What Did I Tell You About Cleveland Libraries?

This made me frantic with approval. Frantic, because now I feel like I have to move to Cleveland and go to the library twice as much lest it die for lack of use.

Here is an excerpt:

The Cleveland Public Library is the first public library to receive this prestigious national award [the 2007 Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections, awarded by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and Heritage Preservation] since its inception in 1999. Previous recipients have included art museums, historic sites, research libraries, and archives.

“All too often, public libraries with circulating collections feel forced to choose between basic public services and care of unique research collections,” said Lawrence L. Reger, President of Heritage Preservation. “The Cleveland Public Library is exemplary in its support of an extensive preservation program in the midst of all its other responsibilities.” [emphasis mine]

Seriously, folks, I can't stress this enough: public libraries are starting to focus on circulation numbers at the expense of maintaining a broad, well-rounded collection. In this regard, Cleveland Public Library is an enormous, increasingly rare asset.