Eleanor Squire Library
The Eleanor Squire Library at Cleveland Botanical Garden is one of the oldest circulating garden libraries in the world, starting in 1937. A donation of books by a member of the Garden Club of Cleveland was the primary reason to create a Garden Center within the city, now the oldest civic garden center within a major metropolitan area. The rare book collection has been now moved to Corning Library of Holden Arboretum after the two institutions merged in 2014. Currently the Sqiuire library has 12,000 titles and features Ohio resources, urban and general gardening.
Presenter:
Gary Esmonde has worked in libraries for over 25 years. Previously before that, he worked at Ohio State University in the glass repair and painting business. Mr. Esmonde got his undergraduate degree at Ohio State and his master’s in library science at Kent State University. He has worked primarily in public libraries, including being manager of the Willowick Public Library for six years. He is currently the library director at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, overseeing a circulating collection of over 12,000 titles. He resides in the city of Cleveland Heights
Warren H. Corning Library
Corning Library is a small specialized library serving primarily the staff and members of Holden Forests and Gardens. The collection focus is on trees and woody plants and shrubs, ecology, woodlot management, forest farming and sustainability, nature and plant conservation/protection. They place special emphasis on the Great Lakes region and Northeastern Ohio. There is an active education outreach program for pre-K through middle school. Materials are acquired to support these programs.
Presenter:
Catherine Wells from 1981 through June 2012 worked at the main library at Case Western Reserve University. At retirement she held the position of The Assistant Director for all public services: reference, instruction, programming for faculty and students. In September of 2014 she took the position of librarian (part-time) at the Warren H. Corning Library. At the Holden Arboretum. She earned her BA in anthropology from Wright State University and MA in anthropology from The Ohio State University. MSLS from Case Western Reserve University.