Background:  

   The Ann Arbor District Library was long under the the purview of the Ann Arbor Public Schools and it's Board of Education.  In 1994, Michigan voters passed Proposal A, an amendment to Michigan's State Constitution. Proposal A was a major overhaul of how Public Schools would be financed, and one of the results of it's passage was school districts could no longer levy tax millages to support public libraries. In order to continue the Ann Arbor library it would have to become an independent entity. Independence was pursued, and after approval by city and state entities the Ann Arbor Library officially became a District Library in late 1995. Three of the first group of trustees were selected by Ann Arbor City Council and three were selected by the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education. A seventh member was selected by the first six. The new Library Board of Trustees had their first meeting in December, 1995 and was responsible for shepherding the Library to the June  1996  election at which time, all trustees would be chosen by the voters.  The initial Board was also responsible for deciding how many mills the District would ask the voters to approve in order to fund Library operations. A maximum authorization of 2 mills was approved by 70% of the voters.

 

Membership of the Ann Arbor District Library Board of Trustees 

  • 7/2015-Present:  Jamie Vander Broek, Jim Leija, Nancy Kaplan, Prue Rosenthal, Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell
  • 5/2015-7/2015:   Jim Leija, Nancy Kaplan, Prue Rosenthal, Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell
  • 1/2015-5/2015:   Jim Leija, Nancy Kaplan, Prue Rosenthal, Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head
  • 1/2013-1/2015:   Nancy Kaplan, Prue Rosenthal, Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head, Barbara Murphy
  • 1/2011-1/2013:   Nancy Kaplan, Prue Rosenthal, Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head, Barbara Murphy
  • 8/2008-1/2011:  Prue Rosenthal, Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head, Barbara Murphy, Carola Stearns
  • 7/2008-8/2008:  Prue Rosenthal, Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head, Barbara Murphy, Jean King (Trustee elect, but resigned before serving)
  • 12/2007-7/2008:  Prue Rosenthal, Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head, Barbara Murphy, David Cahill
  • 11/2007-12/2007:   Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head, Barbara Murphy, David Cahill
  • 7/2006-11/2007:  Jan Barney Newman, Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head, Barbara Murphy, David Cahill, Connie Greene
  • 7/2004-7/2006:   Margaret Leary, Edward Surovell, Rebecca Head, Barbara Murphy, David Cahill, Connie Greene, William Kincaid
  • 7/2002-7/2004:   Edward Surovell,  Barbara Murphy, David Cahill, Connie Greene, William Kincaid, Connie Powers, J. D. Lindeberg
  • 4/2002-7/2002:  Edward Surovell,  Barbara Murphy, David Cahill, , William Kincaid, Robert Potts, Sandra White, Ruth Winter
  • 12/2001-4/2002:  Edward Surovell,  Barbara Murphy, David Cahill,  Sandra White, Ruth Winter, Richard Daugherty, J.D, Lindeberg
  • 11/2001-12/2001:  Edward Surovell,   David Cahill,  Sandra White, Ruth Winter, Richard Daugherty, J,D Lindeberg
  • 7/2000-11/2001:  Edward Surovell,  David Cahill,  Sandra White, Ruth Winter, Richard Daugherty, J. D. Lindeberg, Carol Hollenshead
  • 7/1998-7/2000:  Edward Surovell,  Sandra White, Ruth Winter, Richard Daugherty,  Carol Hollenshead, Gene Wilson, Robert Potts
  • 7/1996-7/1998:  Edward Surovell, Richard Daugherty,  Carol Hollenshead, Gene Wilson, Robert Potts, Don Axon, Sandra White
  • 12/1995-7/1996:  Don Axon, Richard Daugherty, Carol Hollenshead, Fred Mayer, Joseph Vaughn Jr., Omer Jean Winborn, Robert Potts
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