Baldwin Public Library Board Responds To Robert Toohey Guest Column.

Regarding the guest column printed in the Eccentric on October 23, the Baldwin Public Library Board would like to point out that the November 8 library millage vote in Bloomfield Hills is not just about borrowing books.   It is also about all of the other services Baldwin offers, such as:

• a wide selection of audiovisual materials
• interlibrary loan
• ability to download eBooks, audio books and music onto a variety of devices, including the Kindle
• the use of subscription electronic databases—including Consumer Reports, Value Line, Ancestry.com, and Mango Languages--from home, office or school, 24/7
• attendance at summer reading and other youth, teen and adult programs
• special services to the homebound
• reference and reader's advisory

Baldwin Library has continued to stay ahead of the curve technologically and is managing to engage all generations in this fast-moving information age.  Baldwin’s usage statistics prove that its mix of traditional and cutting-edge services continues to appeal to all age groups, from toddlers to seniors.

To review all of the facts about Baldwin’s services and about the Baldwin/Bloomfield Hills library contract, check out:  http://www.baldwinlib.org/bloomfield-hills

For eight months representatives from the City of Bloomfield Hills and the Baldwin Library reviewed options for providing library services to Bloomfield Hills residents, businesses and schools.  The discussions were open and candid.  Both sides made compromises before the final agreement was reached.  The contract signed in July and approved unanimously by the Baldwin Library Board and the Bloomfield Hills City Commission is fair to both sides.  Further concessions from the Baldwin Public Library Board would be unfair to the communities that currently support Baldwin financially.

A recent profile describes Bloomfield Hills as offering “an exclusive quality of life”. Now is the time to remember that the public library is a core community service.  Both on-site and off-site, the library promotes learning and personal growth, enhances property values, and contributes toward the vibrancy of the community.  We hope that the voters of Bloomfield Hills will choose, on November 8, to let Baldwin be their public library.

Baldwin Public Library Board

Michael Earl, President
Andrew Harris, Vice President
David Underdown, Secretary
Sheila Brice, Ann Conigliaro, Frank Pisano

To see a copy of the Baldwin Library's Power Point presentation  Click Here and scroll down.