Congratulations to Romulus residents, and to all Romulus Public Library cardholders, on the Romulus City Council's recent decisions to establish a PA 164 independent city library and appoint a five-member library board.

The newly-created library board's announcement that they will open the Romulus Public Library for eight hours, one day per week, through the first week of July, and their plan to fund the library at .12 mills after that for service three days per week, is a great start to getting the new independent library started.

However, with these hours, staffing levels, and funding levels, the Romulus Public Library will not meet the minimum requirements for state certification. As a result, the Canton Public Library will continue to enforce the April resolution by the CPL Board of Trustees not to honor Romulus Public Library cards, until the Romulus Public Library meets minimum requirements — among them, to be open at least 40 hours per week (assuming Class 4 public library status); to employ a full-time library director holding an ALA-accredited master's degree and who is certified by the Library of Michigan; and to establish local funding at a minimum of .3 mills.

Until that day, while Romulus cardholders may enter our library and use our services and materials in the building, you will not be able to checkout our materials or register for our programs. As always, non-resident cards may be purchased to receive full services at the Canton Public Library only, at a cost equivalent to what the average Canton property owner pays in annual taxes to support Canton library services. That rate is currently $170 per year.

The Romulus Public Library Board of Trustees has already made great strides in continuing public library service to their residents, and I am confident that they will soon be able to meet minimum standards. At that time, the CPL Board of Trustees will revisit the issue of reinstating reciprocal borrowing with Romulus.

Sincerely,

Eva M. Davis, Director