Frequently Asked Questions

What are the responsibilities of Library Board Trustees?

• Library trustees are responsible for setting policy, overseeing the budget, supporting and evaluating the director, ensuring legal and ethical compliance, and guiding the library’s long‑term vision on behalf of the community.
  
  

How long does a Trustee serve for?

• Cromaine District Library trustees serve four‑year terms. This fall election, four of the seven board seats are on the ballot. One of those seats is currently held by Nancy Rosso who is running for re-election. The remaining three seats will be elected in 2028, following the regular staggered election cycle.
  
  

How can I meet the candidates or ask questions?

• You can meet the candidates at the public meet‑and‑greet events listed on the Events page. You may also contact each candidate directly using the email addresses provided on the Contacts page if you have questions or would like more information.  

Is the library board election partisan?

• Library board elections in Michigan are supposed to be nonpartisan, which means candidates are not supposed to run with a party label and no party affiliation appears on the ballot. Voters can choose any candidate regardless of their own party preference, and straight‑ticket voting does not apply.  Nonpartisan elections are intended to keep library governance focused on community service rather than party politics.
  
  

Who can vote and where do I vote?

• Residents who live within the Hartland consolidated school district and are registered to vote may participate in the library board election. Voting takes place at your regular polling location, the same place you vote in all other local elections. To confirm your voter registration, precinct, or polling place, visit the Livingston County Clerk’s website. Don't forget to vote for our candidates on the BACK of the voting sheet!

What happened with the ALA/MLA memberships?

• The current Board majority voted to end the library’s institutional memberships in the American Library Association (ALA) and the Michigan Library Association (MLA). Board members who supported the change stated publicly that they believed the organizations were “biased” or “political.”
  
  ALA (founded 1876) and MLA (founded 1921) are professional, nonpartisan library associations. They provide legal guidance, professional development, continuing education credits, training, policy standards, and statewide collaboration for over 2500 Michigan organizations.

Many Michigan libraries rely on these memberships to maintain professional accreditation, staff training, and access to statewide resources.

Ending these memberships has been a significant point of discussion in the community because the decision was based on personal political partisanship, and it resulted in the library paying higher non‑member rates for the same professional training—effectively doubling the cost to taxpayers. 

Why are books being labeled or relocated?

• Trustee Bill Bolin coordinated a book challenge where a group of twelve people affiliated with his church network challenged 218 books - LGBTQ+, parenting, civil rights, feminist memoirs, 14th amendment, and STEM/science books alleging they were all "exploitive to children."   They did not read the books nor could cite pages or references to support their claims. They also stated their religious beliefs on these topics should take precedence over the constitutional rights of others. 
  
  The Board created a policy that would give them authority to put labels on or relocate these books to the adult section after a review for sexually explicit content. After 58 books, the Board abandoned the review process and voted to relocate the remaining juvenile and teen books to the adult section.  They received warnings from the library's legal counsel and the ACLU that relocating books without justification to a different age section raises concerns of viewpoint censorship, constitutional violations, and failure to comply with the library's reconsideration procedures. (Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982)), (Sund v. City of Wichita Falls, N.D. Tex. (2025))
  
  

Why are people concerned about recent board decisions?

• Since taking office, the current Board majority has made several decisions that have raised concerns for many residents: 

Policy changes that removed long‑standing protections for patron privacy, equal access to information, and freedom from discrimination. The Board also granted itself authority to override the Director’s professional judgment on book challenges, a shift away from standard library governance practices. 

Failing to follow policy to review the challenged books according to written procedure and criteria. Relocating 100+ books written for youth to the adult section without review or justification violates due process and minor's first amendment rights.

Book relocation and labeling decisions that are inconsistent with professional library standards of neutrality.  Classifying LGBTQ+ materials as “social issues” and moving them to the adult fiction section singles out one group of patrons and applies criteria unevenly. Separating materials based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation can stigmatize community members and undermine the library’s commitment to fair and neutral access.  

Governance issues involving staff treatment, instances of unprofessional conduct, failure to respond to patron inquiries, and lack of accountability among Trustees. Public libraries are secular institutions, and Trustees are expected to carry out their duties without political or religious agendas. Actions that create a hostile or uncertain environment for staff affect the library’s ability to serve the community effectively. 

Fiscal recklessness involving decisions made against legal counsel’s advice increasing the risk of costly litigation and higher insurance premiums. Ending staff membership in professional organizations has resulted in paying twice as much for equivalent training and resources.