Cleveland Heights - University Heights Public Library Board of Trustees meeting highlights 9-17-2018

SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

 

  • Staff recognitions and awards
  • Security update
  • Materials Evaluation and Selection Policy
  • Outreach Report 2017
  • Public service highlights
  • Coventry Conversations Series
  • Cleveland Heights Immigration Task Force

 

President Abby Botnick, Vice President Chris Mentrek, Secretary James Roosa, Max Gerboe, Chris Mentrek, Suzann Moskowitz and Vikas Turakhia were present. The meeting began at 6:30 p.m. and adjourned at 7:30 p.m.

Staff recognitions and awards

At this meeting, Michelle Stys, the liaison director for the state auditor, presented the Ohio Auditor of State award with distinction for “excellence in financial reporting” to Deborah Herrman, Heights Libraries’ fiscal officer.

Noble Neighborhood Branch Youth Services Department Librarian Mary Looby and University Heights Branch Manager Sara Phillips were both selected to attend the Library Leadership Conference presented by OhioNET and the State Library of Ohio. Attendees were selected based on outstanding leadership potential, communication skills and initiative, among other qualities.

Security update

Presented by Kevin Echols, the security update report indicated that, as of August 31, the rate of incidents is less than one incident per 1000 visitors. There have been 120 incidents compared to 193 this time last year and 205 in 2016.

Materials Evaluation and Selection Policy

The board of trustees completed its annual review of the Materials Evaluation and Selection Policy, which guides staff in the acquisition of library materials, and approved them as amended for 2018. The amended policy can be found on the Heights Libraries website.

Outreach Report 2017

The Outreach Report for 2017 was presented and distributed to the board. Library staff go to schools, day care centers, senior centers, and community events for the purpose of increasing access to all library services. The total number of persons served rose 67 percent over the previous year. The activities reached 8,526 youth (every public school and a number of private schools were visited) and 368 adults. Homebound customers checked out 1,176 items. There are also a number of drop off collections in the community, including recently added barber shops.

The board approved a new, full-time position--a community engagement associate--to fulfill these expanding outreach needs.

Public service highlights

Local history resources, including archival documents on the history of the library and the city of Cleveland Heights; and sixty years of the Black and Gold, the Heights High school newspaper, are being digitally scanned with a new overhead scanner and will be uploaded to the local history repository on Ohio Memory. The project is in partnership with the CH-UH School District and the Heights Schools Foundation.

One hundred thirty-seven employees attended drug-free workplace training in August. The training focused on “vaping” and Ohio’s new medical marijuana law.

A 21st Century Grant, a five-year grant from the Ohio Department of Education, was awarded to the CH-UH City School District for afterschool enrichment programs at Noble and Roxboro elementary schools. The library will assist with programming on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Sept. 25.

The adult summer reading program, “Around the World in 80 Days of Reading,” had high participation in all branches this summer. Entries were reported up 67 percent at the Lee Road Library and a new record was set for the University Heights branch with 754 entries. Grand prize drawings will be held in September.

Summer reading for youth was high as well; there were 472 more registrations compared to the end of the 2017 program, the strongest since 2014 for all age levels. Teen circulation was up 39 percent over last August.

Coventry Conversations Series

Director Nancy Levin and several community partners offered the summer installment of the Coventry Conversations Series. Thirty-five community members attended the event to learn about plans for the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park and to share their questions, concerns, and suggestions.

Cleveland Heights Immigration Task Force

Stephen Sanders, Noble branch refugee librarian, and Nancy Levin, Heights Libraries director, addressed the Cleveland Heights Immigration Task Force in August. Work toward a cooperative agreement between the city, schools, and Heights Libraries is underway to provide resources and communication regarding issues that arise for the immigrant population of Cleveland Heights.

LWV Observer: Elizabeth Tracy.

To receive email postings of full reports, send an email to maryannbarnes@lwvgreatercleveland.org 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 of Greater Cleveland. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports. 

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Volume 11, Issue 11, Posted 12:35 PM, 10.17.2018