CLEVNET
FormationDecember 1, 1982 (December 1, 1982)
Purposeprovides access to a shared catalog, databases, and other technology services to libraries in the resource-sharing network
Headquarters325 Superior Ave N.E., Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Region served
Northeast Ohio
Director
Hilary Prisbylla
WebsiteCLEVNET

CLEVNET is a library consortium headquartered at Cleveland Public Library. It was founded in 1982 and includes over 40 public library systems in northeast Ohio. CLEVNET provides access to more than 12 million titles of books, movies, music and e-books.[1][2] CLEVNET was also the headquarters for Ohio's virtual reference service, KnowItNow24x7, from 2001 to its closing in 2015.[1][3]

History

The origins of CLEVNET date to the automation of Cleveland Public Library's card catalog in the late 1970s and early 1980s under Director Ervin Gaines in partnership with Data Research Associates (DRA).[4][5] In an effort to share the capabilities of the online catalog with other libraries, Director Gaines invited other area libraries to connect to the new technology. Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library was the first library to express interest. In December 1981, an agreement between the two libraries was approved, and the Cleveland Heights–University Heights Public Library came online on December 1, 1982, officially launching the CLEVNET consortium.[4][6]

The original online catalog system ran from its inception in 1979 until a brief "shutdown" in 1990 for upgrades.[7] The scope of the upgrade was outlined with additional details by a Letter To The Editor from Robert T. Carterette: "Clevnet is one of the largest library resource-sharing networks in the United States today, making 1.6 million titles available to public libraries throughout Northern Ohio... in addition to 4.2 million items owned by the Clevnet libraries, 1.6 million title records, 106,000 book order records, and 32,500 Union List of Periodical records must be processed, a total of 5.9 million. The system processes the 3.6 gigabytes of data."[8]

In 2003, Cleveland Public Library, which administered CLEVNET, chose Sirsi as its new source for public library technology products and services.[9]

In 2009, CLEVNET member libraries, including Cleveland Public Library, were the first public libraries to offer e-books to download in the EPUB format.[10]

In 2016, CLEVNET made the decision to move its servers from Cleveland Public Library to the State of Ohio Computer Center (SOCC) in Columbus, Ohio.[11]

In May 2017, Rocky River Public Library joined CLEVNET.[2] In September 2018, Morley Library joined the consortium.[12]

CLEVNET is mentioned on page 105 in the 2017 fiction work The Unclaimed Victim by D. M. Pulley, a Cleveland author.[13]

Participating libraries

The following are the current members[14] of the CLEVNET consortium and their date of entry into the network.

  1. Cleveland Public Library 1982
  2. Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library 1982
  3. Shaker Heights Public Library 1983
  4. Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library 1983
  5. Elyria Public Library 1984
  6. Euclid Public Library 1984
  7. Ritter Public Library 1984
  8. Sandusky Public Library 1984
  9. East Cleveland Public Library 1985
  10. Hudson Library & Historical Society 1985
  11. Medina County District Library 1985
  12. Cleveland Law Library (not a public library) 1985
  13. Orrville Public Library 1985
  14. Twinsburg Public Library 1985
  15. Wayne County Public Library 1985
  16. Lorain Public Library System 1990
  17. Perry Public Library 1992
  18. Madison (Ohio) Public Library 1993
  19. Wickliffe Public Library 1995
  20. Bellevue Public Library 1996
  21. Clyde Public Library 1997
  22. Fairport Harbor Public Library 1997
  23. Kirtland Public Library 1997
  24. Birchard Public Library 1999
  25. Milan-Berlin Public Library 2000
  26. Huron Public Library 2001
  27. Kingsville Public Library 2001
  28. Peninsula Public Library 2002
  29. Burton Public Library 2005
  30. Barberton Public Library 2009
  31. Bristol Public Library 2011
  32. Hubbard Public Library 2011
  33. Girard Free Library 2011
  34. Kinsman Public Library 2011
  35. McKinley Memorial Library 2011
  36. Newton Falls Public Library 2011
  37. Norwalk Public Library 2012
  38. Andover Public Library 2013[15]
  39. Conneaut Public Library 2013[15]
  40. Harbor-Topky Public Library 2013[15]
  41. Henderson Memorial Public Library 2013[15]
  42. Rock Creek Public Library 2013[15]
  43. Geauga County Public Library 2017
  44. Rocky River Public Library 2017
  45. Morley Library 2018[12]
  46. Mentor Public Library 2019[16]
  47. Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library 2021[17]

References

  1. ^ a b Kenney, Brian (15 September 2003). "The Virtual Gets Real". Library Journal. American Library Association. 128 (15): 32–35. ISSN 0363-0277. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b Benson, John (6 April 2017). "Rocky River Public Library joins CLEVNET to expand collection and save money". Cleveland.com. Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  3. ^ McDevitt-Stredney, Marsha (20 October 2015). "KnowItNow24x7 Service Ends December 31". News. State Library of Ohio. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  4. ^ a b Annual report of the Cleveland Public Library for 2000. Cleveland Public Library. Retrieved 3 May 2017.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Finley, Kim (May 2010). A Thesis entitled How Two Large Library Systems Co-Exist in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Master of Liberal Studies). University of Toledo. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Cleveland Public Library Cuyahoga County, Ohio Single Audit" (PDF). Balestra, Harr & Scherer, CPAs, Inc. July 23, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 19, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  7. ^ "Computer shutdown to trouble libraries". The Plain Dealer. 23 March 1990. p. 26.
  8. ^ "Clevnet's virtues misunderstood". The Plain Dealer. 9 April 1990. p. 20.
  9. ^ "Cleveland Public Library selects Sirsi". Library Technology Guides. 28 July 2003. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  10. ^ "Cleveland Public Library offers EPUB". No Shelf Required. Jan 27, 2009. Retrieved Apr 22, 2020.
  11. ^ "OPLIN Board meeting minutes". Board Minutes Archive. OPLIN. 2007–2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018. Stephen Hedges reminded the Board of discussion at their October meeting about renting rack space at the State of Ohio Computer Center (SOCC) to allow Ohio public libraries to take advantage of the SOCC's hardened infrastructure. As noted at the last Board meeting, the CLEVNET library consortium plans to move the servers that provide services to the CLEVNET libraries to the SOCC because it is such a stable data center. OPLIN could expand this idea and reserve a cage of server racks at the SOCC for public library usage. Stephen provided details of rack capacity and costs.
  12. ^ a b "Morley Library catalog migrating to CLEVNET". The News-Herald. Madison, Ohio. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  13. ^ Pulley, D. M. (2017). The Unclaimed Victim (9781542046435): Pulley, D. M.: Books. ISBN 978-1542046435.
  14. ^ "CLEVNET Participating Libraries". CLEVNET. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  15. ^ a b c d e Millberg, Stacy (8 October 2013). "Six county libraries are now part of a CLEVNET consortium". Star Beacon. Ashtabula, Ohio. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  16. ^ Lea, Jason (20 January 2019). "Mentor Library closed Feb. 2 to prepare for joining CLEVNET". Cleveland.com. Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Board Meeting" (PDF). Cleveland Public Library. April 15, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
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