History:
Starting from humble beginnings in the basement of the Saginaw Township Hall, the Zauel Memorial Library has grown with the township to become a busy, service-oriented community center that offers the latest in both information and technology. Saginaw Township opened its first modern day library facility in October of 1967 when the west end of the new Township Hall was designated as a branch of the Public Libraries of Saginaw. The township contracted with PLOS to run the library, an agreement which still stands today. The popularity of the facility far outdistanced any estimates and plans were drawn up to begin construction of a separate facility in 1975. The new 8,285 square foot facility opened to the public on June 1, 1976 and offered such services as story times, service to shut-ins, lunch programs, and reference service by telephone (a new concept at the time!).
In 1980, voters approved a .5-mil levy to fund a library addition which doubled the size of the existing facility. The addition, which provided meeting rooms, a separate children's room, typing rooms, and a quiet study room, opened in the spring of 1982. New furnishings included one-of-a-kind movable shelving, made up in part with motorcycle chains and sports car steering wheels! In the 1990's and beyond, the library continues to change with the times and provides a wide variety of services which now include word processing computers and access to the Internet, as well as traditional services and programs.
