Peter White Public Library

Peter White Public Library is a learning hub for Marquette’s residents and boasts circulation and attendance figures that are three times higher than other libraries its size in Michigan. Through strategic partnerships and fundraising, the library provides programs to promote acceptance and engage people from all walks of life. The library’s mission is to inform the community, and it does not retreat from sensitive topics. For example, Fine Line, a collection of photographer Michael Nye’s powerful black-and-white portraits of people affected by mental illness was on display along with first-person narratives describing the impact of mental illness. Response was overwhelming, inspiring the library to create a three-month mental health series attracting health organizations as partners across Marquette.