BOARD OF TRUSTEES' MEETING - CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / 5:00 p.m - Cuyahoga County Public ...
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C UYAHOG A C O U N T Y P U BL I C L I B R A RY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ MEETING
Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / 5:00 p.m.
V i r tua l M e eti ngCUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING AGENDA
26 January 2021
REMOTE CONFERENCE CALL MEETING
5:00 p.m.
TOPIC PAGE# MOTION
1. Call to Order: William Leonard, President ROLL-CALL
2. Election of Officers: Presentation of Slate ACTION
3. Resolution to Appoint Fiscal Officer & Deputy 1 ACTION
Fiscal Officer
Oath of Office – Fiscal Officer 2
Oath of Office – Deputy Fiscal Officer 3
4. Approval of Minutes: December 15, 2020 Board 4-12 ACTION
Meeting
5. Retiree Recognition 13-16 INFORMATION
6. Report of the Board President INFORMATION
7. Report of the Executive Director 17-28 INFORMATION
Food Distribution Overview
8. Human Resources Report 29-34 ACTION
9. Finance Committee Report: 35-37
Financial Statement Review – Fiscal 2020 – 38-42 INFORMATION
December
Investments: Fiscal 2020 – December 43 ROLL-CALL
Purchase Approval List 44 ACTION
Gift Report 45 ACTION
Voucher List Review 46-47 INFORMATION
10. New Business
Resolution Authorizing the Library to Accept 49-50 ACTION
Guaranteed Maximum Pricing Relating to the New
Construction of the Bay Village Branch Library
Located in the City of Bay Village
Amendment to Resolution Authorizing the Library 51-52 ACTION
to Enter into an Agreement with Donley’s
Independence, LLC., for Construction Management
at Risk Services Relating to the New Construction
of the Bay Village Branch Library Located in the
City of Bay Village
Resolution to Revise Cuyahoga County Public 53-58 ACTION
Library Credit Card Policy
Resolution for the Cuyahoga County Public Library 59-62 ACTION
to Adopt Second Amendment to the Cuyahoga
County Public Library Salary Redirection Plan
Resolution Authorizing Executive Director to 63 ACTION
Amend the Borrowing Policies: Loan Limits and
Loan Periods
11. Adjourn ACTION1
Cuyahoga County Public Library – Resolution to Appoint
Fiscal Officer and Deputy Fiscal Officer
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees must appoint a Fiscal Officer for a one-year term
under ORC Sec. 3375.32, and;
WHEREAS, it is now necessary to appoint the Fiscal Officer to serve for that one-year
term which shall begin with the appointment at the Board Meeting of
January 26, 2021, and;
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees will also appoint a Deputy Fiscal Officer to serve for
the same term.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of Cuyahoga
County Public Library hereby appoints Scott A. Morgan as Fiscal Officer and Robert
W. Dolan as Deputy Fiscal Officer for one-year terms beginning January 26, 2021.
Approved 26 January 2021
X________________________
William J. Leonard
President
X_______________________
Allyn Davies
Secretary2
Cuyahoga County Public Library – Oath of Office Fiscal
Officer
I, Scott A. Morgan, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United
States and the Constitution of the State of Ohio; that I will faithfully and impartially
discharge my duties as Fiscal Officer of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, Cuyahoga
County, Ohio to the best of my ability and in accordance with the laws now in effect and
hereafter to be enacted during my term in office.
X
Scott A. Morgan
Date: January 26, 20213
Cuyahoga County Public Library – Oath of Office – Deputy
Fiscal Officer
I, Robert W. Dolan, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United
States and the Constitution of the State of Ohio; that I will faithfully and impartially
discharge my duties as Deputy Fiscal Officer of the Cuyahoga County Public Library,
Cuyahoga County, Ohio to the best of my ability and in accordance with the laws now in
effect and hereafter to be enacted during my term in office.
X
Robert W. Dolan
Date: January 26, 20214
CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
MINUTES
15 December 2020
The December 15, 2020 meeting of the Cuyahoga County Public Library Board of Trustees was held
remotely. With a quorum of seven (7) Board members present, President Leonard called the meeting to
order at 5:00 p.m.
Roll-Call: Present: Edward H. Blakemore; Allyn Davies; Dean E. DePiero; William J.
Leonard; Patricia A. Shlonsky; Maria L. Spangler; Robert W. Varley – 7
Absent: - 0.
Also present: Executive Director Tracy Strobel; Deputy Director-Support Services and Fiscal Officer
Scott Morgan; Human Resources Director Monique Good, Deputy Director of Public Services Pam
Jankowski, and Assistant Finance Director Robert Dolan,
Approval of Minutes:
President Leonard asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the November 17, 2020 Board meeting
that were sent to the Board members in advance of this meeting.
01-12/2020
Trustee Spangler moved to approve the minutes, seconded by Trustee Varley. Seeing no corrections,
omissions or additions, the minutes of the November 17, 2020 Board Meeting were approved by
unanimous vote of the Board members present.
Retiree Recognition:
President Leonard recognized and thanked Kathleen Harrison, Avril McInally, Sharon Razek, and Rose
Rini for their many years of service to Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) and wished them all the
best on their retirement. This meeting was held remotely, and none of the retirees participated in the
meeting. (See pages 300-303)
Report of the Board President:
President Leonard acknowledged that 2020 was a very unusual and challenging year. We have gone
through three major key events. One is the on-boarding and hiring of a new Executive Director, passing a
levy, and COVID-19 impacting our business. President Leonard is happy to say we have thrived through
all that and have come out stronger. Executive Director Strobel has done a terrific job of keeping things
going. Our levy passed with great voter support in the community which is awesome. We have also
managed to continue to provide service to constituents through these very difficult times. He thanked
Executive Director Strobel and her Leadership Team for an unbelievable year despite everything that was
thrown at us.
President Leonard stated Trustee Varley has chaired the Nominating Committee and the following have
accepted nominations to board leadership positions for the upcoming fiscal year. Trustee Leonard to fill
the role of President, Trustee DePiero to fill the role of Vice President, Trustee Davies to fill the role of
Secretary. The official vote will be at the January 2021 organization meeting.
291 | P a g e5 Report of the Executive Director: Executive Director Strobel thanked President Leonard for the kind and supportive words. She extended happy holiday wishes to the Board and to everyone watching this evening. She stated in November, our big news was the passing of Issue 70, which strengthened our financial future for years to come. Executive Director Strobel shared for the 11th consecutive year, the Cuyahoga County Public Library was named a “five star” system by Library Journal, again we have the highest score among our large library peers. It was very gratifying to be lauded for this achievement in both traditional and social media for the past week. Executive Director Strobel acknowledged the nineteen staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19. Two thirds of these occurred during the fall surge that we are still in and the severity of these cases has varied widely. We wish each of them, our best as they return to good health. She gave thanks to the Human Resources Team led by Director Good and the Facilities Team led by Director Mori and our staff who responds to the positive reports of COVID-19. Executive Director Strobel acknowledged and thanked an unsung hero from our Human Resources Division, Lisa Keefer, CCPL Human Resources Coordinator. She is the expert when it comes to all the acronyms like FMLA and ADA and FFCRA. She has been incredibly busy helping connect people who are sick, caring for loved ones who are sick and those juggling with dependent care while, kids are home with remote schooling. She connects them with the benefits they need and helps them navigate all the complexities involved with those benefits. If any of us had a nickel for every time we said, “I don't know call Lisa about that” we would have never had to go to the ballot in November we could have just lived off those nickels for years to come. Executive Director Strobel commented she wanted the record to show that Ms. Keefer’s expertise, her efficiency, compassion and her hard work and dedication are appreciated by herself, and all her colleagues and by the Board. Executive Director Strobel gave highlights on the creativity and the breadth of programming taking place in the branches even with our doors closed to walk in traffic at this time. The amount of reimagining of what we traditionally do has truly been impressive. Our staff have been busy creating and sharing videos like outdoor story walks, take and make crafts, our new personalized pic service has been very popular. We have been doing curbside printing and faxing, virtual homework help, and virtual school visits through Zoom. It has been terrific how people have stepped up and been so resilient and especially so creative. Executive Director Strobel introduced Robert Rua, CCPL Assistant Marketing Director to share more details about some of our virtual programming and customer engagement efforts during these unique times. Assistant Director Rua thanked everyone for this opportunity this evening. He stated we have come a long way since the initial onset of the pandemic in March, which made it necessary to cancel hundreds of in person programs. Assistant Director Rua is proud of how quickly our organization pivoted to virtual content to keep our customers engaged, informed, and entertained. Aside from a few exceptions, we have not been able to hold in person programming, but from a virtual content standpoint, we have had a very active year. As we enter 2021 that activity level is only going to increase. Assistant Director Rua thanked CCPL Media Services Team; Courtney Conway, Communications & External Relations Supervisor, Rewa Koch, Media Services Coordinator, Carina Palcisko, Media Services Coordinator and Gregory Mullin, Media Services Coordinator. They have really been the engine for much of the virtual content we have produced this year. Behind the scenes Media Services has facilitated more than 80 virtual events, produced numerous prerecorded events, edited many staff and partner generated videos, created excellent original video content of their own, mastered a host of new technologies and found creative new ways to collaborate with their colleagues and our external presenters. 292 | P a g e
6 This team has been very adaptable, creative, and productive during this challenging year. Prior to the pandemic much of the team's work was centered on supporting library events and external client bookings held in the Sari Feldman Auditorium at our Parma-Snow Branch. Last year the team supported 167 events, including both internal and external bookings. Assistant Director Rua gave kudos to Ms. Conway and the Media Services team for all the good work that they have accomplished this year. Assistant Director Rua stated our daily work revolves around nearly a dozen online broadcast platforms, collaboration tools, and software applications that our team uses to create online content and host virtual events on our many digital properties. Assistant Director Rua stated much of our focus in 2020 has really been on virtual engagement. This term encompasses virtual programs and events, but also the creation of video content that showcases the expertise and talents of the library staff, highlights our digital collection, electronic resources and informs the public about available services like personalized pics, curbside and drive thru services as well as the precautions that we have taken to keep our branches as safe and clean as possible. Assistant Director Rua mentioned that author visits was the largest term in the word cloud and that is because since the start of the pandemic through December 9 we have hosted more than 70 virtual author events, including the William N. Skirball Writers Center Stage (WCS) series. These events are available for our customers to discover on our online events calendar, Our Beyond the Book Jacket website, and our Facebook events calendar or weekly email newsletters on the library's website and our social media platforms. For most of the year we have hosted our author events on Facebook Live. The only exception has been ticketed events which we have hosted on the crowd cast platform. We have shifted to hosting our author events to Zoom webinar in part because it is more robust, in terms of audience participation features, and it has security features like waiting rooms and pass codes, and authors and publishers have stated their preference for Zoom webinars. It also integrates easily with other applications that we use all the time like Constant Contact and Zapier and Otter A.I. which we are using tonight it is a new closed captioning software that we recently began using to increase the accessibility of our events for the hearing impaired. Assistant Director Rua stated from April 30 when we held our first post closure virtual author event through December 3 viewers have spent nearly 4,500 hours watching CCPL author visits on Facebook live alone. At times we have seen attendance numbers more than double our most successful in person events. The Facebook Live event we did on May 18 with Mary Kay Andrews, Susan Mallory and Ellen Hildebrand drew 882 peak live viewers, while another Facebook Live event held in November with Connie Schultz and Senator Sherrod Brown drew more than 900 peak live viewers, typically our Facebook Live author events are presented as In-Conversation events with a Branch Manager or Bill Kelly CCPL Adult Programming Manager serving as an interviewer. Customers post their questions for the authors on our Facebook page in lieu of a traditional Q&A. We have hosted 59 events on Facebook Live through December 9. All totaled, we have had over 11,000 attendees at these events and far more views Assistant Director Rua stated for ticket events we have used the crowd cast platform and to date we have held 14 ticketed events on this platform. In August we drew more than 620 live viewers in an event we hosted with authors, Jason Reynolds, and Ibram X. Kendi, and an additional 151 people, who registered but did not attend the live event watched a recorded version of the event. On that platform we have had 2,195 live viewers, which is tantamount to attendees at an in-person program. Attendance at our virtual events are predominantly local viewers. We've also occasionally drawn viewers from cities as far away as Portland, Oregon, Long Beach, California, Naples, Florida, and Mexico City. Assistant Director Rua stated last year we hosted 110 author events and those were attended by more than 14,000 people, an average of 134, people per event. This year between Beyond The Book Jacket series and WCS we hosted 73 author events that have been attended by more than 13,000 viewers, which is an average of about 178 people, attendees per event, which is about a 25% increase in attendance per event. 293 | P a g e
7 Assistant Director Rua mentioned another way we have engaged our customers online during the pandemic is with short videos that highlight the expertise of our staff and showcase aspects of our digital collection and electronic resources. Beginning very early in the pandemic we collaborated on Microsoft Teams to create a series of videos on how to help young children with language development, tips for preparing kids to enter kindergarten, reading recommendations and electronic resource demonstrations. Assistant Director Rua stated he was blown away by the talent and enthusiasm and creativity of our staff content contributors, collectively we collaborated to produce and publish more than 80 videos. Those videos helped keep CCPL in front of county residents during the height of the stay-at-home order when our branches were closed, and people were desperately looking for online content and information. Assistant Director Rua shared a brief video from a series of maker videos called “Try this at Home”. This video alone was viewed more than 12,000 times on our social media platforms and was shared about 50 times. Assistant Director Rua stated we published that video right at the height of the pandemic when people were not even frequently going out for groceries. We had a number of those types of submissions from staff that really were thoughtful about using objects from around their home to offer up these maker activities. In October, we began offering Read Aloud with CCPL story times on Facebook, Monday through Saturday as well as Zoom story times two days a week. An action team of children librarians led this effort. The staff members that put these on contacted the publishers for permission to use the books, they recorded it and edited and posted the videos themselves and responded to customers comments and feedback on Facebook. In some cases, publishers require us to remove the content from our Facebook page within 24 hours, which does impact views. In those instances, the staff use the platform's built in publishing tools to expire the content and comply with our publisher’s requirements. We have had over 15,000 views of those story times. Assistant Director Rua stated we have also found creative ways to transition several youth education and workforce programs to online platforms. The K-Club is a program we developed several years ago to help parents prepare their children for successful transitions to kindergarten. These programs would take place in person across several meetings. When the pandemic hit, we had families who had already registered for K-Club. We decided the best way to share our content with them was to record the lessons with Emily Stupica, Consultant and then publish the videos on YouTube so that registrants and really anyone else interested could watch them. Ms. Stupica worked with the media services team to record a total of 61 short videos over a period of about five months on a variety of topics from the K Club curriculum; building phonological awareness and letter identification, how parents can turn simple tasks like going for a walk outdoors or gardening into learning opportunities and skill building activities for parents and children to do together at home, using common household items. These videos are typically about six minutes in length. Ms. Stupica personally contacted the families registered for the program on a regular basis to check in and share the latest videos. Assistant Director Rua mentioned Ms. Stupica also starred in our five-week, Baby Club video series this fall. Baby Club is a program that teaches parents research backed practices to help boost their child's brain development through play activities. We accepted registration online through the library's Communico events system. Nearly 300 registrants provided us with an email address, so we could share our latest Baby Club videos with them each week. Assistant Director Rua stated we transitioned many of our Adult Education and Workforce programs online. Aspire Greater Cleveland for example is offering online GED and ESOL classes using MS Microsoft Teams, and our technology trainers have been offering computer classes using a platform called Screen Leap that we learned about from New York Public Library (NYPL). It is not as well-known as Zoom but it has been a good fit for the virtual computer classes and registration has been filling up quickly for those classes. We continue to require registration for the tech training classes in part to maintain productive students to tutor instructor ratios, but also, we must have a way to contact registrants and give them participation links. 294 | P a g e
8 We hosted these webinars with the Cuyahoga Works staff on crowd cast this fall, and they were very popular. The topics were really timely tips and resources for job searching during the pandemic, how to create effective video resumes and mastering virtual interviews. Participants were able to interact with the Cuyahoga Works staff in real time and ask questions via chat. The Cuyahoga Works Team Eboni Hogan, Career Services Supervisor, Alvin Wilson, Career Services Coach, and Maureen Paulette, Career Services Coach, brought unique local perspective to the topics that the participants clearly appreciated. These webinars averaged 140 attendees. Assistant Director Rua stated because much of our programming activity is happening on social media and online broadcast platforms, the Communications and External Relations team is constantly collecting data for reporting to the State Library of Ohio, which the State Library will then report to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The IMLS data is what the library general uses for its annual index ratings. Earlier in the year the State Library provided detailed guidance on what can be considered a program, what can be considered program attendance, and what specific data points we should be collecting from our online platforms, as well as how to report it. Since April, my team has been following that guidance to keep our stats up to date. Courtney Conway, Communications & External Relations (CER) Supervisor, Michael Peltier, CER Coordinator and Shawn Turner, CER Coordinator, have done a great job of staying on top of our data collection. In a year without in person programming CCPL and libraries across the country will be reporting their usage data in the form of Facebook video views and webinar registrants. Assistant Director Rua stated this has been a year of creative problem solving, quick adaptation, learning on the fly and we have learned a lot about what content translates well to virtual platforms, but we have also learned what we need to reassess, and adjust. For example, live free author events have translated well to virtual platforms while audience members may miss in person book signings, they still can ask authors their questions and share comments with other attendees. It is not quite the same experience we are able to offer in the before times, but we still hit a lot of the right notes. Conversely, our prerecorded curriculum-based youth programs have seen some mixed results with engagement peaking early on and then waiting a bit as new content is published over a period of weeks. We would love to see engagement for virtual programs hold steady throughout their entire duration as we typically would when they are held in person over a period of weeks. We also must be open to adjustments and investigate deeper when our approach is not fully connecting with our intended audiences, the data that we are collecting will help us do that. It is giving us clues about what our customers value the most during this pandemic. Assistant Director Rua stated our most successful virtual engagement efforts have included live social or interactive element that at least somewhat approximates the experience of attending an in-person event, as opposed to prerecorded content. Assistant Director Rua does think it affirms how important human connection is to our customers overall CCPL experience. In our next phase of virtual engagement, we will be ramping up the number of opportunities for our customers to connect with us in real time. The Literacy and Learning Division (LLD) has spearheaded virtual action groups that meet via Microsoft Teams to plan and execute our next wave of virtual programs. These programs will be hosted by branch staff members on Zoom, giving our customers opportunities to see our faces and ask us questions in real time. Program offerings will include book discussions, community conversations on a wide range of topics, story times, youth steam programs and classes for older adults. Over the past few months, our staff and LLD team members have piloted a number of these Zoom programs, and their response in terms of registration has been strong and encouraging. Customers register for these programs via our Communico online events calendar, and we are requiring an email address to do that because we need to have a way to give the customers, our participation links. This approach overall is going to help us exponentially increase the number of opportunities for customers to participate in our programming. 295 | P a g e
9 Assistant Director Rua shared one other initiative that we are involved in. It is called the North East Ohio Solutions Journalism Collaborative. It is not technically a virtual program, but it is another great example of how we are engaging our community online in providing access to essential information and resources. The Collaborative is a group of 22 greater Cleveland news outlets led by Sharon Broussard former Plain Dealer Chief Editorial Writer, and reporter Connor Morris. It is a grant funded endeavor dedicated to a single issue, how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting our communities, and the group's reporting spotlights solutions and seeks to change the conversation about what is possible in Northeast Ohio. CCPL’s role in this collaboration is to provide the website where members of the collaborative stories are published and to help spread the word. Our involvement is modeled on a similar collaboration between the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (CML) system, and their local solutions journalism collaborative. Some of the stories that have been published are; where to apply for help as utility bill moratoriums expire in Northeast Ohio, Westside hotel that is giving the homeless a safe place to stay during the pandemic, and how some local manufacturers have adapted their businesses during the pandemic to preserve their employee’s jobs. The website has just been launched. The URL is neosojo.org for anyone who is interested. My team maintains the site and helps the collaborative with their email newsletter which you can sign up for on their homepage. Assistant Director Rua thanked everyone their time. Trustee Varley thanked Assistant Director Rua for the presentation. Trustee Varley asked do you believe that some of these virtual programs will continue or here to stay? Will it be another tool that we have at our disposal? Assistant Director Rua answered it will be another tool we have at our disposal and we all love to have the in-person programming back when it is safe to do that. Assistant Director Rua stated as we enter 2021, we will still be offering programs virtually certainly initially. There may come a point where we may have a hybrid approach. We have seen some evidence this past year the online format could be something to keep and use. The Cuyahoga Works webinars for example, 140 people per event, that is fantastic, most of our rooms do not fit that many people. So that may be something to think about moving forward. Trustee Varley asked are there any revenue opportunities here for us. Are Ms. Stupica’s programs on YouTube? Assistant Director Rua answered yes, they are on YouTube. He is using YouTube as e-commerce platform. He says they have not really looked at that, but it is a topic that he has thought about. Trustee Varley commented there may be smaller libraries who may not have the staff or the wherewithal to develop these mini vignettes that Ms. Stupica has been able to do or, or that our staff has been able to do. Do we just give them the videos to use or can we collect some revenue? Executive Director Strobel answered we have had some interesting conversations with Communico, and they are constantly looking for creative ideas to bring new products to the library market. They are looking at creating a programming cooperative. Mr. Quelch purchased a peloton and thought, why can’t we use peloton type programming that libraries would contribute their best programming to, a catalogue of programs, and then get credit to contribute and use that credit to purchase other programs. That is somewhat in the works right now. She stated he has had meetings with us, including our marketing staff about how we could work that out. It is a very interesting concept where we could be rewarded for the programs, we contribute but also have access to programs that are being done across the country. Executive Director Strobel thanked Assistant Director Rua and commented his presentation was extremely informative, and it represents a lot of work on Assistant Director Rua’s part. It really showcases all the work that has been going on across the system for the benefit of our customers and we are proud of it and it has been a lot of fun as well as we have learned and grown with this new medium. 296 | P a g e
10 Executive Director Strobel again gave thanks to everyone. She commented regardless of which holidays you will be celebrating either now or in the weeks to come, she hopes that the time off is used to rest and reflect on both the positive and challenging events of 2020. Executive Director Strobel stated she is grateful for the wisdom of the Board, and for the wisdom of her Leadership Team, and the resilience and dedication of the library staff, but especially grateful to the continued support that we get from our communities and our customers. Human Resources Report: Director Good introduced and welcomed Izoduwa Ebose-Holt Human Resources new Assistant Director. She is a licensed attorney, and she received her Juris Doctorate at Case Western Reserve University, and her BA in history from Duke University. She comes to us with ten years of Human Resources experience from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Assistant Director Ebose-Holt thanked everyone for welcoming her and she is glad to be here. Director Good gave a summary of the human resources report. There were three new hires, one new rehire, one employee that had their hours increased, and one resignation. 02-12/2020 Trustee Blakemore moved approval, seconded by Trustee DePiero. Seeing no discussion, the Human Resources Report dated December 15, 2020, was approved as presented by unanimous vote of the Board members present. (See pages 304-309) Finance Committee Report: Finance Chairperson DePiero reminded us that the Finance Committee met prior to the Board meeting, and Director Morgan gave an in-depth review of the financials. Director Morgan gave highlights from the November Finance report. He stated in general property taxes we are going to be short of budget for the year. In Public Library Fund (PLF) we made a substantial decrease in the budget in April through November. We have received well over what we had in the reduced budget along with what we will receive in December, we need to make an adjustment. Director Morgan stated in patron fines and fees we saw a substantial decrease due to the library being closed and not open to the public. Director Morgan stated refunds and reimbursements are over what we had budgeted. A lot of that money came from two areas; refunds from the Workers Compensation Bureau, and money from the e-rate that we receive as reimbursement from the Federal government. Director Morgan stated salaries and benefits we are going to have an amount of money leftover in that account. Director Morgan stated in the other accounts we are working on closing out blankets and paying final invoices on those blankets and we should have money left on those. That money will be looked at as a yearend transfer into the capital fund. (See Under FINANCE) Investments - November Director Morgan stated we purchased one piece of commercial paper from JP Morgan Securities at a yield of 0.26% and a federal agency security from Federal Farm Credit Bureau at a yield of 0.40%. We will continue to maximize our yields while diversifying the portfolio. Transfers Director Morgan stated there were two transfers for the month. Transfer from the General Fund to SNAP for $10,593.94 as a match and a transfer from the General Fund to My Com Neighbor for $10,833.33 for a library match per the grant agreement. 297 | P a g e
11
03-12/2020
Trustee DePiero moved approval, seconded by Trustee Blakemore. Seeing no additional discussion, the
Investment Report Fiscal 2020 – November listing all Money Market Funds, Star Ohio Accounts, U.S.
Treasury Investments, Certificates of Deposit and Agency Securities was approved as presented by roll-
call vote.
(See Under FINANCE)
Roll-Call: Yea: Edward H. Blakemore; Allyn Davies; Dean E. DePiero; William J.
Leonard; Patricia A. Shlonsky; Maria L. Spangler; Robert W. Varley; – 7.
Nea: – 0.
Purchase Approval List
Director Morgan stated that the Purchase Approval List (PAL) was reviewed in depth at the Finance
Committee Meeting. He gave a summary of the PAL report.
Director Morgan stated most of these items were encumbrance increases on some of the blanket orders
we have for the year, and we are at that point in the year where some of the blankets are starting to run
out of money and we are asking the Board to increase, several of those blankets. Item #7 is a new
purchase for a used delivery box truck. The new trucks can cost up to $100,000. This type of truck has a
lift on it, and we have found a lot of use for it when we are moving things that are heavier. We were able
to obtain a used one from Penske, and upon the Board's approval we would be purchasing that truck for
$32,000.
04-12/2020
Trustee Shlonsky moved approval of Purchase Approval List, seconded by Trustee Spangler. Seeing no
additional discussion, the Purchase Approval List dated December 15, 2020, was approved as presented
by unanimous vote of the Board members present. (See pages 310-311)
Gift Report
Director Morgan stated the report includes Friends gifts for branch programming supplies. We received a
gift from Citizens Bank for $10,000 for additional hotspot purchases for our program, and three
contributions that were given for general library support.
05-12/2020
Trustee Blakemore moved approval, seconded by Trustee Davies. The gift report was approved by
unanimous vote of the Board members present. (See page 312)
Resolution to Amend Official Certificate of Estimated Resources and Amend Appropriations
Director Morgan stated the first item is a resolution to amend our official certificate of estimated resources
and appropriations. We are asking for an increase in both the general fund and the capital fund and $3.9
million into the general fund those are the amounts that we think we are going to be over and most of that
is attributed to the increase in what we anticipated from the Public Library Fund. The capital fund that is
to increase the amount that we expect to receive and the majority of that would be from a transfer from
the general fund, as well as some unused dollars on standing orders. On the appropriation side we are
asking for an increase in the general fund so we can transfer that money to the capital fund. We have
two trust funds with various amounts, but we are transferring a lot of that back to the general fund except
for 702, which is money from the Project Learn investment that we had when Project Learn was
disbanded and the library took over the management of that. We were holding that until we needed it for
programming, and we are at the point where we need to move some of those dollars into programming.
We are asking for an appropriation, increase of $100,999.00 to transfer that to the special revenue funds
for program and expenses.
298 | P a g e12
06-12/2020
Trustee Varley moved approval, seconded by Trustee Davies. Seeing no additional discussion, the
Resolution to Amend Official Certificate of Estimated Resources and Amend Appropriations was
approved by unanimous vote of the Board members present. (See page 313)
Roll-Call: Yea: Edward H. Blakemore; Allyn Davies; Dean E. DePiero; William J.
Leonard; Patricia A. Shlonsky; Maria L. Spangler; Robert W. Varley; – 7.
Nea: – 0.
Resolution Seeking Permission to Close the Library Systemwide on December 26 and 27, 2020
Executive Director Strobel stated this resolution is seeking permission to close the library systemwide on
December 26, and 27th. The resolution details that we are closed to walk in traffic and that it is a holiday
weekend which traditionally has very low traffic. We are seeking to close the building as we have some
staffing issues, and above and beyond that, Executive Director Strobel says it is a showing of support for
staff, and an opportunity to save dollars because we have many substitutes scheduled for both days that
we will cancel.
07-12/2020
Trustee Blakemore moved approval, seconded by Trustee Shlonsky. Seeing no additional discussion, the
Resolution Seeking Permission to Close the Library Systemwide on December 26 and 27, 2020 was
approved by unanimous vote of the Board members present. (See page 314)
President Leonard wished everyone a great holiday.
Motion to Adjourn
Seeing no other business under consideration for vote, President Leonard asked for a motion to adjourn
the meeting.
08-12/2020
Upon motion of Trustee Davies, seconded by Trustee DePiero, the December 15, 2020 meeting of the
Cuyahoga County Public Library adjourned at 5:48 p.m.
Approved 26 January 2021
X________________________
William J. Leonard
President
X________________________
Allyn Davies
Secretary
299 | P a g e13
Resolution of Appreciation
for
Jeanne Cilenti
WHEREAS, Jeanne Cilenti has served with great loyalty as an employee of Cuyahoga
County Public Library since her hire on December 14, 1998, as Branch
Manager at the Parma-Snow Branch; on July 3, 2006, she was transferred to
the North Royalton Branch, a position she held until her retirement on
January 29, 2021; and,
WHEREAS, she was a dedicated manager with a strong work ethic who cared about her
library and the community. She was very civic minded and joined the North
Royalton Chamber as a library representative and advocate, and she later
became a director, a position she held for many years. Through the library,
she also joined the North Royalton Kiwanis and was very active, supporting
the collaborative Read Around the World program, working Cattle Gate at
the fair and ringing the bell for collections for the Salvation Army during
holidays on her own time to support her community further. She worked
with her staff in the transition to the New North Royalton Branch, which
successfully opened to the public on Saturday, August 3, 2013, and quickly
became a focal point in the community; and,
WHEREAS, she knew many of her customers by name and liked working the reference
desk alongside her staff to provide services. She was conscientious about the
schedule and worked many extra weekends so her staff could take time off.
She supported colleagues by sharing staff resources, worked at other
branches to cover the floor as needed and was always available to lend a
helping hand or give advice. She also capably served on the Library’s
Labor/Management Committee and shared her insights and wisdom to
benefit the organization; and,
WHEREAS, she is a passionate proponent for libraries and takes great pride in the work
she has done and in the community, personal and professional connections
that she has cultivated at the branches she has managed at Cuyahoga County
Public Library during her professional library career.
N
OW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Library Trustees records
its appreciation to Jeanne Cilenti for all the years of service she has rendered to the
Library and the public and extends to her all good wishes for a happy, healthy and
rewarding life.
William J. Leonard, President
Board of Trustees
Cuyahoga County Public Library
Date: January 26, 202114
Resolution of Appreciation
for
Mary Sawczak
WHEREAS, Mary Sawczak has served with great loyalty as an employee of
Cuyahoga County Public Library since her hire on September 19,
1994, as a Page at the Strongsville Branch; on December 5, 1995, she
became a Processing Clerk at the Administration Building; on June 17,
2019, she became an LLD Clerk at the Administration Building, a
position she held until her retirement on January 29, 2021; and,
WHEREAS, she diligently went about her tasks in a swift and efficient manner. She
was always very conscientious and thorough, no matter what task she
undertook, and she showed great initiative to keep up with ongoing
projects; and,
WHEREAS, she possesses a wonderful attention to detail that enabled her to
quickly assess toy needs, be it cleaning or repairs, and thus ensured the
safety and enjoyment of customers borrowing toys from the Toy
Library; and,
WHEREAS, she had a positive attitude, generous spirit and friendly demeanor,
which went a long way toward her becoming a thoughtful member of
the Youth Literacy and Outreach department. Mary’s efforts were
very much appreciated, and she will be missed.
N
OW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Library Trustees
records its appreciation to Mary Sawczak for all the years of service she has
rendered to the Library and the public and extends to her all good wishes for
a happy, healthy and rewarding life.
William J. Leonard, President
Board of Trustees
Cuyahoga County Public Library
Date: January 26, 202115
Resolution of Appreciation
for
Michael Sawczak Jr.
WHEREAS, Michael Sawczak Jr. has served with great loyalty as an employee of
Cuyahoga County Public Library since his hire on July 27, 1992, as an
Audio Visual Media Technician at the Administration Building; on
September 3, 1997, he became an Electronic Equipment Repairer; on
April 1, 2020, his title changed to Electronic Equipment Technician; on
February 5, 2012, he became a Maintenance Technician; on March 4,
2012, he became an Electronic Equipment Technician, a position he
held until his retirement on January 29, 2021; and,
WHEREAS, he excelled at creative problem solving, equipment repair, cabling and
phone configuration; and,
WHEREAS, he has a strong attention to detail and is knowledgeable of codes and
conventions. He possesses strong customer service skills both with staff
and the public when working circulation on Sundays; and,
WHEREAS, he has a sense of humor and always enjoys a new challenge.
N
OW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Library Trustees
records its appreciation to Michael Sawczak Jr. for all the years of service he
has rendered to the Library and the public and extends to him all good wishes
for a happy, healthy and rewarding life.
William J. Leonard, President
Board of Trustees
Cuyahoga County Public Library
Date: January 26, 202116
Resolution of Appreciation
for
Rita Turocy
WHEREAS, Rita Turocy has served with great loyalty as an employee of Cuyahoga
County Public Library since her hire on July 27, 1999, as a Branch
Regional Clerk Substitute at the Parma Regional Branch; on August 7,
2000, she was promoted to a Branch Regional Clerk at the Parma-
Ridge Branch; on July 3, 2006, her title changed to Branch Clerk; on
October 28, 2013, she was transferred to the Strongsville Branch; on
March 29, 2015, her title was changed to Branch Services Clerk, a
position she held until her retirement on January 31, 2021; and,
WHEREAS, she was committed to providing excellent customer service. She
maintained positive relationships with library customers as well as her
co-workers, and she always demonstrated genuine interest in her
interactions with both. Her dedication to professional and courteous
service was a valuable asset to CCPL; and,
WHEREAS, she possessed a thorough knowledge of her job duties and approached
them responsibly and professionally. She excelled at assisting library
users as well as expertly processing passport applications; and,
WHEREAS, she was a team player who always displayed a positive attitude and was
a welcome addition to the branch.
N
OW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Library Trustees
records its appreciation to Rita Turocy for all the years of service she has
rendered to the Library and the public and extends to her all good wishes for
a happy, healthy and rewarding life.
William J. Leonard, President
Board of Trustees
Cuyahoga County Public Library
Date: January 26, 202117 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STAYING CONNECTED On November 19, Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) closed its doors to walk-in traffic in conjunction with the stay-at-home advisory issued by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. That advisory was set to expire in mid-January, but was later extended through the end of the month as the rate of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the county have remained alarmingly high this winter. We are hopeful to open our doors again in February, but it is certainly possible the county’s health advisory will be extended if case numbers and hospitalizations do not significantly decline. Ultimately, we must heed the guidance of our public health officials and do what is necessary to prioritize the health and safety of our staff and customers. While our doors remain closed we are finding new ways to meet our customers’ needs from a safe distance. Curbside pick-up of library materials started last summer, but recently we added free document services via curbside pick-up as well. Customers who need documents printed, copied, faxed or scanned can simply call their local branch for this service. We have also expanded the eligibility requirements for our free Library2You delivery service to make it accessible to seniors ages 60 and older, as well as county residents at increased risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms due to underlying health conditions. You can learn more about this service at cuyahogalibrary.org/library2you. With the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout we have begun helping seniors navigate the registration process. Seniors in need of assistance can call their local branch for help with getting registered and locating vaccine providers. A complete list of our branch locations and phone numbers is available at cuyahogalibrary.org/branches. One critical service we have not been able to provide is access to computers and the internet. Public libraries are essential in bridging the digital divide – i.e. the gulf that exists between those who already have access to computers and the internet, and those who do not. That gulf only widens when our doors are closed. To help address this need, we recently invested in technology to extend the range of the Wi-Fi signals at all of our branches, so they can reach even further into our parking lots. Stronger signals make it easier for more people who own devices to get online. Last week, we also began offering laptop computer access for those who don’t have devices of their own. Anyone who needs this service can call their local branch to set up an appointment. We hope these services can help narrow the divide until we are able to safely reopen. On behalf of the entire CCPL family, I thank you for your continued support. We can’t wait to welcome you back to our buildings – when it is safe to do so. With gratitude, Tracy R. Strobel Executive Director
18
SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS
Facebook Fans: 32,131
Twitter Followers: 10,961
Instagram Followers: 5,329
These are the top 20 books borrowed from @CuyahogaLib in 2020. I read at least half
of them. I highly recommend #16 by @ConnieSchultz.
@MrsCarlsons, Dec 22, 2020
Looking for some great books for your kids? Then check out @CuyahogaLib Great Books
for Kids list! #readinglist
@k12_ohva, Dec 15, 2020
So proud of CCPL’s exemplary staff and of the voters who support this jewel.
@earnestdrollery, Dec 11, 2020
Congratulations to our friends at @CuyahogaLib! Northeast Ohio is home to some
of the best libraries in the nation!
@Cleveland_PL (Cleveland Public Library), Dec 10, 2020
Guess which county has the best library, according to @LibraryJournal? @CuyahogaCounty
with @CuyahogaLib! Congratulations on making it to the top of the list. Congrats to @
Cleveland_PL as well, which also scored a 5-star rating this year!
@literacycoop (Literacy Cooperative), Dec 10, 2020
MONTHLY REPORT BSD DECEMBER 2020
Mayfield BSL I Jacquie Kociubuk had a wonderful interaction with a customer who signed up
for a Personalized Pick. The customer didn’t have a library card and Kociubuk, following up
with an email for clarification, walked the customer through bringing her ID to the drive-up
window and bringing her CLEVNET card so that she could use one card for all her library
needs. Kociubuk then picked out several fun picture books for the customer’s daughter. After
the experience, Kociubuk received the following email:
“Thanks very much again for all your help. We picked up the books today and my
daughter REALLY liked There’s a Monster in Your Book. Thank you for the awesome
recommendations and I’m sure the rest will be just as cool.”19 Solon Teen BSL I Stephanie Furino hosted three virtual writing club sessions in December. Participation (15 total) increased with each session with seven teens in the last session! Everyone is working on their own stories. Some were too shy to share what they had written to the group while others were more than happy to read aloud their writing. This month, the writer’s focused on characters, plot, and point of view. Many of the teens preferred to write in first-person point of view and had fun writing unreliable first-person narrators. On Wednesday, December 23 Chagrin Falls had a customer call from the parking lot who was panicking about missing a health insurance deadline for her disabled husband. Due to postal delays, she received a document late and didn’t have time to mail it as planned. Staff were able to both fax and scan to email her document so it could be filed in a timely manner, albeit a few days late. She was very grateful for the staff help to remedy a bad situation. Teens picked up eight technology-themed Take & Make kits at the Gates Mills Branch Library. Each teen received all the components needed to build their own fun game while learning about electric circuits. The kits included a list of circuits-themed resources available at Lynda. com and Kanopy. Gates Mills staff also delivered 10 Take & Make chess kits to curbside patrons. The package included materials to build a chessboard and all pieces plus information about accessing instructional videos about chess on Kanopy. Mobile Pantry distributions served many customers in December: 93 customers received shelf- stable pantry boxes on a snowy day at Garfield Heights. At Maple Heights, 85 boxes of non- perishable items were given to those in need. At Warrensville Heights, 62 households were provided with fresh produce, for a total of 161 people served. The Brecksville Branch hosted its first virtual book discussion on December 2. The 10 registrants discussed The Night Manager by Louise Erdrich. One of the discussion members spends her winters in Tucson, Arizona, and was excited to finally “attend” a discussion in the winter. The book tells a fictionalized account of the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation’s fight in the 1950’s to stop the government from issuing a new treaty that would take away their rights. Brecksville Adult Branch Services Supervisor Annette Jones shared a PowerPoint presentation showing photographs of the reservation and the book’s real-life counterparts. On December 6, Teen BSL I Dottie Louis (from the Independence Branch) and Children’s BSL II Melody Maryanski (from the Brecksville Branch), facilitated a Virtual DIY Dotty Tote Program to 10 participants. Children in Grades 4-8 learned about Pointillism (a painting technique where dots of different colors are applied in a pattern to form an image.) Participants were then able to “paint” their canvas bag using fabric paint and cotton swabs. After completing their project, they shared their creations and had to choose if they would keep or give away the canvas tote as a gift for the holidays Southeast Branch BSL II Alex Ward met with Bedford City Schools’ Preschool PALS, a group of over 40 parents, caregivers, and teachers who meet monthly via Zoom about preschool-related events, resources, learning, and discussion. Ward reviewed all relevant resources our library provides, encouraged them to view our virtual storytimes, and discussed caregiver/child needs, particularly within a virtual environment.
20 This month a customer stopped at the Orange drive-up window and asked a branch clerk if someone could pull three or four books for her third-grade son. Reference staff pulled several titles which they showed to the customer who checked out all but one, which her son had already read. She thanked staff and commented, “This is great service. It is faster than me trying to find books on the shelves myself!” December saw Beachwood return to providing some storytime opportunities to our community partners. On December 3, BSL Supervisor Morgan Reeves presented a virtual snowy day storytime to three classrooms for Childtime of Beachwood, with a total of 29 children and caregivers participating. On December 7, BSL I Maggie Schalk presented a virtual storytime to two classrooms for Ganon Gil Preschool, reaching another 20 children and caregivers. Both storytime sessions were successful and plans have been made to continue these on a monthly basis for as long as virtual programming is the only option. On December 9 BSL I Carly Garinger at South Euclid-Lyndhurst and BSL I Shannon Sanek at Parma-Snow held a virtual program called “Virtual Innovation Creations: Make Your Own Photo Transfer Wood Ornaments.” For the program, the librarians taught the attendees how to create a personalized wood ornament using a simple photo transfer method. Supplies were mailed to the nine attendees ahead of the program and they were able to make the ornaments after watching Carly and Shannon do a short demonstration of the Innovation Center devices that created the wood and cut the designs. Some specific feedback included the following quotes: “Enjoyed this program. Grateful for all the virtual programs. I hope they stay a part of programming options once libraries are completely open post COVID restrictions.” “I miss attending the library programs, so I appreciate these being done virtually.” “thank you. I really enjoyed making it, learning a new skill and especially learning about innovation center. The generosity of the Brooklyn community and CCPL staff is in full swing this holiday season. Despite being closed to the public, the Brooklyn Branch collected three full overflowing boxes of brand new toys for the annual Toys for Tots drive. The drive, coordinated by BSL I Teen Librarian Michael Pawuk, has been a staple in the Brooklyn community for over 10 years. On December 8 and 15, Brook Park BSL I Teen Librarian Andy Karp hosted two more Connected Horticulture programs, each with seven attendees. The group started to make the base of their permanent build. The Arduino now has a functioning LCD display and a temperature/humidity sensor to monitor the conditions for their lettuce. Local Strongsville author, Angie Hockman, let us know that her debut rom-com, Shipped, made it as a Library Reads pick for January. LibraryReads is a list of the top ten books published each month that librarians across the country love, along with reviews. libraryreads.org. She is very excited about this honor! The Bay Village Branch put up the final Story Walk of the year on November 30. The story is If Snowflakes Tasted Like Fruitcake. Staff battled the elements to get the signs put up (it was crazy windy, cold and raining sideways) and the next day there was a big snow! A family that lives down the street regularly checks out the Story Walk. One evening they were out reading the story with their flashlights and knocked on the window to say hi to BSL II Sarah Polace.
21 On December 9 the North Royalton Teen Department held “Teen Fanatics: Percy Jackson Edition” in partnership with the Fairview Park branch. Eight people attended the virtual program which consisted of making Percy Jackson themed crafts and playing Percy Jackson Trivia. On December 4, BSL Adult Supervisor Rosa Minniti at the Parma Heights Branch helped a curbside customer scan documents to his email. When she returned with his originals, he confirmed that he received the email. He then said, “You’re a life saver.” He waved as he left and said, “Thank you.” On December 4, Cuyahoga Works Career Services Supervisor Ebony Hogan and Berea Branch Manager Cathy Schultis presented virtually to the Southwest Regional Business Advisory Council with 35 in attendance. Hogan facilitated a discussion around the Northeast Ohio Workforce during COVID-19 including hiring, trending jobs, new careers and skills training as well as sharing information on career services through Cuyahoga Works. Schultis shared business-oriented databases and current services in the branches. Later that day, City of Berea Economic Development Director Matt Mazdy called to say how informative he found the presentation and how impressed with the databases he was upon examining them. After the phone call, Mazdy included the explanation and link to the business databases in his Berea COVID-19 Update #30 that he emailed to 315 recipients. Fairview Park children’s staff hosted a virtual Polar Express Storytime on December 7 and 14. Staff presenters read stories and led sing-alongs for a total of 68 excited participants. On December 9 and 16, the Parma branch hosted a 2-part “Virtual Maker Club—Digital Fashion Design” that was presented by artist Sharie Renee from the Center of the Arts Inspired Learning. On December 9, with nine students in attendance, Renee taught the students how to thread a needle, sew different type of stiches to make a mask. At the beginning of the program, Kathy Hall from OhioGuidestone talked about topics of solving problems and decision making. On December 16, with eight in attendance, Renee taught students how to work from design inspiration, using a color palette. The students created original brand designs and were shown how to embroider the design. At the beginning of the program, Hall talked about topics of sympathy, empathy and played a fun game. BSA I Cheryl Wires at the Middleburg Heights Branch took a mobile printing request from a customer who said a child in her family was concerned Santa and Rudolph wouldn’t visit this year because of COVID-19. She worked with the customer to learn how to submit a remote print request and printed a letter from Santa giving assurance that they would indeed make their rounds this year. Who knew our connectivity extended to the North Pole? Olmsted Falls BSL I Lee Ikimis and South Euclid-Lyndhurst BSL I Amber Gasper hosted a “Tween SCRATCH Digital Animation 101” program over Zoom on December 9 with two in attendance. Ikmis gave a demonstration of how to draw sprites in Scratch before explaining how to code a short animation. The tweens were given the chance to create their own sprites and animation storylines before sharing their creations with the group at the end.
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