Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library Board meeting highlights 3-17-14

MARCH 17, 2014

  • Board meeting time change
  • Public visioning for University Heights Branch remodeling
  • 2014 budget information
  • National Library Week
  • February public service report highlights

All board members were present.

Board meeting time change

Beginning in April, library board meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. instead of 7 p.m., but will continue to take place the third Monday of the month. This change will facilitate the attendance of the administrative services team.

Public visioning for University Heights Branch remodeling

The public consistently expressed the following needs, though  paper, online, and in-person responses to possible plans:

  • A back entrance from the parking lot, saving patrons a walk around the building;
  • Bathrooms on the first floor instead of the basement;
  • A “real” elevator to replace the current lift;
  • A larger parking lot with more handicapped parking.

Issues raised less often were:

  • Better outdoor lighting;
  • Children’s and youth section downstairs or partitioned;
  • A designated quiet area;
  • Easier access for strollers;
  • Family bathroom;
  • Stairs safer for children.

Customers praised a number of existing features of the branch: walkable location; convenient to public transit; wonderful, helpful staff; and well-organized layout.

2014 budget information

  • The library’s certified Ohio Public Library Fund (PLF) revenue for 2014 is 2.69 percent lower than actual 2013 PLF receipts, but an increase of 8.83 percent is expected in general property tax revenue.
  • The collection budget is approximately 13 percent of total appropriations, with $1,171,900 budgeted for books, music, movies, periodicals, databases and some e-media. The bulk of e-media is provided by membership in the regional library consortium, CLEVNET.
  • Salaries and benefits make up 59 percent of proposed expenses and represent an increase of 7.45 percent over those costs in 2013. This allows for a small salary increase for staff and for at least a 15 percent increase in health-care costs.

National Library Week

National Library Week in April will have both national and local celebrations. Locally, the Three for Me Card and the new library welcome brochure will be featured.

With both National Library Week and National Volunteer week [in April], a volunteer-recognition event is planned for Sunday, April 13, from 2–4 p.m., including refreshments, a book swap and award presentation. Friends of the Library will be involved along with library staff.

February public service report highlights:

  • The Sherlock Holmes series continued with “Dr. Watson, I Presume? The Life of a Medical Doctor in Victorian London,” a lecture by Dr. Brandy Shillace, researcher and guest curator for the Dittrick Museum of Medical History. The series concluded with a book discussion of the classic The Hound of the Baskervilles.
  • Students from Case Western Reserve University will study the operation of the Lee Road drive-up book return, focusing on protecting materials from damage and creating an ergonomically supportive method of handling the large numbers of returns.
  • Author Daniel Stashower read from his bestselling book Hour of Peril: the Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War. He told the audience that he wrote most of the introduction to the book at the Coventry Village Library.
  • Shenee King, youth services associate, presented four sessions of West African Dancing and Drumming, an interactive and energetic series for all ages celebrating traditional African music and dance movement. Many participants asked that the library offer the classes again.
  • Spiderman Day drew 58 adults and kids to the Lee Road Library teen room on Saturday, Feb. 22 to watch a few Spiderman films and get free comics from trade issue discards. The program helped to promote the Free Comic Book Day program coming in May.
  • Volunteers from AARP offered free tax assistance by appointment on Thursday afternoons in February.

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, 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.

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Volume 7, Issue 5, Posted 1:35 PM, 04.14.2014