Bethany Kennedy, a graduate of Eastern Michigan University, has served as president of the Ypsilanti District Library Board of Trustees for two terms. The library systems serve the city of Ypsilanti, along with Ypsilanti and Superior townships.
The Board of Trustees oversees policy issues for the library district, including fundraising work, building and renovations, and annual budgets. Trustees are elected to the board by residents of the library district. The system has three branches, one in each of the two townships as well as the downtown Ypsilanti branch on Michigan Avenue, which has been closed since July 2023 due to water damage.
In this conversation, Kennedy talks about some library updates and why she serves the library district.
Q: Why did you join the board?
A: I am a librarian by trade. So, I have a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Wayne State University, and I have been working in academic libraries. I worked at Washtenaw Community College in the Bailey Library there as an administrator.
It was the 2016 elections that really made me realize that I needed to have a voice in my local government. And I thought about where my voice would make the most difference... Where could I have a positive impact in representing my community? And I thought, well, you know, the library board.
There happened to be an opening; there were a couple of people who left the board or retired from it. So I threw my hat in. I also had worked on the millage. That helped me get really familiar with the library and how it impacted our community. And I was like, this is an organization I would like to serve.
Bethany Kennedy is a professional librarian who serves as the president of the Ypsilanti District Library Board of Trustees (Courtesy of Bethany Kennedy)
Q: How does the board assist the community?
A: We have representation from all of the district because we're a district library. A district library is different from a city library. It covers more area. So, we have the district that covers Superior Township, the city of Ypsilanti and the township of Ypsilanti. And so, the board is fairly well balanced in that we have representation from all of those areas.
I lived in Ypsilanti Township, and the way that I think of it is that I serve as the voice of my community. So, I try to stay engaged within my community, at least within my neighborhood, and I talk to my neighbors and people around the community. It was a little bit easier when I worked in Washtenaw County. I do feel like working in Oakland County, I don't feel quite as plugged in to what's happening, but I still have a good relationship within my neighborhoods.
Q: What is happening with the Michigan Avenue Branch?
A: I think the January board meeting showed that there's a lot of frustration... especially because we fully expected that this branch would have been open in the summer of last year. We thought there was no reason that it wouldn’t, and it has just been problem after problem, and it's really frustrating. Because as representatives of our community, our community members are coming to us and saying, "When is that going to be open?"
We try to support Library Director Lisa Hoenig as much as we can. There is a facilities committee that meets to help move along so that she doesn't have to keep bringing things to the larger monthly meeting. She can just get together with the committee, the building committee, and they can make building decisions to help things move as quickly as possible. I'm on social media, and you hear misinformation, and I try to step in as a board member, too. I hear people saying, "Well, they're never going to reopen," and "They shouldn't have, or they don't even care that that's open and or it's not open." And so, I do try to step in as a representative and correct that when I can.
Q: What started your love for library sciences?
A: I wish that I could say like, oh, I always know what I wanted to be. I did not. I actually got my undergrad degree at Eastern Michigan University. I was a women's studies major, and afterward I had like a little gap there and didn't know what I was going to do with myself. A lot of different people in different parts of my life mentioned things like, "Hey, you know, you make a really great librarian," because I like doing research. I love learning about all kinds of interesting facts and stuff. And so, I looked into the library science program ... I got in there, and I was like, yep, this is the place for me. And I love it; it’s amazing.
Q: Do you see any similarities between your past library experience and your experience as president?
A: There's a couple things. One is, I have been in library administration, so a lot of my work, as opposed to being sitting at a reference desk and interacting with people that way, has been management. And so, I feel that I have a really strong grounding with the management of a library, because ... as a library, you have these huge collections that require a lot of money. You have all of the staff. There are all of these different parts that, if you were coming from a different type of organization, you probably wouldn't understand. So, I think that management experience makes sense to me. So when possibly there might be some sticker shock on things that we need to do in the library, I can step in and say, "No, this is the standard for the industry." So, I do have that kind of background. And I think that freedom of information, wanting people to have information and access for everybody — I mean, that's just a part that's baked into the profession. I think that's another piece I can bring [from] that professional philosophy to the board as well.
Q: What is your favorite part about serving your community as a library board member?
A: I think that's something that is so wonderful, being a librarian and working in libraries. Serving on the board of the library is that story of when you were a little kid, because we have these emotional attachments to this place, and I mean, those are usually formed when we're fairly young. But to see how we really reach all members of our community — truly, it doesn't matter what age they are, what ethnicity — I mean, there's just something for everybody at the library, and that is so unique and special. And I'm just really happy to be part of it.
Library Director Lisa Hoenig provides updates on the repair work at the Michigan Avenue Branch on the Ypsilanti District Library website. The website also lists operating hours at the branches and provides a list of events happening at the libraries.
