The State Library of Ohio is pleased to announce that the State Library Board recently awarded $76,285 in IMLS Special LSTA Growing Community Grants to the following libraries.

Andover Public Library, $7,386 for the Library Learning Garden. The project has support from numerous social, business, and government organizations.  The Rotary Club will provide matching funds and the Andover Eagle Scout candidates will assemble fencing and benches as part of their final projects.  The garden will be used for Summer Reading activities.  Programs are planned around composing healthy meals and recycling rain water among others.  The food that is grown will be given to the Community Care and Church food distribution group.  Although the grant will not officially have started by National Library Week, the Andover Library has adopted the slogan “Growing Your Community” as its theme and will be giving away seeds (not affiliated with the grant request). 

Champaign County Library, $3,238 for the Gathering Garden.  The project will support the community’s forthcoming Market Street Community Garden by gathering stories from residents about gardening and by providing library materials and educational programs.  This is a collaborative project of the three libraries in Champaign County (Urbana, St. Paris and Mechanicsburg) as well as the County Master Gardeners and OSU Extension.  The libraries will support the community gardens through materials and programming and programs of the Summer Reading Program will help children learn about gardening.  ICON video will record garden techniques as well as residents sharing gardening stories.  These will be made available as video segments.  Also, a Gathering Garden community newspaper will be published.

Chillicothe and Ross County Library, $3,750 to focus on improving nutrition through sustainable and organic vegetable gardening.  Partners include the Chillicothe Garden Club and the Zane Trace High School Future Farmers of America Club.  This project dovetails with the Library’s work site wellness program which received a Healthy Workshop Bronze Award from the Ohio Dept. of Health.  Youth programming will tie into the Summer Reading Theme.  Adult programming will focus on health and wellness and/or organic gardening themes.  Post-survey tests will indicate whether program attendees have increased their knowledge of the benefits of fruits and vegetables for a healthy lifestyle.    Food will be donated to the area food panty and community center. 

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, $5,600 to expand the “Take Some and Leave Some” project begun last year. The library hopes to involve more people in learning about and practicing community gardening and then spreading the bounty to touch the lives of local residents.  Foods grown will be shared through Take and Share tables (where residents can leave produce they have grown and take produce that others have grown) as well as with the Heights Emergency Food Center to supplement their monthly free community meal.  Four growing community programs, each celebrating the newest stage of the garden, will be conducted and each will cover a new cooking/food topic.  The project will conclude with a Harvest Cookout @ Your Library, in collaboration with Whole Foods market. A garden will be established at each of the library’s four locations.

Cleveland State University – Michael Schwartz Library, $7,234, to establish a “windofarm.”  The Library, in collaboration with the College of Urban Affairs, the Student Environmental Movement and CSU Dining Services, will develop a demonstration project to explore the use of the “windofarm” method to grow herbs and greens hydroponically.  Materials to support the curriculum on food sustainability and urban agriculture will be purchased.  Programs will explore the topics of sustainable food production in an urban environment, nutrition and health. 

Defiance Public Library – Friends of the Johnson Memorial Library, $3,000 to expand access to and knowledge of gardening opportunities.  Currently the Johnson Memorial Library participates in an outreach program whereby vendors at the Farmers Market (held at the library) donate produce to those in need.  For this grant the Friends will collaborate with The Hicksville Beautification Committee, Defiance County OSU Extension Office, and the Hicksville Community Service Center, HIX-TV, La Fleur de Terre Garden Club and Master Gardeners of Defiance County.  The partners will present at least 12 children’s programs on nature, gardening, and herbal crafts and 6 adult programs on herbs, gardening and landscaping.  Programs will also be broadcast on HIX-TV.  A community garden will be installed at the County Fairgrounds. 

Defiance Public Library – Friends of the Sherwood Library, $2,625 to host a community garden in collaboration with the Sherwood United Methodist Church, will host a community garden.   A resident Family and Consumer Science teacher will conduct workshops on cooking and preserving the garden produce.  A series of story times for children will focus on planting their own seeds, harvesting produce and healthy snacks. 

Fredericktown Schools – Fredericktown Elementary, $4,380 to enhance and supplement an outdoor land lab begun in 2008.  The program will motivate reluctant readers and cultivate student gardeners through partnering with the Reading Recovery Teachers and the Summer School staff.  The school will also partner with the public library to promote the summer reading program.  Teachers will provide hands on lessons in the areas of measurement, comparing and contrasting, plant structure and other topics which align to the Ohio Academic Content Standards. The librarians and teachers will plan six reading and garden-themed events.  All harvested produce will be donated to the Inter-Church Food Pantry.

Lakewood Public Library – Madison Branch, $7,249 to provide residents in  an economically challenged neighborhood high-quality learning opportunities about food, nutrition and ecology.  The Library will work with many partners but primarily the Lakewood Earth and Food Community (LEAF), the City of Lakewood and the Friends of Madison Park to implement the Learning Garden.  All produce will be donated to the Lakewood Christian Services Center to provide support for families in need.  The Library will hold monthly storytimes which will be held in the Learning Garden.  At the end of the project a special storytime and performance will be held covering the themes of harvest and poverty awareness.  LEAF will hold monthly educational events that raise community awareness about sustainability issues and agricultural policy.

Newton Falls Public Library, $1,291 for a collaboration with the local preschool and seven teachers in the local elementary and parochial school.  All produce will be distributed through the Newton Falls Community food pantry.  In May the Youth Services Librarian will visit all participating classrooms (pre-K through 1^st) to discuss backyard gardening and children will plant their own seeds.  At the close of the school year all plants will be transplanted into the library’s garden.  Throughout the summer children will meet weekly with the Youth Services Librarian to tend the garden and learn about various aspects of growing food. 

Olentangy Local Schools – Olentangy Hyatts Middle School, $5,518 to help support a 7^th grade student elective, “Watershed” which focuses on the local environment and watershed.  The district has already secured funding for a greenhouse.  The Library component will develop a garden which students in the Watershed program will maintain the garden and examine how water impacts the growing cycle.  Among other partners will be the Powell Branch of the Delaware County District Library and the Stratford Ecological Center.  Produce will be given to the local food pantry.

Pickerington Public Library, $3,175 to hold programs, in collaboration with OSU Extension,  on gardening and nutrition and healthy menu options.  Other programs will coincide with the summer reading program.  Library displays will focus on gardening and cooking with fresh produce  Produce will be distributed through the Pickerington Community Ministerial Association food pantry.

Plain City Public Library, $7,045 to help turn vacant library green space into a library garden that will assist the city in beautification initiatives, provide opportunities for library programs, and help support the local food pantry.  Community members will be able to “check out” garden beds.  Although the space would be free of charge they would need to pledge either food or volunteer hours to the library/food bank.  A children’s garden will include activities associated with the Summer Reading Program and for adults there will be a speaker series featuring members of the Madison County Master Gardeners and local culinary talents. 

Shaker Heights Public Library – Bertram Woods Branch, $5,175 for a partnership project with Shaker Heights Youth Center and the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.  The library plans to plant an orchard at the Bertram Woods Branch as well as provide space for community gardens, with some plots designated as Food Bank plots.  Children’s programs will be offered with a gardening and a literacy component.  Adult and teen programs will focus on healthy eating and cooking.  Booklists will be developed and made available throughout the community and a deposit collection will be placed at the nature center which will rotate monthly. 

Twinsburg Public Library, $7,125, to assist the library has it positions itself as a third location, where people can feel safe, welcome and creatively engaged. A library food garden meets this goal.  A children’s garden club will be established and the library will attempt to pair children with senior citizens living in assisted living who may enjoy gardening but lack the ability to maintain a plot.  Various adult programs will be offered throughout the grant period. 

Wornstaff Memorial Public Library (Ashley), $2,494 to encourage local residents to grow their own gardens.  Eight family garden plots will be developed in year one with an anticipated 16 plots by year three.  During the grant period the library will sponsor workshops on gardening practices, nutrition and related subjects.  The Library will collaborate with the Delaware Health Dept. Master Gardeners and OSU Extension while Local Boy Scouts will prepare the library garden itself.  Those attending programs will receive a starter kit of seeds and plants, cultivator and trowel.  Garden plans and tools will be made available for checkout from the library.

For more information about  Ohio IMLS LSTA grant programs, including details about upcoming deadlines and calls for proposals, go to: http://oh.webjunction.org/ohlsta.

The State Library of Ohio is pleased to announce that Katie Sabol has joined its staff as Reference Services Librarian. 

Katie’s responsibilities will include reference and research services’ activities.  This entails working the reference desk, answering reference questions and activities associated with outreach to state government employees.  She will also be providing training opportunities to state government staff.

Katie has an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the Ohio State University, and is a Masters of Library & Information Sciences graduate from the University of Pittsburgh.  Katie has solid experience performing virtual and in-person reference work in public, academic and special libraries.  Her most recent experience as a reference librarian was at the Langley Air Force Base where her passion for library advocacy and outreach was inspiring.
 

April 8, 2010
State Library Board Passes Resolutions to honor National Library Week and Library Workers Day, and  National Bookmobile Day.
 

April 8, 2010
Beverly Cain Appointed as the New State Librarian of Ohio

The State Library of Ohio is pleased to announce that the State Library Board has appointed Beverly Cain to be the new State Librarian of Ohio beginning June 1, 2010. Cain has 23 years of library experience in Ohio and has been the Director of the Portsmouth Public Library System since 1997. “I’m certainly pleased by the Board’s appointment of Beverly Cain as the State Librarian of Ohio,” said Board President Lynn Grimshaw.  “I know that she did a great job in Scioto County and I have every reason to believe that she will do a similar job at the State Library.”

Beverly will return to the Columbus area where she was the Branch Manager at the Upper Arlington Public Library Lane Road Branch from 1992 to 1997. Prior to that, she worked at the Medina County District Library from 1988 to 1992, first as a Reference Librarian and then as a Manager of Reference and Adult Services.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the State Library staff; some I already know from the library community. I want to get to know the others and learn what they do,” said Cain. “I’m looking forward to working with the staff and board to continue to build and expand library services to all types of libraries and to Ohio residents regardless of their geographic location.”

Beverly earned a Master of Public Administration degree in 2009 and a Master of Library Science degree in 1986 from Kent State University. She also has a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Akron. Cain is the current President of the Ohio Library Council, a member of the Board of Directors of the Scioto County Law Library Resources Board, and has served as a member or chair person to numerous local, state, and national committees.

With all of her library experience in Public Libraries, Cain said, “I have a lot to learn about what Academic, School, Special, and State agency libraries provide, what their needs are, and what the State Library can do to assist them.”

The State Library Board was impressed with Cain’s leadership experience and ability to develop and maintain excellent relations with staff and community, project management, budget administration, and program development and implementation. Board President Lynn Grimshaw said, “Since I already knew of Beverly’s work, I talked very little during her interviews. I let them interact with her and judge her for themselves as to her outstanding qualifications.”