GCPL Honors Board Member Paul A. Newman
Geauga County Public Library (GCPL) - August 19, 2025
Meeting: The GCPL Board met on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 4:00 pm at the Chardon Branch. This Board Meeting was in-person with a virtual attendance option. To access the virtual option see information here. The meeting was not recorded. Minutes of this meeting will be posted on the GCPL website after they are approved at the August 19, 2025 meeting.
Observer Note: Each member of the GCPL Board and Staff receives a copy of the meeting packet, as does this Observer. It is available upon request in accordance with Ohio public records law (ORC 149.43). The board discusses and votes on the information in the packet. This Observer Report is made up of discussions held at the board meeting and information taken from the board packet.
Public Comment: Permitted and included in the regular order of business per GCPL bylaws. Further clarified in Policy 215 - Public Participation at Board Meetings.
Board Attendance: President Karen Delano, Vice President Kristen Brickman (arrived late), Secretary Crist Miller and Board Trustees Joshua Hutchinson, Kate Pitrone, Paul Newman and Jake Yanchar.
Library Staff Attendance:
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Kris Carroll - Director
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Katy Farrell - Assistant Director, Recording Secretary
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Lisa Havlin - Fiscal Officer
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Nicole Burnside - Human Resources
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Deborah Schrock - Development Coordinator
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Erika Noark - Geauga West Branch Manager
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Mary Balog - Thompson Branch Manager
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Rachael Hartman - Middlefield Branch Manager
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Mike Pope - IT Manager
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John Johnson - Facilities Manager
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Judy Lasco - Chardon Branch Manager
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Danielle Hollar - Bainbridge Branch Manager
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Marlene Pelyhes - Tech Services Manager
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Denise Javins - Marketing Manager
President Karen Delano called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm and roll call was taken.
The Oath of office was given to Kate Pitrone, who was reappointed Library Board Trustee.
Resolution of Tribute and Recognition Honoring Paul A. Newman for distinguished service to the Geauga County Public Library System- This Resolution was read and approved. In it, the Library thanks Mr. Newman for his 40 years of service to the Geauga County Library, for his role in the establishment of the Library Foundation, and for his many other contributions to Geauga County as an attorney, photographer, and author.
Minutes: Minutes of the July 15, 2025 Board Meeting were approved as presented. Board minutes are available online. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to access minutes. The minutes are posted as soon as they are approved at the following month’s Board meeting. Prior to March 2023, videos of meetings were available to the public here. GCPL is no longer posting videos of their meetings.
Communications: None
Agenda: The agenda presented in the Board packet was approved with no changes.
Fiscal Officer’s Report - Ms. Havlin
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Motion to approve the PNC Bank and First National Trust Bank Depository Agreements as presented in the board packet. The motion passed.
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Motion to approve the FNB Investment agreement as presented in the board packet. Motion passed.
Director’s Report - Ms. Carroll
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Tuition reimbursement requests for staff training. Motion made and approved.
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The GCPL organizational assessment project continued with Organizational Architecture (OA), who are HR consultants. On July 24, OA visited several branches to observe service points and engage with managers and staff. The project is not an evaluation of individual performance. Rather, it is a comprehensive review of the library’s organizational structure, service delivery, and system capacity. The goal is to develop a roadmap that supports both GCPL’s mission and staff.
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New Chardon Branch Project: The team meets regularly. A preliminary floor plan for the facility has been developed, and the team is now focusing on exterior and landscape design elements.
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Facilities: In preparation for the sale of the current Chardon Branch, the Facilities Department worked with EA Group to complete asbestos testing of the building. Observer Note: These results were not shared during the meeting. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) repairs were completed at Middlefield, and the garden landscaping project was started. In preparation for the Administrative Center’s move to a shared space, a garage storage area has been set up. The elevator at the Chardon Branch failed on August 7th. Gable Elevator inspected the elevator and ordered parts for repair.
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The Technical Services Department completed several projects to help with the transition to a new Adult Collection Development Librarian. A new spreadsheet was developed to track renewal decisions. This documentation will drive decisions as funds are reallocated from the Collection budget in response to the reduction in State funding
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Marketing: Social platforms saw notable growth, especially on LinkedIn and YouTube, with a total audience increase of 89 more users and a total of over 39,000 impressions across channels.
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Intelligence Team: IT closed out 74 staff helpdesk tickets in July. The team worked with Everstream (internet service) to switch Chardon, Geauga West, and Middlefield’s internet connections to Clevnet. This results in significant cost savings for the library. A phishing test using KnowBe4 was sent to all GCPL staff. It was followed up with an email pointing out that it only takes one person to allow the “bad guys” into the library’s network. The IT Department has been working on Windows 11 upgrades and preparing for Clevnet two-factor authentication. Ms. Carroll said that the Digitization Specialist has done a great job creating training videos for the library’s Digital Legacy Labs (DLL). The additional DLL were purchased using 2024 Mellon Grant funds.
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Development: Debbie Schrock attended National Night Out on the Square on Tuesday August 5th, where local non-profit organizations shared their services and connected with residents. Over 600 residents attended.
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Ms. Carroll and Ms. Schrock met with Gifted Nonprofit Solutions and Cramer & Associates to discuss the practicality and viability of a capital campaign for the Library to be run through the GCPL Foundation.
Assistant Director’s Report - Ms. Farrell
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2025 GCPL Summer Reading Program: Participants across the system: 1,450 children, 260 teens, and 773 adults. Over 538 programs were offered for children, teens, families, and adults over the course of summer reading. The programs averaged 19 attendees, with 10,383 participants total.
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Changes made based on patron feedback:
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A patron at Bainbridge asked us to paint the curb cuts so the sidewalk ramps are more visible for those with low vision. Facilities painted the curbs in July.
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A patron suggested a change to the phone prompt since they always felt they had called the “wrong” desk. A reference employee suggested language, and it was updated in early August.
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July 2025 Statistics:
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37,605 patrons served at the branches
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16,120 computer and wi-fi users
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219 programs presented for patrons
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12,058 reference interactions
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254,688 Total circulation of items
Observer Note: The board packet contains a report of activities from all branches and departments. This is under the heading of the Assistant Director’s Report. The report includes Patron feedback reported at the branches. The host/local branch manager gives an oral report at the board meeting.
Branch Report: This month’s branch was Chardon and a report was given by Judy Lasco, Chardon Branch manager.
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Scanzapalooza: The Digitalization Specialist, Lauren Smyth, and the Head of Adult services, Mary Crotty, helped 12 patrons scan photos and documents as part of a recent Saturday program. Many of the attendees were people who were uncomfortable trying to use the Digital Legacy Lab by themselves. At least 4 people came up to the Reference Desk afterwards to reserve the DLL for a future date on their own. Scanzapalooza was a great way to market the DLL and help patrons who may have been hesitant learn how to use the equipment.
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Homeschool Fair: The head of Youth Services (Chardon), the Youth Services Assistant (Chardon), the Head of Youth Services (Geauga West) and Mary Balog (Manager, Thompson) talked to 125 children, along with teens and adults, for a total of 221 people. They discussed STEM kits, programs and the upcoming registration day. They presented a sample of programs of interest to homeschool families.
Human Resources - Ms. Burnside
Committee Reports
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Friends Committee: On August 2, the Geauga West Branch hosted an Audio Visual and Paperback Book Sale. In just four hours, the sale raised $399. Friends of the Library volunteers also sort and scan items for ThriftBooks at the Fairgrounds. Thanks to their hard work, this year’s book sale at the Geauga County Fair had a full building of items for patrons to browse.
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Fundraising: Geauga West Manager, Erika Noark, and Debbie Schrock met to review and finalize additional details for the upcoming Murder Mystery Event on October 10. Tickets recently went on sale, and many tickets were sold in a short period.
Unfinished Business - None
New Business – Ms Havlin
Foundation Report - Ms. Schrock
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Ms Schrock and GCPL Foundation members met with a support representative from Little Green Light, GCPL’s donor management platform. They discussed ways to improve efficiency in preparation for the upcoming Capital Campaign.
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The Foundation Marketing and Fundraising Committee is planning the Donor Appreciation Event scheduled for Friday, September 26th, at 6 PM at the Bainbridge Branch. This special occasion will bring together donors, community partners, and board members to celebrate their support and contributions. The committee is focused on creating a memorable evening to express gratitude and strengthen relationships within the community.
Executive Session - None
Public Comment - None
The meeting adjourned at 4:25 pm
Upcoming Events:
Next Meeting: The next Regular Board meeting is September 16th at 4:00 pm at the Geauga West Branch. See website for information on meeting dates and locations.
Observer: Cris Takacs
Editor: Gail Roussey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: September 8, 2025
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