Collaborating to Help Other Libraries
Collaboration was a central theme in 2010 for the Library—not only through outreach to community partners to ensure the future of valuable programs, but also with other members of CLEVNET, a library resource-sharing network of 31 area libraries across nine counties. As the founding agency and largest member of CLEVNET, Cleveland Public Library has long been a primary contributor to the vast collection of print, video, electronic and downloadable materials in the CLEVNET database.
The need for support was greater in 2010 than in past years as many of the libraries within CLEVNET endured even greater budget cuts than those in Cleveland. The severely strained budgets created a greater sense of solidarity among the members that benefited from being able to share resources. Cleveland Public Library was able to maintain its investment in new materials, despite a shrinking budget, in order to continue providing a large volume of materials to its own patrons as well as anyone who accessed the CLEVNET database.
