Library

Heights Libraries breaks ground on UH Library renovation

On Sunday, Aug. 28, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System broke ground to signal the start of renovation of the University Heights Library.

Among the ceremony’s attendees were Heights Libraries board and staff members, University Heights Mayor Susan Infeld, and library customers.

Employees from the architecture firm CBLH Design and contractor Regency Construction were also on hand to celebrate the beginning of the construction phase of the project.

The renovated building will feature a full-functioning elevator (it currently has a lift), restrooms and meeting rooms on both floors, a door from the parking lot, and designated spaces for adults, teens, and young children.

Construction is expected to take 12–14 months.

More information, and regular project updates, can be found at www.heightslibrary.org.

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Volume 9, Issue 10, Posted 12:06 PM, 09.12.2016

What’s going on at your library?

In September, as the University Heights Library closes for renovations and centennial celebrations wrap up, Heights Libraries kicks off On the Same Page—its communitywide reading program—centered on Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 4 p.m.

A Celebration of Dreams. Join in celebrating the moving memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson. Bring the whole family for conversation, creative writing, crafts and other activities. (Reading part or all of the book before a program is suggested.) Registration begins Sept. 13.

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Volume 9, Issue 9, Posted 11:16 AM, 09.01.2016

Libraries team up for A Card for Every Kid

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System is teaming up with eight other library systems in Cuyahoga County to encourage every child under 18 to get a library card.

The initiative, A Card for Every Kid, will take place Sept. 1–30 to coincide with National Library Card Sign-up Month. This cooperative effort among the library systems seeks to raise awareness of the importance of library card ownership for children and teens, and also seeks to gain a better understanding of the roadblocks that keep some children and teens from owning a library card. 

“Libraries are great equalizers,” said Nancy Levin, Heights Libraries director. “They offer any child access to books and other learning resources no matter what city they live in, no matter their socio-economic status. Every public library in our county shares the goal of ensuring that every child can check out materials at their neighborhood library.”

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Volume 9, Issue 9, Posted 11:21 AM, 08.30.2016

New bookmobile is ready to roll

This fall, keep an eye out for “Nellie,” the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System’s newest outreach vehicle. In June, Heights Libraries purchased the bookmobile to serve the University Heights community during the year-long period that the University Heights Library will be closed for renovation. Named after Nell Lynch, a popular former library director, the bookmobile will make scheduled stops around the city; community members can board the bus to browse its small but collection of popular books, audiobooks and DVDs for children and adults.

Nellie—a 1995 Cummins diesel engine on a Freightliner chassis—was already retrofitted with bookshelves when Heights Libraries purchased from Pickaway County District Public Library, near Columbus. It’s got a wheelchair lift, and has electric power to enable a computer to check out books and perform other library functions. With its green and yellow racing stripes, the bookmobile can’t be missed.

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Volume 9, Issue 9, Posted 10:16 AM, 08.23.2016

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board meeting highlights [online 7-18-2016]

JULY 18, 2016

  • Public comments
  • Larraine Parker retires
  • Board accepts design plan for UH library
  • CSU Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
  • Strategic plan survey available
  • Friends report revenue
  • U Lead projects open to staff
  • June public service report highlights


Board member Susan Beatty was absent.

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Volume 9, Issue 9, Posted 5:31 PM, 08.21.2016

UH Library prepares for September renovation start

The University Heights Library is slated to close for renovation on Sept. 6, and it will remain closed throughout most of 2017. The project is expected to take 14 months to complete.

Throughout the summer, staff at the University Heights Library has been sorting through the collection to prepare it for storage. Some furniture and fixtures at the library will be put to use in other CH-UH libraries or sold at a public surplus sale on Aug. 27.

Important dates in the lead-up to the start of the renovation project are:

  • Friday, July 29: Meeting rooms at the UH Library close to public use.
  • Saturday, Aug. 27: The UH Library (13866 Cedar Road) will hold a surplus sale (furniture, fixtures, etc.), open to the public.
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Volume 9, Issue 8, Posted 6:52 PM, 07.28.2016

What’s going on at your library?

What’s going on at your library?

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2–3 p.m.

Lake Erie Ink: Zines and Comics. Share your story through the creation of comics and zines with Lake Erie Ink. Discover the creative process behind making your own graphic novel. For those in grades 6–12. Registration began July 2.

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Volume 9, Issue 8, Posted 5:47 PM, 07.29.2016

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.

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Volume 9, Issue 8, Posted 11:03 AM, 07.27.2016

Coventry Collaborative Garden thrives with support from community partners

Over the past few years, neighborhoods both urban and rural have seen a renewed interest in backyard (and front yard) vegetable gardening. As the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System aims to reflect the interests of its community, gardening has become a standard program.

The Coventry Village Library is home to the Coventry Seed Library, maintained by the Cleveland Seed Bank. The Coventry Village Library also leads gardening programs for adults, with help from local experts.

“Overflowing” is the word that Maggie Kinney, youth services librarian at the Coventry Village Library, used to describe the Coventry Collaborative Garden at mid-summer. The garden occupies a space adjacent to the library, where community members have helped plant carrots, lettuce, basil, peas, parsley, chives, tomatoes, peppers, green beans and marigolds.

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Volume 9, Issue 8, Posted 10:11 AM, 07.19.2016

New collection at Lee Road Library highlights zines

On the second floor of the Lee Road Library, patrons can find a newly curated collection: zines.

The word zine is an abbreviation of “magazine” and “fanzine.” The item itself is usually a handmade, self-published booklet or similar publication. Zines are often small, and vary in content: hand-drawn comics, essays and poetry, or photography.

Kate Atherton, adult services associate, curated the library’s collection, which currently consists of 70 publications. “This past year I was lucky enough to have this first batch of zines donated to me by a patron who runs a zine review blog,” said Atherton. “He had a surplus of zines he had been given to review that he no longer needed, so he thought to share them with us and our community.”

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Volume 9, Issue 7, Posted 5:16 PM, 07.01.2016

What’s going on at your library?

Join the library for all-new programs, lead by Heights friends and neighbors. For a complete schedule of events, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Thursday, July 28, 7 p.m.

An evening with Poonam Bala. Medical historian and professor Poonam Bala will discuss her book Diaspora, Culture and Identity, which examines issues related to identity and sociocultural adjustments of Ohio's Asian Indian community. No registration is required; book signing to follow the talk.

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Volume 9, Issue 7, Posted 5:35 PM, 07.01.2016

Literacy grant gives boost to summer reading program

With the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library summer reading program already in full swing, library staff learned in early June that the Dollar General Literacy Foundation had awarded the library a $2,000 Summer Reading Grant to support early literacy.

So far, $800 has been spent to buy books that will be given away when children sign up for summer reading. The grant will also support summer reading programming, including Books and Barks, where children can sign up to read with a certified therapy dog, Dr. Barkley, at the Noble Neighborhood Library on July 18 and Aug. 15.

“We are thrilled to have received this funding for our summer reading program, as it will provide more incentives for children who are new and emerging readers,” said Beth Hatch, special projects manager for Heights Libraries, who applied for the grant.

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Volume 9, Issue 7, Posted 10:51 AM, 06.21.2016

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights – University Heights Public Library Board meeting highlights [online 5-16-2016]

MAY 16, 2016

  • Master Gardeners of Cuyahoga County awards grants
  • Successful MegaSale
  • Bookmobile for University Heights Library renovation
  • Public Library Fund (PLF) distribution
  • April public service report highlights


Ron Holland, vice president, and Susan Beatty, board member, were absent.

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Volume 9, Issue 7, Posted 8:33 AM, 06.19.2016

Library kicks off centennial celebration

Friends and neighbors of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System gathered at the Coventry Village Library on May 1 for a kick-off celebration of the system's 100th birthday, with poems, a time capsule ceremony, poster competition winners, cupcakes and music. The event's keynote was a talk by local author Mary Doria Russell, who spoke to attendees of her “dark fall into book addiction,” and read an excerpt from Dreamers of the Day, her historical fiction novel, which begins, fittingly, with the creation of the Cleveland Heights Library, 100 years ago.

“The kick-off went really well, and it’s just the beginning,” said Sheryl Banks, the library’s marketing manager, who planned the celebration. “It’s great to get a chance to celebrate the library’s history, mostly as a thank you to our community for placing so much value in the work that the library does.”

Among the approximately 250 attendees were three generations of Heights Libraries directors, former board members, and retired custodial staff.

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Volume 9, Issue 6, Posted 10:01 AM, 05.17.2016

Library partners to screen film about Bhutanese refugees

"Refugees of Shangri-La," a documentary film about the recent experience of Bhutanese refugees settling in America, will be shown on June 11, 6 p.m., at Garfield Memorial Church (1534 South Green Road in South Euclid).

The screening came about through a partnership of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System, the Cleveland-based ASIA Inc. and Garfield Memorial Church, and provides an opportunity for residents to learn about this growing group of refugees who have been settling in the Heights for nearly 10 years.

“Since 2008, Bhutanese refugees have been arriving in the Greater Cleveland area, primarily settling in Cleveland Heights, South Euclid and Cleveland’s West Side,” said Michael To, program coordinator at ASIA Inc. “Right now, about 400–500 Bhutanese refugees live in the Cleveland Heights area.”

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Volume 9, Issue 6, Posted 10:12 AM, 05.30.2016

What’s going on at your library?

For a complete list of programs, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Thursday, June 16, 7 p.m.

An Evening with Dick Meadows. Local author Meadows will share the story of his small-town boyhood and the complicated relationship between father and son. "Washing Day and Other Stories" touches on timeless and universal themes. No registration required; book signing to follow the talk.

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Volume 9, Issue 6, Posted 10:24 AM, 05.30.2016

Library's centennial is focus of its summer reading programs

Summer will be here soon, which means summer reading will, too. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System's summer reading programs start June 1, and this year’s theme, 100 Years of Stories, celebrates the library’s centennial. Summer reading programs will take readers ages 0–100 through each decade of the past 100 years with book lists, events and prizes.

“The timeline for summer reading is the perfect way for us to celebrate our centennial all summer, and to personalize summer reading for our community,” said Sam Lapides, youth services manager. “It’s also the most inclusive initiative we do all year: every branch has something for every age group in our community.”

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Volume 9, Issue 5, Posted 11:33 AM, 04.30.2016

Library seeks deeper, broader understanding of the community

This spring and summer, as part of its strategic planning process for 2016–17, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System will be gathering information from community members regarding their aspirations for themselves and their community.

“Instead of asking people what they think of the library, we are instead asking them to focus on themselves: What are their hopes, dreams and goals? What kind of community do they want to live in?” explained Kim DeNero-Ackroyd, Heights Libraries deputy director, who is managing the strategic planning process. “We want to find out what our community wants—not from the library, but from their lives, their community. We’re looking for information that will give us a deeper, broader understanding of the people we serve.”

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Volume 9, Issue 5, Posted 11:27 AM, 04.30.2016

What’s going on at your library?

This month, Heights Library programs celebrate the library's first hundred years. For a complete list of events, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Wednesday, May 4, 7 p.m.
Cedar-Coventry Author Series: Looking Back, Looking Forward: Coventry Village Through the Decades. Marian Morton, Cleveland Heights historian and author, and Bob Brown, photographer, city planner and Heights resident, explore the evolving character and potential of Coventry Village. A book signing will follow the presentation.

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Volume 9, Issue 5, Posted 11:40 AM, 04.30.2016

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board of Trustees meeting highlights [online 3-21-2016]

MARCH 21, 2016

  • City [of Cleveland Heights] recognizes library’s 100th anniversary
  • Library board and school board share strategic plans
  • Family Connections update
  • Lynda Library subscription extension
  • Public Library Association Award for Colin Tomele
  • Lee Road Library circulation desk improvements
  • ALA opposes unlocking smart phones
  • February public service report highlights


All board members were present.

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Volume 9, Issue 5, Posted 9:11 AM, 04.22.2016

Library Web developer wins national award for innovation

Colin Tomele, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System's Web developer, has received the Public Library Association’s 2015 John Iliff Award.

The award honors the life and accomplishments of John Iliff, an early adopter and champion of technology in public libraries, and recognizes the contributions of a library worker, librarian or library that has used technology and innovative thinking as a tool to improve services to public library users.

Tomele received the award for creating a custom online calendar and room reservation system, called Book-a-Room, using WordPress, a free, open-source software. He created the system to replace an expensive, third-party reservation system that both staff and library customers found difficult to use.

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Volume 9, Issue 4, Posted 1:27 PM, 03.28.2016

New librarian preserves and shares historic materials

In December, Amia Wheatley was promoted from adult services associate to full-time local history librarian for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System. Since then, she has hit the ground running, digitizing historic library documents.

“We have a local history task force and, in the short term, we’re focusing on managing the library’s history materials to celebrate the library’s centennial,” said Wheatley. “Once this is taken care of, we hope to expand to include all local history materials.”

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Volume 9, Issue 4, Posted 1:31 PM, 03.28.2016

What’s going on at your library?

Explore your creative side this month at Heights Libraries. For a complete list of library programs, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Wednesday, April 6, 7 p.m.

Cedar-Coventry Author Series: Art of the Book. Award-winning illustrators Tiffany Laufer (The Porch Dream) and Jamey Christoph (Gordon Parks) share their vision and methods in the art of illustration. A book signing will follow the talk.

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Volume 9, Issue 4, Posted 1:29 PM, 03.28.2016

Heights Libraries celebrates 100 years in 2016

Heights Libraries marks its centennial this year and, starting in March, will celebrate in ways both big and small.

In 1915, John Barden was elected to the board of education of what was then the Village of Cleveland Heights. Part of Barden’s election platform was a promise to start a public library for the village. In 1916, Barden headed a committee that selected the first members of the future public library board, which was established that same year. The fledging library didn’t have a building yet, so it was located in the high school.

When it was founded in 1916, the new library had one employee, librarian Helen Keeler, and fewer than 2,000 books.

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Volume 9, Issue 3, Posted 9:01 AM, 03.01.2016

Library seeks student art to celebrate centennial

The year 2016 marks the centennial of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System. While celebratory programming will begin this spring, the library’s Centennial Poster Art Competition and Exhibition asks children and teens to start thinking now about what the library has meant over the past 100 years, how patrons use it today, and how it may evolve in the future.

Young artists are invited to submit two-dimensional, rigid-mounted artwork inspired by books and libraries to the Lee Road Library, April 1–7. A committee of library staff, as well as representatives from the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District Art Department and Blick Art Materials, will choose a winner for grades K–4, 5–8 and 9–12 categories. Those winners will receive gift certificates to Blick Art Materials for $50, $150 and $250, respectively.

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Volume 9, Issue 3, Posted 2:07 PM, 02.29.2016

What’s going on at your library?

For a complete list of library programs, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Thursday, March 3, 7 p.m.

Poetry with The Poet Laureate. Meredith Holmes, Cleveland Heights poet laureate, will read selected works, including her most recent collection of poems, Familiar at First, Then Strange (Pond Road Press, 2015).

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Volume 9, Issue 3, Posted 2:14 PM, 02.29.2016

Library celebrates black voices in series of events

February is Black History Month, but, if you’ve ever been to the library, you’ll know that it celebrates black history and black writers all year. The University Heights Library holds West African dance classes; the Lee Road Library Youth Services Department celebrates the birthday of Anansi, a character from West African folklore; and the Noble Neighborhood Library has held Soul Stories storytime featuring picture books by African-American writers, and later this year will host an extensive series of programs around Jacqueline Woodson’s book Brown Girl Dreaming in its “On the Same Page” series.

This winter, Heights Libraries will host a Black Voices Matter series that celebrates African-American writers and literature. This series is timely not only because it falls partially during Black History Month, but as a nod to the Black Lives Matter movement against violence toward blacks and inequality in the criminal justice system.

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Volume 9, Issue 2, Posted 2:25 PM, 01.31.2016

What’s going on at your library?

For a complete list of library programs, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Thursday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.

Step Out of Time: Introduction to Pranic Healing with Greg Soltesz. Learn how to use Prana/Life force to accelerate your body’s ability to heal itself. You will also have the opportunity to experience intense peace, stillness and bliss through the Meditation on Twin Hearts.

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Volume 9, Issue 2, Posted 5:22 PM, 01.31.2016

Outgoing library board president honors benefactor

On Dec. 21, Rob Fischer, Heights Libraries outgoing board president, called the library board to order for the last time. Fischer’s term ended in December, and one of his last acts as president was to dedicate and rename the Children’s Room at the Lee Road Library in honor of Grace F. Brody, library customer and generous benefactor.

Brody, who died in March 2014 at the age of 98, made Heights Libraries one of two recipients (along with the Cleveland Public Library) of the remainder of her estate, which is valued at approximately $1 million. Brody was a resident of Cleveland Heights and a retired faculty member of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. Brody did extensive research and writing in the area of family development and child rearing, and provided the funding for an endowed chair at Mandel, the Grace F. Brody Professor of Parent-Child Studies.

Fischer is currently a research professor at the Mandel School and, while he did not have a chance to work with Brody, his current work complements her research, focusing on the evaluation of programs to improve the well-being of children. Since 2001, he has led the Mandel Center’s research on Invest in Children, a countywide early childhood initiative that includes home visiting, children’s health and childcare components.

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Volume 9, Issue 2, Posted 10:19 AM, 01.19.2016

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / CHUH public library board meeting highlights [online 12-21-2015]

DECEMBER 21, 2015

  • Board President Rob Fischer completes term
  • Rebecca (Becky) Katzenmeyer retires
  • Library fund co-sponsors time capsule
  • Cost-saving measures noted
  • Balanced scorecard review
  • Adult service librarian promotions
  • November public service report highlights

Board Members Susan Beatty and Chris Mentrek were absent.

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Volume 9, Issue 2, Posted 2:50 PM, 01.20.2016

Special projects manager focuses on community and library needs

Beth Hatch has been working as the special projects manager for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System for only three months, but has hit the ground running.

“I often get asked what a special projects manager is by coworkers and colleagues in the profession. When I tell them my title they say, ‘Great! But what do you actually do?’ ” said Hatch.

Hatch is a librarian, but her focus is to take on the larger-scale projects that the library wants to implement, that staff on the floor doing reference, circulation or administration don’t have time to manage.

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Volume 9, Issue 1, Posted 2:49 PM, 12.30.2015

What’s going on at your library?

There’s something for everyone at the library. For a complete list of programs, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Saturday, Jan. 23, 11:30 a.m.

Baby Signs. Avoid frustration and have fun communicating with your prelingual baby. Join Melissa O'Grady for an introduction to baby signs and the philosophy behind it. Registration begins Jan. 9.

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Volume 9, Issue 1, Posted 2:59 PM, 12.30.2015

Library reaches out to home-schooling families

According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 1.77 million children were being home-schooled in 2011, a 62 percent increase from 2003. Heights Libraries is reaching out to this growing population with its Home-schooling Meet and Greet on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Lee Road Library. The event aims to welcome homeschooling families and find out directly from them how the library can best support them.

“We are interested in finding out what the needs are for the homeschooling community, so that we can create programming specifically designed to meet their unique needs and better serve them,” said Tamara Murray, youth services associate and event organizer. “We feel that it is essential to get this valuable input, because there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ home-schooling family.”

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Volume 9, Issue 1, Posted 11:54 AM, 12.22.2015

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights – University Heights Library Board of Trustees meeting highlights [online 10-19-2015]

OCTOBER 19, 2015

  • Room named to honor Grace F. Brody
  • Sara Phillips to head the University Heights Library
  • Book Bike in the news
  • Librarian blogs successful
  • Youth services outreach
  • Friends group has new officers
  • Project manager for University Heights Library renovation
  • September public service report highlights

Board Member Susan Beatty was absent.

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Volume 8, Issue 12, Posted 11:46 AM, 11.18.2015

Heights Libraries welcomes new branch manager

The University Heights Library will welcome its new manager, Sara Phillips, on Nov. 16. Phillips comes to University Heights from the East Cleveland Public Library, where she served as the public services manager. She takes over the position from Aurora Martinez, who is now director of the Morley Library in Painesville.

Phillips began her library career at Heights Libraries, in September 2006, as a reference substitute and then part-time library associate.

She received her Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University, and is actively involved in committees of the American Library Association and the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System, as well as the Ohio Library Council’s North Chapter Action Council.

“These are exciting times for University Heights, since we’ll be renovating the branch starting in 2016,” said Nancy Levin, Heights Libraries director. “We need a branch manager who is flexible and can handle logistics, among many other aspects of this extensive project.”

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Volume 8, Issue 12, Posted 10:30 AM, 11.09.2015

Heights Libraries earns top rating for seventh consecutive year

For the seventh year in a row, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System has received the highest possible rating in Library Journal's 2015 Index of Public Library Service.

Library Journal—a national publication with a circulation of 100,000 that reports library news, emphasizing public libraries—awards it five-star rating to the top U.S. libraries each year. Heights Libraries has earned five stars in seven out of the eight years that Library Journal has published the ratings, starting in 2008.

Libraries are categorized by yearly expenditure and rated on four criteria: circulation, visits, program attendance, and Internet terminal (public computer) use. Heights Libraries circulation came in at 31 per capita, meaning that roughly 31 items were circulated for every resident in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights service area.

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Volume 8, Issue 12, Posted 12:11 PM, 11.06.2015

What’s going on at your library?

Slow down and take some time for yourself this holiday season. The library offers a variety of programs that are the perfect combination of indulgent and educational. For more information, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Thursday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m.

Step Out of Time: Use Your New Year's Resolutions to Develop Happiness and Peace. Tamar Geri, Reiki master and intuitive channeler, will guide participants in using spiritual awareness to achieve goals, improve relationships and create a better life.

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Volume 8, Issue 12, Posted 6:10 PM, 12.01.2015

What’s going on at your library?

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

Cedar-Coventry Author Series: Paula McLain. Paula McLain's follow-up to her phenomenal bestseller The Paris Wife follows the adventurous life of Beryl Markham, the record-setting aviator in 1920s Africa, caught up in a passionate love triangle with Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen).

Lee Road Library
2345 Lee Road, 216-932-3600

Monday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.

Alice (For the Rest of Us) featuring WCPN’s Dee Perry. 

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Volume 8, Issue 11, Posted 10:09 AM, 11.02.2015

Heights Libraries seeks new board member

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library will be accepting applications for a new board member beginning Nov. 2, with applications due Nov. 17. The new board member will replace current president Rob Fischer, whose term ends in December.

Library board members serve seven-year terms, and any Cleveland Heights or University Heights resident is eligible to apply.

“Our library is such an integral part of our community,” said Nancy Levin, Heights Libraries director. “Serving on the library board is one of the best ways a citizen can serve the Heights community, by helping guide the vision of the public library.”

Applications will be available Nov. 2–17 at the Lee Road Library, 2345 Lee Road, in Cleveland Heights.

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Volume 8, Issue 11, Posted 10:26 AM, 10.12.2015

Library board chooses direction for University Heights Library renovation

At its Sept. 28 meeting, the Heights Libraries Board of Trustees announced the direction and scope for the 2016 renovation of the University Heights Library.

The meeting included a detailed presentation by Cleveland-based architecture firm CBLH Design Inc., which included conceptual renderings of the interior and exterior of the proposed design. Residents and library staff had opportunity during the meeting to examine the drawings, ask questions of the board and architects, and offer feedback.

“The design we’ve selected seeks to best accommodate the wishes of our residents and patrons, such as more parking, a rear door off the parking lot, a fully functioning elevator, first floor bathrooms, and designated areas for children and teens,” said Rob Fischer, Heights Libraries board president. “The University Heights branch is the library's second-most heavily used building, after Lee Road, and these changes and additions will make it an even more functional resource for the Heights community.”

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Volume 8, Issue 11, Posted 9:36 AM, 10.05.2015

Library expands online services with texting and eMedia card

According to the Pew Research Center, 70 percent of Americans currently have broadband Internet connections at home, compared to roughly 50 percent in 2000, and nearly two-thirds of Americans now own smartphones. As more of its customers are turning to these online options, Heights Libraries is ready to reach them with two new services: text alerts for holds and an online-only eMedia card.

The text alerts are not, technically, new—they have been available since 2010. Recent technical changes behind the scenes have made it a much easier process. “So many of our customers have turned their phones into great organizational and informational tools—it is natural that they would prefer to be informed about their hold materials in this manner,” said Ty Emerson, Heights Libraries’ circulation services manager.

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Volume 8, Issue 10, Posted 6:44 PM, 09.30.2015

What’s going on at your library?

“We’re all mad here,” at the library—mad about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
 Heights Libraries celebrates the 150th anniversary of this classic tale, with programs throughout the month of October. For more information, and to register, visit www.heightslibrary.org.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 p.m.

Poets’ Journey in Wonderland. 
In honor of the 150th anniversary of Alice’s journey into Wonderland, this open reading invites local poets to share tales of journeys and poetry.

Lee Road Library
2345 Lee Road, 216-932-3600

Thursday, Oct. 8, 6–8 p.m.

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Volume 8, Issue 10, Posted 6:39 PM, 09.30.2015

UH Library manager to lead Painesville library

Aurora Martinez, University Heights Library manager, has been named director of Morley Library in Painesville.

Martinez joined the library’s youth services department in 2006 and has served as the library's manager since 2008. She previously worked in youth services at the Euclid and Geauga County public libraries. 

During her time at the University Heights Library, Martinez participated in many civic, business and school issues. She worked closely with Walter Stinson, University Heights's senior services manager, collaborated with the city government and school district, and forged a relationship with Whole Foods and other local merchants and nonprofits for outreach services.

“She is a much-respected supervisor and colleague who always spoke up for customers young and old, disabled and able-bodied,” said Nancy Levin, Heights Libraries director. “We will miss her very much, but know that the residents of Painesville are lucky to have such a wonderful library advocate in their midst.”

Martinez has been involved in state and national library associations, having served on the planning committees for the Ohio Library Council (OLC) and the Public Library Association’s annual conferences. She also helps with developing leadership skills in women who are pursuing library careers. In 2014, she presented a “Lean In To Your Future” program at the OLC annual conference, with plans to lead another session this year.

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Volume 8, Issue 10, Posted 10:24 AM, 09.29.2015

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board of Trustees meeting highlights 8-17-2015

AUGUST 17, 2015

  • University Hights Library parking lot expansion
  • Library board accepts gifts
  • Appointment of special projects manager
  • Balanced scorecard highlights
  • Library media coverage
  • Staff development day
  • Public Library Fund August distribution
  • July public service report highlights
  • Next regular meeting

All board members were present.

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Volume 8, Issue 10, Posted 3:55 PM, 09.21.2015

Library joins the ‘maker movement’ with new teen program

Every Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., a small corner in the back of the teen room at the Lee Road Library is transformed into a workshop. Tables and supplies are brought out of storage, and teens crowd around to see what tools and craft supplies may spark a creative idea. Needle and thread? Hammers, nails and wood? Yarn, beads, or electric circuits?

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library has joined the growing “maker movement” with its Maker Thursdays program for teens at the Lee Road Library.

A March 2014 Adweek article summed up the maker movement as: “The umbrella term for independent inventors, designers and tinkerers. . . . A convergence of computer hackers and traditional artisans, the niche is established enough to have its own magazine, Make, as well as hands-on Maker Faires that are catnip for DIYers who used to toil in solitude.”

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Volume 8, Issue 9, Posted 2:00 PM, 08.31.2015

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland turns 150

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—a milestone of longevity that few books reach. A novel about a girl who fell through a rabbit hole to encounter nonsensical talking animals somehow became a classic. Alice has inspired countless adaptations in the form of other books, artwork, live theater, ballet and film. One explanation for its popularity is that the literary nonsense genre is fun for young readers, and also allows for infinite interpretations for adults. It’s a fantasy book for children, a clever satire of Victorian England, and, perhaps, something else altogether.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library is celebrating the book’s anniversary with Alice-themed programs for all ages during its fall season.

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Volume 8, Issue 9, Posted 1:57 PM, 08.31.2015

What’s going on at your library?

Heights Libraries’ summer reading programs have wrapped up, but the fun continues into fall with new programs.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Cedar-Coventry Author Series: James Robenalt. Attorney and historian Robenalt reads from January 1973: Watergate, Roe v. Wade, Vietnam, and the Month that Changed America Forever. His account of that tumultuous year is based partly on newly released Nixon tapes.

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Volume 8, Issue 9, Posted 1:53 PM, 08.31.2015

Library and HRRC offer programs for 'heroic' homeowners

With roughly half of its housing built before 1939, Cleveland Heights is a city with an older-than-average housing stock. These old homes are a great source of pride for many homeowners and residents, with 11 neighborhoods and 10 residential buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Keeping these homes in good shape does require effort, though, and some residents aren’t sure how to go about maintaining these older homes.

That’s why the Home Repair Resource Center (HRRC) decided to team up with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System on a series of home repair classes: Heroic Homeowning. The series will provide basic information to get homeowners started, and cover budgeting, working with contractors, and simple repairs that most owners can do themselves.

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Volume 8, Issue 8, Posted 10:15 AM, 07.31.2015

Library to host Digital Bookmobile Aug. 8

On Saturday, Aug. 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Lee Road Library will host the Digital Bookmobile, a full-sized, 18-wheel tractor trailer that is a high-tech update on the traditional bookmobile. The vehicle is equipped with Internet-connected PCs, high-definition monitors, premium sound systems, and a variety of portable media players, all of which will help visitors explore the library’s digital service. Interactive learning stations will give visitors an opportunity to search the library’s digital media collection; use supported mobile devices; and sample eBooks, audiobooks, and videos.

“The Digital Bookmobile’s visit gives us a fun way to promote our extensive digital collection,” said Jackie Mayse, technology trainer at the Lee Road Library.

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Volume 8, Issue 8, Posted 10:10 AM, 07.31.2015

What’s going on at your library?

In August, Heights Libraries looks outside, with programs that explore seed saving, home repair, geocaching and permaculture.

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400

Saturday, Aug. 29, 2 p.m.

Hands-on Seed Saving. Saving seeds is beneficial for your wallet as well as your harvests. Staff and community members will work together to harvest seeds from Coventry's Collaborative Garden, to save them for next year's crop.

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Volume 8, Issue 8, Posted 10:04 AM, 07.31.2015

Campfire Storytelling Series lets teens share their experiences

Traditions are often passed down in the form of stories and myths. Framing experiences in a storytelling narrative makes them more accessible to others and easier to remember. While the concept is as old as humanity, live storytelling is having a resurgence. For example, The Moth: True Stories Told Live is a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. The Moth’s podcast has become one of the top ten most popular on iTunes.

Another example is the once-a-month storytelling event called “Keep Talking” at The Happy Dog in Cleveland. Hosted by two stand-up comedians who choose a broad theme, it invites participants to come prepared to stand and tell their stories. The only rule is that the story has to be true.

This is where Monica Wilson, Heights Libraries youth services associate, got the idea to start Campfire Storytelling Series, a storytelling program for teens.

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Volume 8, Issue 7, Posted 9:13 AM, 07.01.2015

Heights Libraries names new finance manager

Heights Libraries has named Deborah Herrmann as the system’s new finance manager. Herrmann will begin her new job on July 1, and succeeds Jana Nassif, who left the position in April.

Prior to joining Heights Libraries, Herrmann, who lives in University Heights, served as treasurer of Strongsville City Schools. Before that, she worked as treasurer for Cuyahoga Heights School District, Kirtland Local School District and Richmond Heights School District. She also served as Geauga County’s chief deputy auditor and was a tax administrator in the Medina County Auditor's Office.

“Deborah brings with her a wealth of government experience, in public school districts, and city and county governments,” said Nancy Levin, Heights Libraries director.

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Volume 8, Issue 7, Posted 9:11 AM, 07.01.2015