Zach Buck, Candidate for Ann Arbor District Library Board

**A Socially-Minded Vision for Ann Arbor’s Public Libraries**

Rooted in the Stacks

I think of the child who, like myself, walks through the doors of the library and discovers not only marsupials on distant continents, tales of the sea, the recipe for a first soup, but along the way reads themselves into being.

My AADL Board run is inspired by that vision, and is rooted in over a dozen years working in public libraries. As an Ann Arbor parent, American Library Association member, and volunteer for an early-education nonprofit, I know literacy is the foundational key to lifelong health, opportunity, and richness of life.

I’m running for AADL Board Trustee to keep literacy and rich collections at the center of our system, stand unyielding against censorship and for the freedom to read, and expand dynamic, community-centered programming and outreach across every neighborhood in our district.

Libraries are vital democratic sanctuaries and we must be vigilant against commodification and ensure our library sites remain true community assets, not value-added amenities for “luxury” developments.

Above all, the library is a shared commons – funded by the public – to realize our highest social aspirations, and it must remain fiercely centered on true public benefit.

While events and programming bring our branches to life, literacy must remain at the very heart of the Ann Arbor District Library. I will prioritize substantive collections and core services, defend and expand early childhood reading initiatives, and support patrons of all ages so AADL continues to ignite imagination and the joy of turning a page.
- Build AADL into an active force for social good, by directly addressing essential community needs.
- The community must drive decision-making, welcomed directly into open, public workshopping of plans to avoid performative engagement.
- Support the people who power our libraries by guaranteeing every worker a living wage—creating clear career pathways that allow "casual" hourly workers to transition into stable, benefited positions.
- Expand mobile outreach—a neighborhood-reaching Bookmobile that brings the joy of the library straight to local parks, senior centers, and children's spaces, making sure our library radiates out to every corner of the district.
We must ensure our library sites remain true community assets, not value-added amenities for “luxury” developments.
To truly address Ann Arbor's affordable housing needs, any redevelopment above the Downtown branch must prioritize deep affordability and true public benefit.

My Priorities

Endorsements

Kristy Cooper

Ypsilanti Library Board President

Yousef Rabhi

Democratic Nominee 
for Ann Arbor Mayor,
Washtenaw County Commissioner, 
and former State Representative

Chris Tebbens

Ypsilanti Library Board Treasurer

Chris Crockett

Community High Librarian (Ret.) 
& Local Historian

Emy Deshotel

Community Advocate &
Washtenaw County Delegate

Ryan Bartholomew

Democratic Nominee 
for Ann Arbor City Council
Ward 3

Get Involved

"The dedication of a library is in itself an act of faith... a Nation must believe in the capacity of its own people so to learn from the past that they can gain in judgment in creating their own future. Among democracies... the building of permanent institutions like libraries and museums for the use of all the people flourishes. And that is especially true in our own land, because we believe that people ought to work out for themselves, and through their own study, the determination of their best interest rather than accept such so-called information as may be handed out to them by certain types of self-constituted leaders who decide what is best for them."

- Franklin D. Roosevelt, remarks made at the official dedication of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York, on June 30, 1941.

A Socially-Minded Vision for Ann Arbor’s Public Libraries