All board members present

Automatic doors for walkway

The board approved expenditures to install automatic openers on the doors of the Heights Arts area and the walkway.

"Olympic record" of new hires

Thirteen positions were filled in July including the appointment of Alice Eiden as adult services support services supervisor, prompting the remark that the job title might need to be shortened.

New library director

Library Board President Gerald Blake announced that Nancy Levin had accepted the director’s position, effective Oct. 1, 2008. The acting director until then would be Deputy Director Catherine Hakala-Ausperk. Levin was formerly young adult coordinator of this library and left last year to take the deputy director’s job at the Rocky River Public Library.

Director Wood’s achievements

The board read into the record the resolution on Director Wood’s retirement that was first read at the farewell party the previous day. Each board member read a portion of the resolution, recognizing Director Wood’s achievements, which included levy campaigns, building projects, participation as the first member of CLEVENET, innovative projects such as the roving reference desk, and promotion of customer service.

Grants and gifts to the library

The library has received a $1,000 gift for the children’s room at the Noble Library, a grant of $1,500 for the Deaf Services Program at the Coventry Library, and a tribute fund in the memory of Gertrude Kleiner, a former Friends secretary. The fund will include a staff award and a story cottage for the children’s department, complete with picket fence!

Art acquisition

The library has acquired a second David E. Davis sculpture.

Canines to aid reading awareness

The library has adopted board member Ortner’s suggestion of awareness (reading) dogs. The “tail waggers” will appear in November, and Director Wood will come out of retirement to observe them.

Videoconferencing

The library has acquired videoconferencing equipment as part of the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System Project, which includes five or six libraries.

Technical upgrade

The library has replaced the three T-1 internet lines with fiber. The library will ask OPLIN (Ohio Public Library Information Network) for more.

Director farewell

Director Wood ended his report saying that after over 200 board meetings, it had been an honor and a privilege to have been a staff member of the library for 11 years and then director for 20.

Web services

Amy Harmon, web library manager, noted that the new website was launched July 1. There have been 54 chat reference transactions and the staff has been participating in the library’s blog. The library’s MySpace page hasn’t been updated since January. Staff response has been to rejuvenate the page rather than killing it. Branch managers will be trained on site management. Currently Harmon shares her time between web services and adult services, but it appears that web services could take all of her time.

LWV observer: Anne S. McFarland

Clarification of purchases

At the July 21 meeting, the board approved the purchase of PC hardware and software including 55 Dell computers. The purchase of Macintosh computers was discussed but not authorized.

This summary of the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area-Heights Chapter report of a Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board meeting contains member observations and selected highlights and is not an official statement by the League of Women Voters. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of this report.

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