For the last several years, the term “regionalism” has been heard around Northeastern Ohio.  With the economic downturn, it’s been heard more frequently and with more urgency.  The idea behind regionalism is that by working cooperatively to provide services, local government agencies could realize more cost effective use of tax dollars.

The 31 CLEVNET libraries have already been working cooperatively across northern Ohio for 27 years.  A recent study by respected economic analysts Driscoll & Fleeter shows that this kind of regional cooperation works, and works effectively.  For every dollar spent by a member library for CLEVNET services, there was a $6.00 return on investment.  This represents a collective cost savings of over $30 million dollars!  While experiencing significant losses in funding at the local and state levels, membership in CLEVNET enables the member libraries to bring their customers superior library services though this efficient use of revenues. 

Mark Erdman, ICA objects conservator, examines the Reader’s Column with Bernice Davis. (Photographs by Intermuseum Conservation Association.)

“Reader’s Column” has welcomed visitors to the Fulton Branch for twenty-five years. The outdoor sculpture by Cleveland artist David E. Davis (1920-2002) is formed by a stainless steel base supporting a construction of painted red, black and white aluminum geometric forms at the top. Bernice Davis, wife of the late sculptor, explained that this work belongs to the artist’s Harmonic Grid series. From the early 1970s to1980s, Davis’ sculptures utilized a set of 52 different shapes derived from the rectangle form. Davis believed that self-imposed restrictions help an artist to stretch the creative imagination . He drew on this personal vocabulary of shapes like a language, pulling out elements for his sculpture designs. After 1983 his works include organic shapes along with the harmonic grid elements.

One of the many treasures in the Cleveland Public Library is the work of artist Ora Coltman. Born in Shelby, Ohio in 1858, he studied at the Art Students League in New York City and the Academie Julian in Paris. Coltman was a painter, sculptor, block printer, muralist, teacher, and writer. He kept a studio in Cleveland where has was a member of the Cleveland Society of Artists and Cleveland Printmakers. Exhibitions of his work took place at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. He also created a mural for the Cleveland Public Library called Dominance of the City.

Hundreds of supporters showed up to demonstrate against this unprecedented slashing of state funding. Twenty plus area library directors spoke passionately to those in attendance and appealed to state legislators on how devastating the impact may be.

Groceries too expensive? Worried about pesticides on fruits and vegetables? Want to support local farmers? Then you want to plant a "Victory Garden." During the World Wars millions were able to feed not only their own families but other members of the community with food from home gardens. Today, crop production can be a big business utilizing much energy for transportation alone while sidestepping local growers. Americans who want to reduce food costs, pesticide use, and energy costs can turn to a "Victory Garden." It is not too late in the season to get started.

Contact the Cuyahoga County Extension at (216-429-8200) to find out how to get started. Check out Cleveland Memory's history of urban gardening to see that planting a "Victory Garden" today will be continuing a long tradition in the area. Your local library has books on every fruit and vegetable too.

Image courtesy of Boston Public Library.

When a newscaster refers to TARP and ABS* we can be relatively sure she is not talking about waterproofed canvases and abdominal muscles. Due to the current financial crisis and our nation’s recovery efforts obscure acronyms and terms have become commonplace in nightly newscasts. If you are wondering what these acronyms stand for and how they affect your daily life don’t worry, there are resources that make the mysterious and exotic world of finance understandable to the average person.

Cleveland Public Library has a variety of resources that can help you better understand our current economic situation and what is being done to rectify the problem. The list below contains books and resources that have come out recently regarding our nation’s economy and recovery efforts. 

If you only need the definition of a single word or would like something more in depth please feel free to contact the Business, Economics, and Labor Department at (216)-623-2927.

* Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and Asset Backed Securities (ABS)

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On Monday, May 11th, 2009, the Washington Post published a story about a woman who returned a book 31 years overdue to the Arlington Public Library.  Arlington Library spokesman, Peter Golkin, said it might be the longest overdue return in memory.  Washington & Lee University's Library was the scene of another amazing recent story of a book being returned where the return of a book a Union soldier checked out in 1864 (only 52,858 days overdue!) was met with much fanfare.   

After reading these stories, a few librarians at CPL began talking about the interesting phenomenon of patrons returning items that they had stolen or "long term borrowed" from the Library years before.  The note attached to this photo of Greta Garbo ripped from one of our magazines is a great example of a pleasant apology anonymously sent to the the Library in 1995.  For another example of an apology note sent to us, click here.

We are always happy to receive these notes and welcome you back to your Cleveland Public Library to take advantage of the great services we offer, thanks for your support.

Cleveland Public Library currently has artwork produced by local students on display at four library locations. Each exhibit features the artistic talent of young Clevelanders in a variety of formats.

Each Spring the Artistic Discovery Congressional Art Competition is sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives. The competition is open to high school students throughout the nation and the over-all winner of each district will be displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol. The entries from the 11th Congressional District are on display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch.

Artwork from the Cleveland Municipal School District’s 10th Annual All City Arts Exhibition is on display at three locations throughout CPL. Selections from the exhibition can be viewed through May 14th at the lower level of the Louis Stokes Wing of the Main Library, the Carnegie West Branch, and the Memorial- Nottingham Branch.

Image : “Woman of Thought” by Rayshana Richards.