Hello friends and dear library patrons,
We are Cassie Haynes, Rachel Goldberg and Gaurav Kulkarni, running to serve as your library trustees.
Our library is at the heart of Ann Arbor. AADL provides not just books, but public space that is truly open to all, and events that connect us to our neighbors and community.
Learn more about us below, and support us by volunteering or donating.
About Us
Cassie Haynes
Cassie is a born-and-raised Ann Arborite, strategist, historian, and nonprofit leader deeply committed to increasing access to local news, public scholarship, and community resources. She is the executive director of the Independence Hall Association, an organization dedicated to preserving, contextualizing, and sharing U.S. History with care and rigor, and president of Plot Twist Consulting, where she supports philanthropic and mission-driven organizations in building durable systems and aligning values with action. She is also the co-founder and former co-executive director of Resolve Philly, a nationally recognized nonprofit newsroom she helped grow from startup to anchor institution. A 2024–25 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan, Cassie believes libraries are essential democratic infrastructure; open and accessible places where communities can gather, grow, and strategize together. She lives in a multigenerational matriarchal home and when she’s not working, she can often be found outdoor-adventuring with her family and their two good dogs, caring for plants, or parked among the stacks at the Westgate Branch.
Rachel Goldberg
Rachel is an Ann Arbor educator, librarian, and active volunteer in the community. She is a local school librarian, chair of the elementary library department in the school district, and teachers’ union representative. She has worked in a variety of school settings and held various positions, including classroom teacher, summer and afterschool programs director, and interim head of school, among others. She understands the profound and transformative role that libraries can play in communities and believes that the Ann Arbor District Library is one of the true gems of this city. Intellectual freedom, engagement with diverse texts and resources, and access to spaces for community building and shared experiences are at the heart of her professional and volunteer work. She feels most herself when she is outside, surrounded by trees, or in a library, surrounded by people she loves, books she aspires to read, and hot coffee (kept away from the books, of course). In free time that she works very hard to carve out, she enjoys running on the Border to Border trail with her husband, Michael, as they try to keep up with their daughter, Margo (usually with limited success).
Gaurav Kulkarni
Gaurav grew up with the Ann Arbor District Library, back in a time before the Summer Game. Attending video game tournaments at the Downtown Branch expanded his ideas of what a library can be. Beyond having access to all the books you could imagine, he’s relied on libraries to borrow tools in times of need, print crosswords and super search puzzles, research local Ann Arbor history, and even plan his first dates with his now wife, as they ran around museums and parks in search of Summer Game codes. Gaurav is a software engineer and a housing and transit advocate. He believes firmly that housing is a human right, and that communities are stronger when they lean on public services like libraries and public transit. He encourages everyone to give the bus a try, and will gladly help or even ride with anyone who feels overwhelmed with figuring out the bus and its schedule.
Endorsements
We are grateful for the votes of confidence from these Ann Arbor leaders.
Aidan Sova
AADL Board President
Molly Kleinman
AADL Board Secretary
Scott Trudeau
AADL Trustee
Frequently Asked Questions
Public space and community: In our world, there are very few safe places that are truly open to everyone, and the public library is one of those spaces. In this way, the public library is a cornerstone of our democratic society. We are committed to supporting and maintaining this gem of our community, where people of all ages and all backgrounds gather for community meetings, classes, lectures, markets, movies, festivals, cultural exchanges, or just for a quiet space to rest. The library fosters connection and belonging through its collections, its programs, and its physical spaces. The library, in this way, is a public space for generative disagreement and generative partnership, and is central to communal life in Ann Arbor. We will advocate for our libraries as central community gathering spaces for everyone, where all are welcomed and supported.
Information and access: The text-based material holdings of our library are extraordinary, from the latest new book releases for all ages and in a multitude of languages to local history archives to the Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, to name just a few, but these print materials are only a portion of the resources provided by the AADL. The library, as a trusted public institution, provides access to everyday resources for the public, such as tax documents, notary services, and job search materials, for example. The library also provides access to household tools, science tools, musical instruments, lawn games, and more, affording patrons opportunities to spend less and share more. We will advocate for patron access to a diverse range of information resources and will support policies that support both institutional and patron intellectual freedom.
Growth and partnerships: Our library’s influence extends far beyond the walls of each of the branches, including large scale events and programs, such as the Summer Game, which incorporate partnerships with other local institutions. We are excited by the opportunities afforded by the new Downtown branch, such as larger expos, and a wider variety of events and community spaces. We will advocate for the library’s continued growth and partnerships in order to support the dynamic and vibrant ecosystem of Ann Arbor.
We are elated about the new Downtown branch and take seriously the Board’s responsibility to steward this next phase of development. We are particularly excited about the potential for increased and varied opportunities for community programs, partnerships, housing, and access to resources.
The new Downtown branch could be an iconic downtown landmark, in much the same way that the Austin, Boston and Cleveland public libraries are destinations. Ann Arbor deserves a downtown library that evokes awe.
A larger library allows our incredibly popular events and expos to grow and accommodate all who want to attend. A larger library allows us to have a variety of spaces downtown, from conference rooms, to study spaces, to theater space, that are truly open to all. This would be transformational for our city because it would facilitate even more opportunities for groups and individuals to connect with one another and with the broader community.
The new building will also create housing opportunities for diverse residents. In the midst of a housing shortage and an affordability crisis, we need to build more housing. This is a unique opportunity to provide homes immediately above the library (which would be the DREAM) and across the street from the Blake Transit Center, one of the most active transit hubs in Michigan. We also know that mixed income housing benefits all residents, and are excited by the idea of a mix of affordable, senior, artist, and market-rate housing.
Rachel: Shelf service. Having a personal shopper librarian pick out items just for you is AMAZING. And don’t forget a side of extra cool ranch! Curious? Check out aadl.org/shelfservice.
Gaurav: The Living Oral History Project. In partnership with the African American Cultural & Historical Museum, this is a treasure trove of information. It's a set of interviews with African American residents who share their own personal experiences growing up and living in Ann Arbor, along with historical photos and old news articles to give an even fuller picture. I have learned so much about our town's history through this project. Visit aadl.org/aachmvideos to learn more!
Cassie: Free meeting space! By offering this resource, AADL lowers the barrier to participation, enabling PTOs, mutual aid groups, book clubs, neighborhood associations, campaign committees, support groups (and the list goes on and on!) to gather without needing a credit card or commercial sponsorship. AADL offers a neutral, transaction-less space in a society that increasingly requires you to pay-to-play. This is practical democracy, friends. People need physical spaces to deliberate, organize, disagree, and plan and free access to these spaces reduces the economic barrier to civic life.
Rachel: I think my daughter learned to type by entering home codes that she’d written down in her little notebook, so I have a sentimental attachment to home code neighborhood walks and bike rides. I know that’s not a badge, but it’s still my favorite.
Cassie: The ob-SERVED badge, what with my love of history and this community!
Gaurav: I love that little chicken who visits places all over town.
Get Involved
If you're excited about this campaign, there are a few ways you can get involved!
Libraries are often the first place to start to solve problems we aren’t paying attention to or to understand the deficits in our society. Their offerings reveal truths about who we are and remind us of where we’ve been. These centuries-old institutions became among the first to offer Wi-Fi and free access to computers, and when jobs or opportunities flee, libraries serve those in search of new pathways to prosperity.
At their core, libraries are cathedrals to who we should be as a society. Within a library’s walls exist centers of learning open to all, to feed our curiosity, expand our knowledge, and guide us to better days.”