LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board of Trustees meeting highlights [online 10-17-2016]

OCTOBER 17, 2016

  • Long-term investment portfolio results
  • New Educator Card available for teachers
  • Summer reading program statistics
  • Staff Development Day awards
  • September public service report highlights
  • Next meeting


Abby Botnick, board secretary, was absent.

Long-term investment portfolio results

Interest on general fund money has increased substantially since the change to Meeder Investments. Last year’s general fund interest was $17,084.67 while this year’s interest is $68,971.72. The board approved a change to the investment policy enabling the library to take advantage of changes in the Ohio Revised Code that allow governmental entities to purchase bonds from local governments, commercial paper, and bankers acceptances.

New Educator Card available for teachers

This new card is available to teachers and will be separate from their personal cards. The Educator Card will allow longer signouts of most juvenile material—six weeks as opposed to three. An Educator Collection program has been developed, and teachers will be able to call or fill out a form online to ask for up to 25 books on a topic of their choice.

The Educator Card will be available for teachers at public schools, private schools or preschools. Parents who homeschool their children will also be eligible. Educators can apply at any branch and will need to show proof of their educator status.

Summer reading program statistics

Beth Hatch, special projects manager, gathered statistics for a report on the Dollar General grant. In the zero- to seven-year age category, the library gained 592 new readers, a 48 percent increase over the projection. The Project Outcome Summer Reading Club Survey asked caregivers about the improvement in early literacy in the children who had participated. A high percentage reported that their children gained in reading skills, were more confident readers, read more often, and used the library more often.

Staff Development Day awards

The library was closed to the public on Sept. 13 to allow for staff training activities. Staff receiving awards were: L.P. Coladangelo, the Detlef Fabian award for exemplifying the positive outlook and care for co-workers that makes the workplace better for all; Kathy Franzinger, the Gertrude Kleiner Award for extraordinary efforts significantly advancing the work of the library; Amia Wheatley, the Pat Carterette Award for creativity, innovative spirit, and enthusiasm that inspires both the community and the library; and Jessica Markowitz, the Rising Star Award for showing promise of growth, demonstrated excellence, and making an outstanding contribution. The last award is new and is given to a staff member who has at least one but no more than two years as an employee.

September public service report highlights

  • Monica Wilson visited three barbershops in the Noble Neighborhood Library’s area and is arranging deposit collections and displays in each.
  • Shamekia Chandler, youth services associate, visited Park Synagogue to read children’s stories to adults with special needs. Chandler and adult services staff will visit Park Synagogue on a monthly basis.
  • The new early literacy play space contains toys, puppets and puzzles, which are rotated regularly. August had an average of 103 children per day, and September had an average of 75 children per day.
  • New library card sign-ups in September totaled 407 for adults and 67 for children.
  • The Training Services Department initiated the provision of certificates of completion for those who finish a sequence of classes, such as the eight classes in [Microsoft] Word or the six classes in Computer Basics.
  • Sarah Biscuso and Jessica Robinson, youth services librarians, organized a party to celebrate the world of children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie. Forty-five children attended.
  • In a parallel to Picture Book Madness, Chris Fries, youth services associate, instituted Movie Madness, a contest where customers can vote in person or online for their favorite movies. In September, there were 651 votes.


Next meeting
will be Monday, Nov. 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lee Road Library.

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.

League of Women Voters

Observer Corps editor for the Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland

Read More on Library
Volume 9, Issue 12, Posted 4:20 PM, 11.15.2016