Hi all,

Good question to ask.

My thought is this....libraries are a public trust and closing because it's 'too cold' seems wrong to me. We have an obligation to serve responsibly. We can put on proper coats and get to the library and open it up. As stated by others, libraries often serve as warming centers and places for people to safely be. Now, if the roads are dangerous sheets of ice, my library will definitely close. But cold is not a good enough reason, imho. Thanks for asking, Mary

Mary Harrison

Director

Coloma Public Library

151 W. Center Street

PO Box 430

Coloma Michigan 49038

269-468-3431

www.colomapubliclibrary.net

The most important asset of any library goes home at night – the library staff.

Timothy Healy

From: JC Wheeler Public Library via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2026 3:56 PM
To: Gwen Haviland via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org>
Subject: [Michlib-l] Inclement Weather Policies

Hi Library Land! With the Extreme Cold Watch in effect throughout some of Michigan, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or policies on temperature? Does anyone close for wind chill, or do you close strictly for bad road conditions?

Thanks in advance!

Abbie LaFountaine

JC Wheeler Library
PO Box 226
1576 S. Main
Martin, MI 49070
269-672-7875

“This week I've been reading a lot and doing little work. That's the way things ought to be. That's surely the road to success.”
― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl