Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board meeting highlights 7-16-12
JULY 16, 2012
- Children’s Librarian Susan E. Black retires
- Financial report available on website
- Heights Knowledge and Innovation Center bidding
- Little Free Libraries
- New residents welcomed
- June public service report highlights
All board members were present.
Children’s Librarian Susan E. Black retires
Prior to the board meeting, there was a reception in honor of the retirement of Susan Black, who joined the library staff as a children’s services librarian for the University Heights branch on Oct. 31, 1978. In 2009 she agreed to transfer to Lee Road, whereupon a “huge following of UH customers accompanied her both in person and by phone” as indicated in the retirement resolution passed by the board. The resolution also referred to her promotion to youth services manager at Lee Road, her work with area teachers, her mentoring of others, including Director Nancy Levin, and her helping to raise a generation of babies and their parents through her storytimes and other programs.
Financial report available on website
Molly Riffle, fiscal officer, announced that the comprehensive financial report is complete and available on the library’s website. The new Authority Business Information System (BIS) is now in place and the library’s budget and financial information has been loaded onto the system.
Heights Knowledge and Innovation Center bidding
The board approved the opening of bidding on the center, which will be in the space occupied by the former YMCA gymnasium. Studio Techne has provided an estimate for construction of $625,000, with an additional $72,000 for the business development center as an alternate in the bid package. Furniture is estimated at an additional $150,000 and will not be included in the initial bid package.
Little Free Libraries
Cleveland Heights City Council has passed an ordinance approving the installation of the Little Free Libraries structures on tree lawns. The program will begin with three structures in three different neighborhoods. Residents are invited to leave books that they have read and take materials left by other residents. Although the library may help in stocking the libraries, they are not part of the circulation system. Library materials cannot be checked out or returned through the Little Free Libraries.
New residents welcomed
Both the library and the Friends of the Library welcomed approximately 15 new residents on July 1, along with city staff, representatives from the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, FutureHeights and other organizations. The new residents were given a “behind the scenes” tour of the library.
June public service report highlights
- Michael Fleenor of the Cleveland Restoration Society gave a lecture on the history of home interior decorating beginning in the 1850s.
- Mary Ogle gave a program on home maintenance and energy efficiency.
- Coventry Village Library is partnering with the Cleveland Institute of Music for two summer concerts (July 16 and 30) in the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park and two fall concerts in the library.
- Judith Toy, a local author, read from her memoir, Murder as a Call to Love, written after the murder of three family members.
- Noble’s after-school snack program became the summer snack program and increased to being held every weekday afternoon instead of just two days per week.
- Both Noble Neighborhood and University Heights libraries will offer the STEPS parent education program in conjunction with Beech Brook. Based on research by Dr. Jill Stamm, the program’s goal is to improve parent interaction with children.
- University Heights will host a Rap Art summer group for teens.
LWV observer: Anne S. McFarland.
These meeting summaries are abstracted from LWV observers’ written reports. The summaries have been edited and prepared by Anne McFarland, Charlene Morse, and Maryann Barnes. To receive e-mail postings of full reports, send an e-mail to mbarnes9515@gmail.com or join through Google groups using “lwv-chuh observer reports” as a search phrase.
These reports contain member observation and selected highlights of public meetings and are not official statements of the Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.