July 21, 2026 Board Minutes

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES of the CUYAHOGA FALLS LIBRARY and The William and Margaretta Taylor Memorial Association

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CUYAHOGA FALLS LIBRARY and 
The William and Margaretta Taylor Memorial Association 

REGULAR MEETING 
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 
Sutliff Room 

  1. Call To Order:

Karen Schofield called the meeting to order at 6:01 pm. 

  • RESOLUTION 26-36: Move that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees appoint Karen Schofield as President Pro Tempore for the July 21, 2026 meeting. Mike Dunton. 2nd by Cheryl Bruce. Passed Unanimously. 

In Attendance: 

Karen Schofield, Sandy Zirke, Cheryl Bruce, Mike Dunton, Bradley LeBoeuf, Christine Stewart, Rick Rubin, Noah Spinner, Director Andrew Harant, Assistant Director Jennifer Reynard, Fiscal Officer Kevin Gemmell  

Excused: Bryan Van Sweringen, Sean Blake, Robin Worthington 

  1. Adoption of Agenda: 

Karen Schofield moved to amend the Regular Board Meeting of July 21, 2026 to add an item under New Business: Update on Board Members 2nd by Mike Dunton. Motion passed unanimously. 

Rick Rubin moved to approve the agenda of the Regular Board Meeting of July 21, 2026, as amended. 2nd by Mike Dunton. Motion passed unanimously. 

  1. Welcome New Trustee: Christine Stewart
  • Christine Stewart took her Oath of Office.  
  1.  Approval of Minutes:

Mike Dunton moved to approve the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of June 16, 2026. 2nd by Noah Spinner. Motion passed unanimously. 

  1. Board Education:
  • Circulation Coordinator Cynthia Spesert, Circulation Clerk January Alboreo, and Circulation Clerk Susan Cooper spoke about what the Circulation does. How its more than just checking books in and out. They are the front line for helping and greeting patrons. They also spoke about why they enjoy working in the Circulation Department.  
  1. Public Participation:
  • Raelene Gorlinsky was present and spoke about how she wishes the Library would offer more merchandise geared toward adults. Taylor the Otter is for kids.  
  1. Treasurer’s Report:

Resolution 26-37: Move that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees approve the payment of bills for June 2026 in the amount of $299,652.90. Sandy Zirke. 2nd by Rick Rubin. Passed unanimously. 

Resolution 26-38: Move that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees move $1,000 from Audio Books – Adult (101.1.54370) to DVD/CD (101.1.54301). Sandy Zirke. 2nd by Mike Dunton. Passed unanimously. 

Resolution 26-39: Move that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees move $1,400 from Books – Adult Non-Fiction (101.1.54101) to DVD/CD (101.1.54301). Sandy Zirke. 2nd by Mike Dunton. Passed unanimously. 

It was reported that the library received $136,634.13 in PLF revenue. 

Resolution 26-40: Move that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees accept the June Financial Report subject to audit. Sandy Zirke. 2nd by Mike Dunton. Passed unanimously. 

Resolution 26-41: Move that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees approve the 2027 Adjusted Tax Schedule. Sandy Zirke. 2nd by Mike Dunton. 7 in favor. 1 abstention. Motion passed 

8. Board President Report:

  • Thank you to our Assistant Director, Jennifer and our Circulation Coordinator, Cynthia and her team members for sharing with the Board some of your daily responsibilities and how you help the Library fulfill its mission. 
  • Applause, please, for our CFO, Kevin, for a perfect audit! Four out of four stars! Thank you for your commitment to our Library! 
  • Best wishes to our former part-time Circulation Clerk, Raena, as she has moved to a full-time position with another employer and we look forward to Kirsten joining the Circulation Department later this month as a part-time employee. The Library is now fully staffed. 
  • This month I would like to give a shout-out to Mary-Ann, our Maker Space Librarian, and Jenna, our Technology Trainer (who is an independent contractor) and the Adult and Teen Manager, Elizabeth M. The Maker Space team provide creative and engaging programs for all ages. Their assistance helps bridge the digital divide. Mary-Ann is currently seeking a grant for Maker Space outreach. Personally, I hope to join the crochet community this fall. It is especially appreciated that this team emphasizes one of our core values, innovation, daily. Your work is appreciated! 
  • And finally, welcome to Christine as our new Board member! We look forward to you sharing your time and talents with us 

    Committee Reports:
  1. Building:  
    Mike Dunton spoke about the city replacing the light post that was struck as well as how good the new landscaping looks 
  2. Policies/Bylaws Review: 
    Review of the use of Artificial Intelligence Policy. Bradley LeBouf provided a handout about the ORC virtual meeting rules. 
  3. Finance/Audit Committee:  
    No Report 
  4. Graefe Memorial:  
    Andrew Harant said Robin Worthington had told him the Spring Flowers still look good. 
  5. Personnel Committee:  
    Christine Stewart may soon join the Personnel Committee. 
  6. Affleck Scholarship Committee: 
    No Report 
  7. Strategic Planning Committee: 
    NEO-RLS may be contracted to complete our Strategic Plan. Negotiation of cost will begin in August. 


  8. 10.     Director’s Report:
  • Several key changes to the Library’s website were displayed, including a new staff directory, updates to the Board of Trustees page, and addition of a page for the CFL Foundation. 
  • We identified errors in the new Traf-Sys door counter results. IT Manager Phil Shirley worked with the Traf-Sys team to re-calibrate our system. Corrections were made to the previously reported stats each month so far this year to correct the identified undercount. 
  • We have seen significant increases in printing by patrons over the past two months. Akron Summit County Public Library’s Tallmadge and Ellet branches closed over the past few months for renovations, which may account for some of this increase. 
  • Summer Reading Program updates: 2,949 registrants so far—50 less than last year, but 250 more than 2024. Almost 1.8 million hours read so far, with a couple more weeks to go (1.9 last year). 
  • Our reel featuring the leadership team’s drink container prank on Andy had over 15K views on Facebook, 267 likes, 11 comments, and 11 shares. It helped increase our video watch time this month. Our leadership team video also performed excellently on Instagram 
  • Andy began a 3-year term on the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System (NEO-RLS) Board of Directors. 
  • Northeast Ohio Parent magazine announced their 2026 Parent Choice Awards, which were voted on by the magazine’s readers and online followers. Our library earned 3rd place for “Best Library.” Lakewood took 1st, Twinsburg 2nd. 

 11. Personnel Report:

  • RESOLUTION 26-42: Move that the Cuyahoga Falls Library Board of Trustees approve the June 2026 Personnel Report. Karen Schofield 2nd by Sandy Zirke. Passed Unanimously  
  1. Unfinished Business: 
  • None 
  1.  New Business: 
  • Update on the current health of Board Members Bryan Van Sweringen and Sean Blake 
  • New room set up for Board meetings was discussed 
  1.  Adjournment:

Rick Rubin moved to adjourn the meeting. 2nd by Mike Dunton. Meeting adjourned at 7:22 pm. 

Approved By Robin Worthington, Board President        

Approved By Karen Schofield, Secretary