Lonsak Announces Retirement

John A. Lonsak, Executive Director of Cuyahoga County Public Library since 1995, has announced he will retire on January 31, 2022. At the time of his appointment, Lonsak became the first person in 40 years from within the library system to advance to the position of Executive Director. Lonsak and Andrew Venable were named Librarians of the Year by OLC in 2001, primarily for their cooperative efforts to establish the Greater Access Library Card.

Among his many career accomplishments, Lonsak entered into an agreement with CAMLS to win federal funds to construct an electronic classroom at CCPL’s Administrative Building to serve as a training site for CAMLS librarians.

Lonsak is a former member of the CAMLS Board of Trustees and served as Board President in 1998-1999.

Harris New MCDL Director

Michael Harris has been selected Director of the Medina County District Library and will be officially hired at the August 19, 2022 meeting of the Medina County District Library Board of Trustees.

Harris has served as the Manager of the Brunswick Community Library since June 1989. He has served on a variety of administrative, personnel, library services and facilities committees. Harris also served as Interim Director for MCDL from July 1998 until March 1999.

Prior to working for MCDL Harris was the Head of Automation/Science -

Technology Librarian for the Euclid Public Library.

Gates Foundation Intern Earns MLS

Ramona Flores of the Lorain Public Library System received a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Kent State University August 17. She has worked as a Library Associate at the South Lorain Branch Library and the Main Library in Lorain, but will now work as a Librarian at the Main Library since receiving her master’s degree.

Ms. Flores attended Kent State through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She was a Library Program Intern as part of the Foundation’s U.S Library Program, working for the Foundation while she attended graduate school. She traveled all over Ohio helping to implement and sustain the U.S. Library Program in Ohio. The U.S. Library Program works in partnership with public libraries to provide access to computers, the Internet and digital information for patrons in low-income communities in the U.S.

"There's No Place Like Home" For Porter Library

Westlake Porter Public Library celebrated the Grand Opening of its newly expanded and remodelled facility the week of July 21-27. The new building was a hit. The library logged over 6,000 visitors on July 22, its first day of business there, and set a new daily circulation record of over 10,000 items checked out. The previous record was just over 5,000.

The renovated and expanded building was funded with a $7.25 million bond issue and $2.75 million in permanent improvement, bequest, and donated funds. The building expanded from 32,000 to 75,000 square feet. Construction costs totalled about $7.3 million, and total project costs, including conversion to new automation, phone and vend print systems, were just under $10 million. The building combines cutting edge features and services with enhanced traditional library services. The new design facilitates both.

Part of the project's goal was to have the building truly reflect the

library's mission -- "...to educate, empower, enlighten, and excite."

Several special features in the building capture that mission well,

making Westlake Porter a "destination" library.

Comments to date include "Wow!", "Awesome," and "It's beautiful."

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