Cavalieri District Libraries reports surge in usage, plans regional digitization hub

Jenny Marm, executive director of Cavalieri District Libraries, presented the system's 2025 community impact report to the Ingham County Board, reporting substantial increases in usage and outreach. "Overall in 2025, we circulated 2,400,000 items," Marm said, and the system issued nearly "103,000 library cards" and logged about "758,000 visitors" across its 13 branches and two mobile libraries. Marm said the system's millage brought in about $14,000,000 in 2025 and estimated the retail value of checked‑out items at roughly $51,800,000.

Marm described a newly opened local history center (regular hours as of June) located near the Oakmas Road exit and said Cavalieri will seek grant funding to become one of about six digitization hubs in the state, enabling preservation and online access for Mid‑Michigan historical collections. She also highlighted community programming — story times at farmers markets and parks, story‑walk installations at township parks, and partnerships with Potter Park Zoo, Impression 5, and public media for early literacy work.

Commissioners asked about the downtown main branch search and Marm said the library has provided its needs to the City of Lansing and is awaiting a proposed agreement; "we do wanna stay downtown," she said, and added the system will bring any municipal agreement to its board in an open meeting. Marm promoted an author event on Sept. 27 tied to a community read and encouraged commissioners and residents to use the system's public materials and services.