U-M Turns To Library As Our Civic Center

Judy McGovern

The Ann Arbor News

U-M turns to library as our civic center

When Ann Arbor launched its first community read four years ago, there were at least two thoughts at work:

■ One was that a community with lots of smart folks and expertise ought to be debating the significant issues of the day and, in fact, contributing to the broader dialogue about such issues.

■ The other was that a communitywide reading program -modeled, like many others, on one created in Seattle - offered an ideal vehicle for bringing town and gown together.

I’ll leave it to participants to say whether discussions about genetics, race relations and the culture of the Middle East have yielded notable insights.

But there’s not much doubt that the successive reads, expanded after 2003 to become Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads, have connected many townies with University of Michigan resources that wouldn’t have reached them otherwise.

It’s also fair to say that the program has strengthened relationships between U-M and the Ann Arbor District Library.

“We were already working with different university groups, like the Arts of Citizenship program.” says the library’s Tim Grimes. “But we have been getting a lot more calls about holding university-sponsored events.”

For example, journalists in U-M’s Knight-Wallace fellowship program talk about the Internet and news Wednesday at 7 p.m. U-M President Mary Sue Coleman’s office has arranged to hold a panel discussion on the role of religious affiliation and public office at the library at the end of the month. (The second forum in Coleman’s initiative on ethics in public life, that event -“Should religious beliefs be a qualification for public office?” -is Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.)

“The library is a space where people feel comfortable,” says Grimes. “It’s a neutral site.”

Although its basement-level meeting space is limited to 150, the library’s Community Television Network equipment increases its appeal. “We can televise and replay events,” Grimes says. “That does expand our reach and visibility.”

The growing library-campus relationship is a boon, he says. “We get speakers we wouldn’t have otherwise. And the university is able to reach beyond students and faculty.”

Now, this clearly isn’t the only area where town and gown come together in a positive way.

But there are enough rough spots in campus-community relations - rough spots that find the university running roughshod over city residents’ interests - that a significant bright spot does merit notice. After all, the clashes are going to get their share of attention.

Beyond this happy example of working and playing well together, the activities at the library bring something else into focus: The Fifth Avenue building is the best spot for these programs, not just because library officials welcome them; it’s best because it’s actually the only community gathering space in the heart of the city.

A problem?

Well, surprising anyway.

And while it’s hardly urgent matter, the void is substantial enough that city parks and recreation planners made note of it in a report last year. That, along with the repeated calls for creating a town square in city’s recent urban planning exercise, provides food for thought.

If nothing else, it’s clear that various public institutions need to collaborate in any discussion about future alterations to civic facilities.

For now, just be sure to get to the library early. The programming’s great. But seating is a bit limited.