Michigan is struggling.  Lansing is struggling.  We’re all struggling.  Because of this fact, many people will say that we’re all over taxed and public institutions need to live within their means just like citizens.  These people will be vocal opponents to any millage.  They’ll also say that the more taxes there are the less money an economy has to thrive.  While this may be true in many circumstances, there is at least one exception.   Public Libraries.

Publicly funded libraries are one of the few public institutions that citizens can directly see how much value they get from their contribution to a public institution. In fact, the more citizens use their library, the more value they get from their library tax dollars.    You will probably save more money than you will have to pay to fund the library.  So go ahead, Vote Yes for the CADL millage renewal (they’re not even asking for more money) on August 3rd and get value from your tax dollars.  To see how much value you’re getting, check out CADL’s Library Use Value Calculator.

CADL is an invaluable community resource.  As an institution, it provides equal access to information for all people, regardless of age, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.  However, there is a price to running the library, and that is funded by tax payers who believe in the mission and necessity of CADL.  CADL recognizes that, and they have provided a great new tool for you to figure out to financial return your household gains per dollar they contribute to the library.  Click here to find out how much your household benefits by using CADL.