CH-UH Public Library Board Meeting highlights
OCTOBER 19, 2009
Audrey Cole absent.
State support reduced
Public Library Fund revenue (state support for Ohio libraries) is 17.3 percent lower year-to-date than in 2008. Board Member Glenn Billington asked whether the library should aim for a decrease in expenditures of 20 percent rather than 16-17 percent. Director Levin replied that expenditures have already been reduced by a significant amount.
Mold abatement at Noble
The cost estimate for mold abatement at the Noble Library is $11,100. Cleanup after the Labor Day storm sewer backup exposed existing mold in the drywall of two meeting rooms and the two emergency exits. Mold abatement must be done in compliance with EPA standards and will not be covered by insurance. The board allocated $13,000 to cover cost plus contingencies.
Cora Hampton retires
Inter Library Loan Assistant Cora Hampton retired in November after 33 years of service. The board passed a resolution honoring Hampton and taking note of her ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions. The library fills the greatest number of requests in the CLEVNET system.
Meeting room policy
Current meeting room policy allows residents to reserve rooms for social uses. Last year the Heights Libraries hosted 1,458 public meetings and will exceed that by a significant number this year. Due to the increased staff time for set-up and clean-up plus increased maintenance costs, the board approved an updated fees and charges schedule for use of the meeting rooms.
The Music Settlement at Coventry School
The Music Settlement’s plan to build on the Coventry School site will affect traffic and parking in the area. The library will be part of the planning process for the project which will result in a large early childhood center.
Friends of the Library activities
Wise Up! A Literary Fest held by the Friends at Nighttown on Oct. 4 was a great success, resulting in over $7,000 raised for the library. For Dec. 5, Friends plan a night out at Dobama. Members will be offered a discounted group rate to "Gutenberg! The Musical." The Book Sale ended the day prior to this meeting so final proceeds were not known at press time.
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, Marilyn McLaughlin, 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 Cuyahoga Area. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.