Fight 4 the First Lapeer

08/20/2026

LDL Board of Trustees Meeting August 20, 2026

08/20/2026

Reminder: LDL Board of Trustees meets at 10 a.m. tomorrow, August 20, at the Oregon Township Hall. If the fates allow, the meeting will be live-streamed on this page.

Here's a link to the Agenda and Board Packet:

06/29/2026

An update on the situation with the Cromaine District Library.

ACLU raises First Amendment concerns over Hartland Library board's decision to reshelve LDBTQ+ books.
https://thelivingstonpost.com/aclu-raises-first-amendment-concerns-over-hartland-library-boards-decision-to-reshelve-lgbtq-books/

06/12/2026

🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜
City of Lapeer Commission meeting, Monday, June 15, 2026, 6:30 p.m‼️More fun than ants at a picnic‼️

At the last regular meeting, the Commission denied approval of the preliminary site plan for Brookwood North. The preliminary site plan for over 100 new single family homes had received the appropriate approvals from the city's Planning Commission. The developer is requesting reconsideration of that motion, citing misapplication of the ordinances by the Commission, as well as subjective reasoning by the Commission which isn't part of the approval process. Note: Mayor Jeramy Hing sits on the Planning Commission, and voted against the approval. Mayor Hing led the opposition to the Commission approval and for all intents and purposes wrote the motion to deny.

Also, Mayor Hing has directed the city staff to add an agenda item and motion titled "Review and Possible Corrective
Action" against Commissioner Atwood and Commissioner Brady. Material in the packet indicates the city staff does not believe it's appropriate to move forward with this agenda item at this time for multiple reasons, including city procedures and policies, but have included it on the agenda, stating fear of "adverse employment consequences" if they follow the stated policies.
..and then there's the whole 🐜 debacle...

Here's a link to the agenda and packet: https://cms4files.revize.com/lapeermi/CC%20Agenda%20Packet/2026/A%2006-15-2026%20Agendapacket.pdf?t=202606121046120&t=202606121046120

If you think you think Mayor Hing needs to start working on the city's agenda instead of his own, join us outside City Hall on Monday, June 15 at 5:45 p.m. to peacefully tell Mayor Hing to "Stop It!"

05/22/2026

The LDL Board of Trustees met Thursday, May 21, 2026 at the Oregon Township Hall. All Board members were in attendance, as well as LDL Director Stephen Banister.

Mr. Banister announced his April 21 appointment of Ms. Rachel Babb, formerly of Germantown, TN, as Assistant Director-Public Services. Ms. Babb, formerly of Germantown, TN, will receive an annual salary of $75,000 plus benefits, and a one-time moving stipend of $6000. Mr. Banister stated she has already relocated to the Lapeer area and is excited to begin work on May 26, 2026.

The Board was asked to approve a motion to reinstate the position of Assistant Director-Public Services, for which Ms. Babb was hired, after the fact. This position was eliminated over 10 years ago, and is not currently a budgeted position. A Budget Amendment will be required to fund the position, but was not offered. Following board discussion, Brotzke, Brown, DeAngelis, Kohlman and VanBelle voted to approve the reinstatement of the position, Lawrence and Marquardt voted against approval.

During the public comment period several members of the public questioned the transparency of filling a position before it was approved, appointment vs posting the position, and whether the Director had the legal authority to fill a position for which no funds were budgeted. There was also concern that the Children's Department Head position remains vacant after almost a year.

In other business, Mr. Banister presented a proposal from ReThinking Libraries to develop a new strategic plan for the LDL. That proposal is expected to be considered at the next meeting of the LDLat 10 am on June 18. Meetings are held at the Oregon Township Hall, are open to the public and are preceded by the LDL Finance Committee meeting at 9 am.

The LDL Board meeting was held on May 21, 2026 at 10 a.m. at the Oregon Township Hall, 2525 Marathon Road, Lapeer, Michigan 48446. The board was comprised of...

05/06/2026

MLA is convening Michigan’s first statewide Intellectual Freedom Summit to bring together library staff and advocates at a critical moment for the freedom to read. Building on the work of MI Right to Read, the summit will focus on strengthening support, shaping policy, and building coalitions to defend intellectual freedom across Michigan.

Thanks to generous support from the Mellon Foundation, attendance is free—inviting library workers to help lead what comes next.

For more information, please visit our website: https://ow.ly/kpgl50YVyH7

04/26/2026

Spring Expo! We’re here until 3 pm - stop by and say hello!

04/20/2026

Today and everyday!

The freedom to read is still being challenged: From January 2025 through March 2026, more than 100 pro-censorship bills were introduced in state legislatures. At least 40 bills would penalize libraries and library workers with lawsuits, fines, or even jail time for protecting people’s the right to read.

While the challenges we face are real, so is the growing network of individuals and organizations who continue to win victories, share strategies, and build momentum to protect the right to read everywhere. Because of your hard work, we’ve seen meaningful progress in courts, in legislatures, and in local communities.

This Right To Read Day, we celebrate our wins and take action to protect the freedom to read. Take action today: https://bit.ly/43D9Dtw

04/12/2026

Discover all that Fight 4 the First Lapeer has to offer on our website!

Visit www.fight4thefirstlapeer.org to explore information and updates about protecting access to information for all patrons in our libraries.

...so you've got to fight it." — Judy Blume