Author: Scott Wright
Requests for Proposals
Dexter District Library currently has no open RFPs.
Library Policies
See attached:
Board Minutes 2017-06-05
See attached:
Library Board
Board members are appointed by the local municipalities that founded the Library district. These include Dexter, Scio and Webster Townships, Dexter Community Schools and the City of Dexter. Community members interested in serving on the Library Board should contact the municipality in which they live. Residents of Freedom, Hamburg, Lima, Lodi and Northfield Townships should apply to the Dexter Community Schools. Board members are appointed to four year terms.
2024 – 2025 Board of Trustees
Shelly Vrsek, President
Cassy Korinek, Vice President
Sherry Simpson, Treasurer
Barbara Davenport, Secretary
Jamie Estill
Martha Gregg
Jim Lavoie
Donna Palmer
Board of Trustees Meeting Dates
The Board meets the first Monday of every month. All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) and the public is welcome to attend.
2024 Schedule through January, 2025
*January 8 – Meeting will begin at 6:00 pm
January 22 – Special strategic planning session
February 5
March 4
April 1
May 6
June 3
**No July meeting
August 5
*** August 26
October 7
November 4
December 2
January 6, 2025
* The January 2024 meeting on the 2nd Monday of the month due to the New Year holiday
** There will be no July meeting due to Independence Day
*** September meeting moved to the fourth Monday in August due to the Labor Day holiday.
Meeting dates for 2025 and January 2026 are:
January 6
February 3
March 3
April 7
May 5
June 2
August 4
*August 25
October 6
November 3
December 1
January 6, 2026
* September meeting moved to the last Monday in August due to the Labor Day holiday.
Notice of special meetings will be posted in this space at least two days before the meeting date.
Board Committees
Finance
Barbara Davenport, Donna Palmer, Sherry Simpson, Paul McCann
Facilities
Jamie Estill, Martha Gregg, Shelly Vrsek, Paul McCann
Policy
Cassy Korinek, Jim LaVoie, Shelly Vrsek, Paul McCann
Board Minute Archive
History of the Dexter District Library
In 1869, the Dexter Leader published a notice that a Public Library was being kept in the office of Dr. Miller, Township Clerk.
The Dexter Public Library was formally founded by The Dexter Woman’s Study Club in 1927, first as a shelf of books in a local store and later in 1928 moved into the small building on Central Street that was Dexter’s original post office and now houses the Hotel Hickman Chuckwagon BBQ restaurant.
In 1938, the Village of Dexter took over support of the Library, but the Woman’s Club continued to operate it until 1957, when the village assumed management through an appointed “provisional board.” In that same year, the Friends of the Dexter Public Library was organized.
In 1963, at a meeting of the Friends, Dexter Village president Bruce Waggoner proposed the purchase of a house at 3173 Baker Road as a Library building. The Dexter Provisional Library Board could not buy or sell real property nor borrow money, so it was suggested that because the Library had always served all the residents of the Dexter School District, a Library district covering the same area as the school district be established under the District Library Establishment Act of 1955. The five municipalities that formed the district included the Village of Dexter, Scio, Webster, and Dexter Townships, and the Dexter Community Schools Board of Education. Each municipality appointed members to the new Library Board and each pledged financial support. Later, when the District Library Establishment Act of 1989 was enacted, the Dexter Library made the necessary changes to comply with its requirements.
By the early 1990’s, it became apparent that if the Library was to grow with the community and provide the kind of library service its patrons expected, it would need more support than the municipalities were able to provide. So in 1994, the voters of the school district were asked to approve 1/2 mil support for the Library’s operations, and they did so by a wide margin.
As a result, the Library was able to engage its first professional director, extend its open hours from 26 to 38 per week, add staff, and begin a long-overdue updating and expansion of its collections. The need for more room to accommodate these changes led to the purchase and renovation of the former Methodist Church Education Building at 8040 Fourth Street, and in July, 1996, the Dexter District Library moved into its new home. At the same time, the Library’s open hours were once again extended, this time to 58 per week.
In 2009, the Library opened for business at it’s new location of 3255 Alpine Street.
Goals
Facilities: The Dexter District Library will provide a convenient and inviting facility with a diversity of spaces for various materials, programs, services and staff that serves the entire community.
Materials: The Dexter District Library will continually review and evaluate the book and multi-media collections to ensure that the quality and diversity of materials meets the needs of the community.
Staff: The Dexter District Library will have a friendly, informed and professional staff to serve an ever-increasing number of customers.
Marketing: The Dexter District Library will continually inform and educate our community about the public library, its governance, functions, value and service programs.
Programming: The Dexter District Library will provide Library patrons with programs and outreach activities that entertain and enrich their lives.
