The Dearborn Public Library, with the support of the Library Commission; City Council; and the mayor, laid off 39 of its part-time employees indefinitely. Their argument is that both branch libraries are closed for renovations, so there won't be enough work to keep the staff on. However, the majority of the library workers who are losing their jobs are permanently stationed at Henry Ford Centennial Library, which is to remain open. Employees from Esper were already absorbed into daily operations at HFCL in October of 2025. The remaining seven Bryant Branch staffers could easily be transferred to HFCL; there is no shortage of work to be done.

The real reason for the layoffs was quietly burried in FY'27 budget hearing documents and Library Commission meeting minutes. The mayor of Dearborn overpromised on the renovation of Esper, and the part-time staff are being eliminated to help cover the deficit. In reality, laying off 39 part-time staffers accounts for only 4% of the renovation budget. As if that figure weren't insulting enough, further research shows that there is currently only $352,913 in grants being used to fund the renovations of Esper and Bryant.

Without full staffing, services at Henry Ford Centennial Library will suffer. The remaining employees are being asked to do the job of two people. There will be only one custodian left to clean a massive, three-story building. There will be no security to enforce rules or protect employees and patrons. There will be only three members left in processing to ensure new materials are cataloged and available for checkout. There will be only six pages left to check-in, check-out, monitor, pull, and re-shelf materials. One staff member is left to process requests from MeLCat, Michigan's interlibrary loan system. With the lack of staffing, librarians will not be able to provide the number of programs the residents of Dearborn deserve.

Therefore, we are asking the Library Commision of the City of Dearborn, along with the Dearborn Public Library's Interim Director and Dearborn City Council, to rescind the layoffs of all part-time library employees. In doing so, we believe that they will prevent damage to the physical infrastructure of Henry Ford Centennial Library and its collections as well as damage to the library's relationship to Dearborn at-large. Residents of Dearborn expect and deserve full service every time they step foot into our libraries. Renovation is no excuse; funding can be found elsewhere. Rescind the layoffs.