Can Michigan Residents Access the State’s Public University Libraries? The Answer is Quite Complicated

The ability to access a library may be considered fundamental by many with the belief that the access to books and learning should be made available to anyone who wishes to pursue it.

The Michigan constitution does indeed make access to a free public library a right afforded to every citizen of the state. Article 8, Section 9 directs the Michigan legislature to provide for the funding of libraries throughout the state.

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That means wherever you live in Michigan you must have local library service.

Understanding Michigan's Library Access Rights

But what about our state's public universities? They are at some point funded by the tax dollars of everyone in the state as well. And voters select the boards of trustees for the three largest (University of Michigan, Michigan State and Wayne State) in statewide elections.

Would it make sense that the doors of these university libraries be open to the statewide community with services and borrowing rights available to all? Perhaps, but that's not how it works.

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There is, in fact, no standard across the state as to the access Michigan's public universities must give to the public.

University Library Access: A State-Wide Disparity

Most charge an annual fee to non-students ranging from a nominal $25 to an exorbitant $250.

Some libraries are open to the general community but only in a limited geographic region of the state - and this likely makes sense. Just because someone in, say, Metro Detroit could get a library card from Michigan Tech in Houghton, the roughly 9 hour/550 mile drive doesn't make borrowing library materials very practical.

That said, there are some university libraries that do allow any Michigan resident to have a card and borrowing rights.

Lastly, one library, at Grand Valley State University, appears to offer no guest access paid or otherwise.

Here's the full list of every public university in the state and their borrowing polities for members of the general public.

Note this survey only looked at 4-year schools and not public community colleges.