By Colleen O’Donnell
Sept. 27, 2021 11pm ET
Library patrons venture out for fall offerings at Northville District Library, observing COVID safety protocols, and connecting with the pictorial timeline of Detroit’s automotive history.
Northville District Library re-opened its doors this month for in-person events inside the library. Assistant Library Director Maria Williams said library administrators at their location met weekly over the summer to review COVID vaccination and infection rates for their local area, and countywide.
“We were feeling pretty optimistic, and so we planned a combination of some in-person and virtual events for the fall,” Williams said.
COVID safety protocols at the Northville library include recommending (but not requiring) all patrons to wear masks, and providing masks to those who don’t have one, as well as social distancing, reducing capacity at events via online registration and staggered seating, plus increasing airflow with open windows and doors.
According to Williams, compliance has been strong and feedback from library patrons is positive. “People have been excited to return to the library, and they have told us they feel safe,” said Williams.
Listen to more interview highlights with Assistant Library Director Maria Williams:
One of the library’s first in-person events this fall was a book signing, and the “Motor City” theme drew local residents out, who were just beginning to venture back int0 the community for indoor events.
Author of several books about Detroit, and a lifelong metro Detroiter, Paul Vachon made Northville the first stop on his book tour for his latest hardcover book: Becoming the Motor City: A Timeline of Detroit’s Auto Industry, published by Reedy Press.
Northville, Michigan is no stranger to the auto industry. It was where Henry Ford opened his valve plant in the 1920s, to supply parts for nearly all of his vehicles.
About a dozen visitors, mostly from the Northville area, attended. They said they were drawn to the event by the topic and their feeling of connection to the Detroit area’s automotive history.
One attendee, Jim Youmans of Northville, who was attending his second in-person event since the pandemic, volunteers at the Henry Ford Museum and found out about the event through the library’s newsletter, “I’m very interested in automobiles and the history of the car in Detroit. The presentation caught my eye,” Youmans said.
Author Paul Vachon shared pivotal moments from his book, including milestones in the history of the auto industry, such as the first automobile drive on the streets of Detroit (spoiler: it wasn’t Henry Ford), the fifteen millionth Ford to roll off the assembly line, and the 1973 oil crisis. He also busted a few auto industry myths: one of the biggest being that the car was invented in America (it wasn’t) – and humanized Henry Ford.
Check out highlights from the event:
Have you started attending in-person events again? Let us know in the comments.
New Media Portfolio | Colleen O'Donnell 