LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board meeting highlights [online 6-20-2016]

JUNE 20, 2016

• Centennial Celebration Kick-off
• University Heights Library renovation groundbreaking
• Schreckengost loan memorandum
• Dollar General literacy grant
• Mid-year safety and security review
• Friends MegaSale
• Library Experience Program hosts three interns
• Public Library Fund (PLF) distribution
• May public service report highlights
  
  

Board President Rick Ortmeyer and board members, Susan Beatty and Chris Mentrek were absent.

Centennial Celebration Kick-off

On May 1, author Mary Doria Russell gave the celebration’s keynote speech at the Coventry Village Library. Among those who made remarks were board president Ron Holland, director Nancy Levin, poet laureate Christine Howey, and staff poet, Ben Gulyas. A Cleveland Institute of Music string trio and a Heights High Barbershoppers vocal quartet performed music. Attendees enjoyed a library-themed birthday cake and cupcakes, and marketing manager Sheryl Banks announced winners of the poster contest.

University Heights Library renovation groundbreaking

The groundbreaking takes place Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. The branch will close for Labor Day on Sept. 5 and will remain closed until the renovation is complete. Bookmobile service for the community will begin in September.

Schreckengost loan memorandum

The library has had four items on loan for the past eight years and wishes to continue this connection with the Schreckengost/Nowacek families. The display currently includes two watercolors, one giclee print and one Jazz Bowl. The family intends to rotate the works on display and may bring in new watercolors. The family is pleased to continue this agreement and thanks the library for perpetuating a presence of Victor Schreckengost’s art in the community, which was the artist’s home for many decades.

Dollar General literacy grant

The Library received a $2,000 grant from Dollar General to support early literacy in the summer reading club. The funds will be used for incentives such as books and tote bags.

Mid-year safety and security review

Kevin Echols, security supervisor, told the board that incident reports averaged less than one per day. His staff addressed a recent spike at Noble Neighborhood Library in a number of ways. Two cameras and additional security staff were added. Levin, Echols, branch manager Constance Dickerson, and two security staff members met with Noble Elementary School principal Rachael Coleman to discuss incidents involving students. Noble Neighborhood Library still had less than one incident per day.

Friends MegaSale

The May MegaSale brought in $8,596.28 plus 30 new members, for a total of 421 active members. Books remaining were taken to Noble Neighborhood Library for a special branch sale, and June 3 was the next First Friday bag sale.

Library Experience Program hosts three interns

Jeremy Glover, a junior at Bates College, is interning in the adult services division. Paris Colbert and Raena Gamble, both students at Heights High, are in the new Teen Tech Ambassador Program and will shadow staff in the computer/multi-media labs and will observe computer classes. Jackie Mayse, tech librarian, will supervise and the teens will display what they’ve learned by co-teaching at least one computer class.

Bates College will finance Glover’s internship, and the Friends of the Heights Libraries will provide funds for Colbert and Gamble.

Public Library Fund (PLF) distribution

The May 2016 distribution of the PLF was 19 percent lower than the distribution for May 2015. Indications are that the State of Ohio’s income tax revenues have been reduced, and that the PLF may decline further. However, the library’s property tax revenue was $194,006 higher than this time last year.

May public service report highlights:

• University Heights Library staff walked in the city’s Memorial Day Parade and were accompanied by the book bike and the library van. Staff distributed candy and promoted the summer reading program.
• For National Preservation Month, Colin Compton and Margaret Lann of the Cleveland Restoration Society presented “Porches: History, Design and Construction.”
• A second National Preservation Month program was “The History of Cleveland Heights–University Heights Libraries, Schools and Public buildings.” Kara Hamley O’Donnell, Cleveland Heights city planner; Eric Silverman, CH–UH Board of Education member; and Amia Wheatley, Noble Neighborhood librarian collaborated to present this program.
• New library card sign-ups in May totaled 364.
• Marian Morton, historian and Bob Brown, city planning consultant, presented “Coventry Village Through the Decades” to 50 attendees of May’s Cedar-Coventry Author Series program.
• Tamara Murray, volunteers, and several students from the Homework Help group celebrated its last session. Since the program began on Jan. 7, volunteers provided 89 hours of homework assistance.
  
  

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 of Greater Cleveland. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.