cdekker@hancocklibrarymi.org.
To learn more, visit the Hancock Area District Library Endowment Fund webpage. If you have questions about the fund, please contact the Keweenaw Community Foundation at (906) 482-9673 or email mail@keweenawgives.org.
