Observer co-owners Patricia Garcia and John Hilton (center and right) were at an AADL exhibit honoring the publication when they mentioned they were ready to sell. Eli Neiburger (left) thought the Observer seemed like an “obvious” complement to the library’s work. | J. Adrian Wylie
Editor in chief John Hilton and publisher Patricia Garcia, who have owned the Ann Arbor Observer since 1986, were just beginning to think about a succession plan when the pandemic hit. They realized retirement would have to wait. “We recognize how important the Observer is to the community,” says Garcia. “We needed to sustain it financially until we could identify a new owner or group of owners who could move it forward.”
Now, that time has come. The AADL purchase idea grew out of a casual conversation in October 2024, when the Observer staff toured the library’s exhibit of the publication’s history called The Observer Observed. While chatting with AADL archives manager Andrew MacLaren, Hilton and Garcia mentioned that they were ready to sell the publication. MacLaren shared the news with AADL director Eli Neiburger.
Related: The Observer Observed
“My first thought was, ‘I hope it doesn’t get acquired by someone terrible,’” says Neiburger. “This is not a good time for media acquisitions.”
To Neiburger, the Observer seemed like an “obvious” complement to the AADL. An acquisition would build on the library’s initiatives to archive and digitize the Observer, and ensure it could continue as a community asset for years to come.
When the Observer exhibit concluded, he reached out to Hilton and Garcia for a meeting with his staff and proposed the purchase. “It was a startling idea, but it struck us as a good idea,” says Hilton.
The most appealing part for Hilton and Garcia was an agreement to allow the Observer to continue operating independently, as it has since its inception in 1976. The Observer would exist as a subsidiary of the AADL, and library staff would have no say in editorial decisions. And unlike what often happens when a publication is purchased by a corporate owner, Hilton says, the library wouldn’t “pick the bones” by stripping it of everything of value, then closing it.
Related: The Observer’s Next Leaders
While the library will be available as a resource, Neiburger reiterates that it would not be involved in the Observer’s editorial operations. “I wouldn’t expect to see the Observer until it arrives in my mailbox,” he says. He adds, however, that there would be an opportunity for the library’s resources to help the Observer streamline its operations and assist with its website and digital presence.
“This is a model for local news that I hope more communities will be considering,” he says. “For news gathering to be publicly owned is a great way forward.”
In a press release, the library announced that the magazine will “remain an independent, ad-funded business” and will “continue to be available free to all permanent residents.”
The library will make the purchase using a portion of its undesignated fund balance, which in September stood at $8.9 million.
The purchase agreement still needs to be approved by the library board. Neiburger anticipates the transaction will be completed by the beginning of 2026.