MyCOM Funding to Shaker
Community Reaches $1.25 Million
Shaker Library is completing its seventh
successful year of association with the
Youth Development Initiative of the Cleveland
Foundation, now known as MyCOM,
or My Commitment, My Community.
Working with the Shaker Heights
Youth Center and other core members
of the Shaker Prevention Coalition, the
Library began receiving grants in 2008,
and group planning efforts resulted in the
South Shaker community being designated
a MyCOM neighborhood.
This summer, MyCOM will once again
provide dozens of jobs for teens, including
some at Shaker Library. With the funding
for these positions, our community will have
received almost $1,250,000 in grants to
provide out-of-school activities over the past
seven years, with one-third of the amount
designated to summer jobs for youth.
Shaker Library Board Meets
with Westlake Library
For the past few years, the Library Board has
met with other library boards in the region
to share mutual concerns and to develop
new operational approaches. Informal
joint meetings were held with Cleveland
Heights-University Heights in 2012, Euclid
in 2013, and this year with Westlake.
Though Westlake is less diverse both
racially and economically than Shaker
Heights, the two library districts have
virtually identical population sizes and
median home values. Both systems provide
exceptional service and boast some of the
highest per capita usage levels in the nation.
Westlake’s single facility, about the size
of Shaker’s two buildings combined, was the
site of the first collaborative meeting of the
two Boards last May. Westlake touted many
of its innovative programs and noted that it
recently joined the SearchOhio consortium,
whereas Shaker Library has been a member
of the CLEVNET consortium for 30 years.
Shaker Library shared the successes
of its 2013 main floor reorganization at
Main Library and the implementation of
self-checkout and self-pickup of holds.
Even though Westlake’s building is only 12
years old, they had burst pipes and flooding
during the winter and have building and
maintenance concerns similar to Shaker’s.
22 SHAKERONLINE.COM | SUMMER 2014
Plans call for the Library
Board to host the Westlake
Board in November.
Meet the
Library’s Newest
Board Member:
Brian Gleisser
Brian S. Gleisser has been
appointed to a seven-year
term on the Library
Board, replacing Dr. David
Hutt, whose term expired
in March.
“I believe the Library
is a crucial element in
Shaker’s future success,” Gleisser says.
“An excellent library, high quality schools,
and superb city services are keys to what
makes Shaker Heights a highly desirable
community that is recognized nationally.
I hope that my experience in community
development and management and
planning will benefit the Library Board as
we consider the future. ”
Gleisser served as an elected member
of Shaker Heights City Council for 14 years
from 1999 through 2013, serving as Vice
Mayor in 2004 and 2005. He is currently
senior vice president at the Council for
Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland,
the $45-million community action
agency providing Head Start, Home Energy
Assistance, and other community service
programs to eligible children, families, and
adults in Cuyahoga County.
A native Clevelander, Gleisser earned
a BA from Northwestern University, a
master’s degree in City and Regional Planning
from Harvard University, and a law
degree from Cleveland State University.
He currently serves as a member of the
Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce
Investment Board, the Emergency Food
and Shelter Board, and the Shaker Heights
Recreation and Health Committee.
Gleisser’s visions for the Library are “to
continue to improve and enhance Library
services to the community; to assure that
financial resources are available to support
them; and to develop and implement a
facilities plan that will enable the Library to
provide welcoming, efficient, accessible, and
sustainable spaces for the community.”
He and his wife, Pamela, a psychotherapist
in private practice with Hearth
Consultants, have lived in Shaker Heights
for 25 years. Each of their
three children graduated
from Shaker Heights
High School.
Gleisser enjoys
reading historical biographies,
science fiction,
and newspapers. His
favorite books include
Dune by Frank Herbert,
The Grapes of Wrath by
John Steinbeck, The Best
and the Brightest by David
Halberstam, and Truman
by David McCullough.
Best of Show
Shaker Library received two Best of
Show awards from the American Library
Association for its Dig Into Reading
summer reading flyer, and its Anisfield-Wolf
Book Awards booklet. The awards were
presented at the ALA annual conference in
Las Vegas in June.
Events & Popular Programs
Get Your Knit On
“The only difference between an experienced
knitter and a new knitter is that the
experienced knitter makes bigger mistakes
faster. Be bold; there are no terrible
consequences in knitting. ”
– Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Feeling bold? Perhaps now is the time to
pick up the needles and yarn you have in
the closet and head over to the Library to
get help. Experienced knitters and novices
are welcome to share tips and techniques
and to get help from experienced knitters
who moderate each class. The groups are
collegial, welcoming, and encouraging.
Knit Mornings are held from 10-11:30
am the first Wednesday of each month at
Main Library and are moderated by Elfreide
Heaney; Knit Nights are held from 7-8:45 pm
July 16, August 20, September 17 at Woods
Branch and are moderated by Fern Braverman.
@ Shaker Library
Brian S. Gleisser
Events &
Popular Programs