Libraries host Oct. 16 'homecoming' celebrations
Fall is the season for homecoming celebrations. High schools, colleges and universities invite alumni to reunite with old classmates, visit campuses, and see how their schools—and classmates—have changed. Former students stroll through their old dorms and student centers, then visit the new stadium or the new computer science building. It’s a comforting combination of old and new.
Heights Libraries will have its own homecoming celebration on Sunday, Oct. 16, 1:30–4 p.m., at every branch. Community members are invited to visit their neighborhood library to meet new staff, reconnect with existing staff, and learn about what’s new since they last visited.
Since the COVID pandemic struck in 2020, Heights Libraries' circulation and visitor numbers have dipped as a result of periodic library building closures and restrictions, such as social distancing and mask-wearing, which made programming difficult. However, library staff took advantage of those quieter times to create new resources and services: A new Local History Room at the Lee Road branch, a new STEAM Lab at the HKIC, new meeting rooms at the Coventry Village branch that feature space for culinary programs, a revitalized children’s garden at the Noble Neighborhood branch, and weekly take-and-make projects for all ages at the University Heights branch, to name just a few innovations.
The Oct. 16 homecoming events will feature refreshments and activities for all ages, and customers who check out more than 10 items will get a free tote bag, while supplies last.
More information is available at heightslibrary.org.
Sheryl Banks
Sheryl Banks is the communications manager for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library System.