A crowded chamber and a library on the line

HANCOCK, Mich. — The Hancock City Council chamber was standing room only Wednesday night as families, students, and community members pressed for answers about the future of the Hancock School Public Library.

The council voted unanimously to pledge up to $25,000 toward keeping the library open. The vote came after four residents spoke during public comment, and it drew applause from the packed room, according to the Daily Mining Gazette.

The library faces a steep financial cliff. The Portage Lake District Library, which staffs and operates the school library, says it needs roughly $100,000 for its 2026-2027 contract to maintain full services. The combined pledges from the city, the school district, and a local foundation total about $70,000. That leaves a gap of roughly $30,000.

A district already in the red

Hancock Public Schools is working through a structural budget deficit of $236,000, Superintendent Chris Salani told reporters. The district authorized Salani to spend up to $30,000 as a minimum baseline to sustain library services while officials negotiate a long-term contract.

"Just our general inflationary costs in the district, which have, in some cases, tripled or quadrupled in the last couple of years in particular — these have put the strain on this conversation," Salani said, according to MyUPNow.

Library expenses for the Hancock branch have exceeded $100,000 annually for each of the past three years, according to a Portage Lake District Library budget document cited by MyUPNow.

How the deal came together

The path to the $25,000 city pledge was not straightforward. The original agenda item proposed the city give $15,000 specifically for electronic library services. Councilor Dean Woodbeck amended the motion to raise the amount to $25,000, and Councilors Whitney Warstler and Laura Givens supported the change.

At one point, Woodbeck proposed making the funding contingent on Hancock Public Schools renewing its contract with the Portage Lake District Library. Councilor Lisa McKenzie argued that would put the library at additional risk. Woodbeck agreed and withdrew the contingency. The final motion simply entered a contract with Hancock Public Schools for $25,000, according to the Daily Mining Gazette.

City Manager Mary Babcock told the council that a millage covering the entire school district is not possible under the library's current model. Mayor Kurt Rickard said city taxes are not intended to sustain the library under its existing structure. Warstler pushed back, saying it is not unusual for a municipality to fund a library.

What comes next

The Hancock Public Schools Foundation is expected to contribute another $15,000, a contribution it has provided every year in its partnership with the library, Salani said, according to Upper Michigan's Source.

That brings total known funding to roughly $70,000. Salani said officials must now negotiate with the Portage Lake District Library over what structure that money supports. It could cover 12 months of reduced services. It could mirror the current contract with an end date set for March 2027.

"It's just allowing for the additional time for other areas of support, identification of those entities, individuals, organizations that maybe want to contribute," Salani said.

The Portage Lake District Library board is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss its 2026-2027 budget, including the Hancock Public School Library, according to Upper Michigan's Source. The Hancock Public Schools Foundation is expected to meet in July.

Salani said the district received a strong community response at its Monday meeting, with residents voicing their desire to help identify a permanent funding solution.

The human stake

For students at Barkell Elementary and Hancock High School, the library is a resource that extends beyond the school day.

"The library's services doesn't necessarily help on a day-to-day basis with our Barkell Elementary students," Salani said. "Indirectly it does. After school and on the weekend it does."

The community turnout at Wednesday's council meeting signaled that residents see it that way too. Whether the $70,000 pool proves enough will depend on what the library board and school district agree to in their renegotiations.