Cleveland PL's Venable To Retire

Cleveland Public Library (CPL) director Andrew Venable will retire July 1 after nine years in the position and a rich career in the library field, one he “backed into” from a business background. The 63-year-old is returning to his hometown of Staunton, VA, to care for his ailing mother—and he's also working on a book.

LJ asked him what Marketing for Introverts: Evangelizing for the People's University—which he first discussed with Scarecrow Press in 2002—might tell us.

“The universality of a public library's mission makes and supports it as a valuable community asset,” he responded. “CPL's publications (annual report, community newsletters, program announcements, etc.) incorporate more visuals to tell the story. The bookmobile (the People's University on Wheels) and new van (On the Road to Reading) are attractively decorated to attract customers. Annual town hall meetings that celebrate National Library Month are rebroadcast on Cleveland Cable TV, and televisions in all library buildings feature CNN News during library service hours.”

For more of the interview, see LibraryJournal.com/Venable.