Cleveland Heights University Heights Library Board of Trustees meeting highlights 11-21-22

NOVEMBER 21, 2022

• Board resolutions
• Personnel report
• Director’s report
• Public service report

Present were President Gabe Crenshaw, Patti Carlyle, Dana Fluellen, and Tyler McTigue. Not present were Vice President Max Gerboc, Annette Iwamoto, and Secretary Vika Turaklia. The meeting ran for 40 minutes.

Board resolutions

The board:

• Authorized a contract with Bostwick Design Partnership, the architect for Noble Road Branch Library renovations and additions in the amount of $793,560, subject to change if the construction budget is changed.
• Authorized the construction document phase for the Noble branch with the Bostwick Design Group and Independence Construction.
• Authorized the contract with Johnson Controls for the installation of HVAC in the new study rooms at the Lee Road Branch.
• Authorized the purchase of 10 Windows laptops for mobile lab classes and two replacement laptops.
• Authorized Pearlwind Solar and Lighting to convert light fixtures at the Lee Road Branch and the HKIC building to LED fixtures.
• Authorized an agreement with A.W. Farrell & Son to repair the roof at Coventry Branch Library.
• Authorized an agreement with The Centers for Families and Children to provide services to customers at the Lee Road Branch once a month.

Personnel report

The human resources policy manual changes were presented and approved. Some of the wording was changed to be more sensitive and inclusive to recognize all employees. Many of these recommendations came from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force. A new rule was added to the Use of Personal Devices and Library Phones policy that prohibits employees and managers from making voice recordings of conversations and clarifies that text messaging is considered a public record and subject to public records requests. 

Director’s report

Library Director Nancy Levin stated that four completed applications for the library trustee vacancy were received. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education will conduct interviews Dec. 6.

Cresco Property Management will commence their contract with the library to manage the Coventry PEACE building on Dec. 1, 2022. Letters of intent with all tenants are being resolved and new leases are anticipated early in December.

The renovation of Coventry Branch Library is close to completion. The elevator did not pass a state inspection on Nov. 14. Contractors from Thyssen and others were called last week to resolve outstanding issues.

All drains at University Heights Branch Library were reinspected to validate that there were no issues. The remedy for the flooding will be the placement of a commercial size sump pump.

The library and Bostwick Design Group are in the process of seeking approval from the Cleveland Heights Planning Commission and Architectural Board of Review for the Noble branch renovation and addition. Currently groundbreaking is anticipated for May 2023. A satellite branch will be established at the BNH building on Noble Road and programming will be scheduled in other neighborhood sites throughout the construction.

Planning has begun for a May 23, 2023, Dementia Friendly Week in Cleveland Heights. The library will be an integral part of the planning team. Partners include the Benjamin Rose Institute and Cleveland Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Foundation as well as Dementia Friendly Ohio.

In the November election, Ohioans approved 18 out of 19 public library levies.

Public service

During the month of October, 56 passport applications were executed.

Tech Trainer Nia Turner relaunched a two-part HTML Coding Basics workshop that introduced the foundation for building and editing web pages. Students learned about tags, elements, structure, and syntax. A follow-up class will be offered Nov. 22.

In partnership with the Cleveland Heights Green Team, the Coventry Village Branch Library hosted the second annual EcoFair, an event to promote sustainable living, in the PEACE Park. Over 30 organizations participated in the event, which included live music and an upcycled art installation made of found objects by Heights High School students.

Louise Lybrook and Steve Eigsti, Coventry Village youth staff, hosted Harvest Fest in the PEACE Park with crafts, snacks, and engaging family activities.

Homecoming at the Noble branch brought a larger than usual number of customers. Homecoming Hippo, aka, Librarian Hillary Brown, welcomed all guests and provided photo opportunities.

Programming at the University Heights branch was executed primarily as take and make kits, due to the results of the flooding. One successful Story Stop occurred with four people attending.

Youth services continues their partnership with Fairfax Elementary School. Librarian Sara Biscuso began monthly kindergarten visits. Angela Clock led two fifth grade classrooms on a library tour, scavenger hunt, and card sign-ups. Youth Services Associate Shannon Cooch visited the school’s afterschool art program.

There was an uptick in homework help requests. Partnerships with CSU and CWRU provides drop-in homework assistance for grades K-8.

Ms. Cooch introduced a new pop-up weekly program called Art & Soul. Art & Soul is a drop-in art program where kids can create art in a relaxing atmosphere.

Circulation continues to rise.

The next regular meeting of the library board will be on Dec. 19, 2022, at the Lee Road branch.

LWV Observer: Judith Beeler.

Information about the board, board meeting minutes and audio recordings of board meetings can be found at https://heightslibrary.org/locations/heights-libraries-board/