

Friends of Pickford Community Library (FPCL) was formed in the spring of 2008 with the goal of establishing a public library in Pickford, Michigan. Thanks to many supportive individuals and businesses, FPCL was successful in raising the funds; and the Pickford Community Library, an interim library, opened on October 23, 2010.

After FPCL raised money for three years of operation, the next goal was to pass a millage in Pickford to support the library permanently. However, Ken Miller, Director of Bayliss Public Library, the parent of Pickford Community Library, began creating a district library system with the goal of establishing a .5 millage to support the participating libraries. With Bayliss taking on the millage, FPCL held focus groups during the summer of 2011 to ask the public to help define its next phase.

The idea of an arts and learning center emerged from these focus groups, and FPCL has taken this idea and has been working on developing it. First, the FPCL Arts and Learning Center Committee was recently formed as a subcommittee under the Friends of the Pickford Community Library.

This new committee’s mission is not only to establish the other half of the library building where STARS (and other art programming) can happen, but also to support this programming in any way necessary to make it successful.

 Because Pickford is centrally located within the rural Eastern Upper Peninsula, developing an arts and learning center here assures easier access to the arts for children in the surrounding rural areas.

Secondly, FPCL has entered into an income-sharing agreement with Tim and Janice Curtis, the owners of the library building, to develop the other, larger half of the library building into space for various activities to happen. The name of the new space is The PAL (Pickford Arts and Learning) Center.

The PAL Center will house KC Fitness Studio, Soo Theater’s Inc. & STARS private music lessons and a variety of group classes. Currently Soo Theater, Inc.& STARS is planning a summer Musical Theatre Camp (ages 8-13) and a music camp for ages 4-7.

Other activities scheduled for the PAL Center are a canning swap meet on May 19 hosted by Pickford Farmer’s Market, a bee keeping school by Superiorland Beekeepers Association to be held in May, and a local town meeting regarding streetscape in Pickford on Tuesday, April 24.

FPCL will also set up a used book store which will be open with regular weekly hours.

An open house for the PAL Center is scheduled for Thursday, June 14.

Those interested can “like” Friends of Pickford Community Library and/or FPCL Arts and Learning Center on Facebook, or send “subscribe to FPCL listserve” to kenandmel@sault.com to get on FPCL’s email list.
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