Our History

     Up until the 1980's Whitmore Lake had never had library service, except for a brief period in the 1950's when an Ypsilanti Public Library bookmobile visited the downtown area.  In 1983, the Kiwaniannes formed a committee to look into providing library services to the area and later welcomed community members to join them.  Mary Croteau, Director of the Huron Valley Library System (a library cooperative that covered Washtenaw, Livingston, and a portion of Oakland Counties, now defunct), met with the group and provided technical help.

     The group formally became the Friends of the Library during the mid-80's and included both Northfield and Green Oak Township residents.  It held fund-raisers to organize and pay for a millage request that was on the ballot in August of 1987.  This millage passed and provided the money to establish the Northfield Township Area Library in 1987 under Michigan Act 164 of 1877.  The Northfield Township Board appointed the first Library Board until the elections were held in 1988.  Ron Loyd was hired as director with his first contract beginning November 1, 1988.

     With the input from the Friends of the Library (later the Northfield Township Area Library Board) and the Northfield Township Historical Society, the Northfield Township Board selected the historic Dodge House at 125 Barker Road as the site for the new library.  It was currently for sale and was in a dilapidated condition.  Due to misunderstandings about which Board was ultimately in charge of the library building and finances, the Township Board contracted with an architect and contractor to renovate the building without final approval of the Library Board. This ultimately resulted in problems with the construction needs of a library.  The Northfield Township historical Society was actively involved with the Northfield Township Board in the renovation planning, trying to achieve Historical Register status for the house. However this was not possible due to having to replace materials because of extensive damage to the house. Construction costs on the renovation were helped considerably by work done by the Kiwaniannes, Kiwanis, Key Club, and Historical Society and many others in the township. 

    The library was completed and opened June 1989 with the Grand Opening held in September 1989.  The first year, we opened with a collection of 8,500 mostly used books.  We had circulation of 10,600 books and 1,300 cardholders as reported on January 29, 1991.

    During the 1990's the Library Board looked at the inadequate space within the library building and the increased space demands caused expanding and increasingly popular services.  In 1999, we established an agreement with David Milling and Associates after several years of discussion to design an enlarged facility leaving the original Dodge House intact.  The properties adjoining the original Dodge House were purchased in 2000 to allow for future expansion.