Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board meeting highlights
MAY 20, 2013
All board members were present.
Community survey
Tom Sutton and Pierre David, professors at Baldwin Wallace University, presented the results of the community survey they directed. The main goal was to gauge the success of future library levy campaigns. The professors often work with nonprofit groups.
They used 10,000 landline numbers and 5,000 cell phone numbers. In addition, the library provided both paper and Web surveys to patrons and received 220 completed surveys. Altogether there were 802 completed surveys. Jim Posch, board member, stated that high school students, who were not included in this survey, may be heavy users of the online databases.
The respondent base was well-educated; 38 percent of the respondents held advanced degrees.
Among the findings were:
- Traditional library services were more important to respondents than Wi-Fi, study rooms and homework/study services;
- The online chat reference service KnowItNow was little used;
- Of respondents age 70 and older, 21 percent had e-readers;
- Most respondents used television for information and entertainment;
- Some users were concerned about noise and behavior, which Sutton felt was a natural outgrowth of the number of people using the facilities;
- The study subtracted 10 to 15 points from “value-laden” questions, such as those about whether and how one will vote, because respondents often answer positively regardless of their actions;
- Sutton stated that most school districts would “willingly give their right arms” for numbers as positive as those [the] library’s respondents gave.
Zinio magazine service
Using Zinio service, patrons can now read more than 150 online magazines subscribed [to] by the library. Issues can be read online or downloaded to a computer or mobile device. The digital copies are available at any time and don’t have to be returned. A current Heights Library card will allow customers to use this collection.
Automatic external defibrillators
The board approved the purchase of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at a cost of $11,685, which includes training. There will be one on each floor of the Lee Road Library, one in the Heights Knowledge and Innovation Center, and one in each branch library. The AEDs are able to sense situations when they should not be activated and have a special setting for use with children.
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.