Hello!

Are you a Michigan library director, board member or friends group member? Have you ever faced questions involving the law and how it relates to Michigan libraries? Questions like:

On a snowy day, a patron cross-country skis to the library’s drive-up book drop. While the patron is pulling books out of a backpack to place into the book drop, a car drives up behind them. The driver doesn’t see the skier until the last minute and makes a sudden stop. The car slides a bit and ends up running over the back end of the skiing patron’s expensive skis, which causes the skiing patron to fall. The books in the patron’s hand fall to the ground landing in a pile of slush. The skiing patron is not seriously harmed. The skiing patron sues the driver and the library for replacement of the ski equipment, and emotional distress. The driver countersues the skier and the library for negligence for improper use of the drive-up book return, and the library’s failure to deter improper use by not posting signage notifying users that the drive- in book drop was for cars only- and for the library’s failure to clear the driveway of snow. Does the library have any liability here? Can the library hold either or both parties responsible for the damage to the books that landed in the slush?

For information on these and other questions, please join us for The January Library Law Office Hours TOMORROW, Thursday January 15, 2026 at 3:00 pm

Registration is required. To register, please click this link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqdO6uqD8pEt31yRiFFRZkHDc96mWbdidT

I hope to see you there! 😊

Clare

Clare D. Membiela, MLS, J.D.

Library Law Consultant

Library of Michigan

MembielaC@michigan.gov

517-335-8132

The research and resources above are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.

“the State may not, consistently with the spirit of the First Amendment, contract the spectrum of available knowledge.” Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, 482 (1965).

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