Ypsilanti District Library

Specialties

As a community resource, the Ypsilanti District Library’s mission is to enrich life, stimulate intellectual curiosity, foster literacy, and encourage an informed citizenry.

History

Established in 1868.

The Ypsilanti District Library’s story began in 1868, when a group of six prominent women created the Ladies Literary Library. The collection started with 250 books that these ladies donated from their homes. In the early 1900’s, the library outgrew its rented space and was moved to the Starkweather Building at 130 N. Huron.

As Ypsilanti’s population grew after World War II, the City of Ypsilanti took over operations of the library to keep up with increased demand, and in 1964 the library took over a former post office building at 229 Michigan Ave, where the downtown location still stands today.

The Ypsilanti Library became a district library in 1997 with the addition of Ypsilanti Township and later Superior Township. The Whittaker Road library was built in 2001 and YDL opened another location on Mac Arthur Boulevard in 2007. YDL’s bookmobile also provides neighborhood service.

Today, 77% of area residents hold a library card and YDL circulates nearly 900,000 items every year.