Alanson Library History

Prior to 1965, the Alanson area "twice had small libraries available for use by its citizens. It wasn't until 1965, however, that steps were taken that eventually led to the establishment of the Alanson Area Public Library ... [when] funds became available from the state for the establishment of branch libraries in small communities that did not already have a library." This led to the Alanson Area Public Library opening in the only available space, a 15' x 17' room in the old Fire Hall on River Street. "Opening onto an alley, it had no running water and no toilet facilities. But it did have a stove that worked, sometimes. Since the room had to be shared with the Village Council, the Boy Scouts, and the firefighters, the books had to be stored in locked cabinets that could only be opened during library hours.

Books were obtained by the librarian, Mary Connor, who made a trip every six weeks to the Northland Library System cooperative based in Rogers City to bring back books to be lent to Alanson patrons from the co-op's rotating collection. The collection was also supplemented by Mary buying bestsellers from book clubs with her own money. Monetary donations as well as equipment, furniture, and services were also received from the Lions Club and local residents.

After twelve years of operating under this system, the state library re-organized the statewide system, and the Alanson Library was suddenly required to become an independent library under control of a local board made up of Alanson Village and Littlefield Township members. "On March 24, 1977, the library acquired its present identity of the Alanson Area Public Library," with subsequent changes and enhancements in library services, including development of its own collection, inter-library loans, story hours and summer reading programs and access to Braille and Talking Book Library materials.

After thriving for many years in its small space, in March 2009 the library was able to move into the 2,177 square-foot space in the rear of the building that had previously housed the Township's fire engine bays. Thanks to the foresight and thrift of its Board members over the years, as well as the dedication and hard work of many community volunteers, the library was able to accomplish the move into its newly renovated space with no debt. The library continues to operate as a debt free full-service library and now houses a collection of over 17,000 items with a service population of nearly 11,000.

Our Collection

We offer an ever-growing collection of materials including current bestsellers, juvenile and young adult collections, large print materials, CD-audio books, magazines, a Michigan section, and movies on DVD. We also house a portion of the Emmet County Genealogical Society's collection of research materials.

Inter-Library Loans

As a member in the Superiorland Library Cooperative, a consortium of over 40 libraries located throughout the northern Lower and Upper Peninsulas, and through MeLCat, or the Michigan eLibrary Catalog, a centralized union catalog and resource sharing service created to share materials among all types of libraries in Michigan, we are able to offer a large network of inter-library loan services to supplement our physical collection.

Public Computers and Wi-Fi

We have four computers for public use (an Alanson Area Public Library card or temporary Guest Pass is required), a scanner, and Wi-Fi for those with laptops or other personal devices.

More Connections

Access to the Michigan Electronic Library (MeL)’s database of hundreds of full-text journals further increases our patrons' research capabilities. Patrons may also check out eBooks, Audiobooks, and Magazines from the library directly to your smartphone or tablet using either the Great Lakes Digital Library (Libby) or Hoopla, which also offers music, comics, movies, and TV shows.

Library Programs

We offer a variety of programs and classes for both children and adults throughout the year, including story hours, a book discussion group, and presentations of general interest by a variety of speakers.