GUIDING PRINCIPLES OUR
MISSION:
To engage our community, connect people to all available resources, and inspire discovery, learning, and growth. OUR VISION: An Engaged, Connected, and Inspired Community.
Geauga County Public Library is and will continue to be a trusted source of information and learning for the Geauga community, providing excellent programming, services, and collections through a positive patron experience.
To support and uphold Geauga County Public Library’s vision of an informed, engaged, and connected community, we strive to integrate the library into a space that reflects and encourages all aspects of community life.
Scan to learn more about our strategic plan.
Engaging, Connecting, Inspiring since 1963
Geauga County Public Library has been engaging, connecting, and inspiring Geauga County since 1963. With its six branches and mobile services fleet, the Library has become the community’s hub for discovery, lifelong learning, and growth through its diverse range of programs, growing collection of digital resources, and county-wide initiatives.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR
A YEAR OF GROWTH & VISION
At the heart of every strong community is a place where people come together to learn, grow, and connect. In Geauga County, that place is the Geauga County Public Library. Each day, we are honored to serve as a trusted and welcoming resource for our residents.
Our mission is clear and enduring: to engage our community, connect patrons to essential resources, and inspire a love for lifelong learning. This impact report reflects how we are fulfilling that mission today while building thoughtfully for the future.
This year, patrons borrowed more than 3 million items across our library system. From bestselling books and research tools to digital audiobooks and literacy kits, we continue to meet the evolving needs of our community, wherever learning takes place.
Serving children and families remains a core priority. Through storytimes, Rascal Readers, Amish School collections, and early literacy programs, we help children develop a love of reading well before they enter a classroom. By partnering with local daycares, Amish schools, and homeschooling families and by delivering programs directly to families, we ensure that early learning opportunities are accessible to all. A child who reads is a child prepared for the world.
Our commitment to service continues after a child’s first chapter book, after their first research paper, and after their graduation. For Geauga County seniors, outreach and homebound services bring library materials directly to those unable to visit our buildings, while book clubs, educational programs, and Digital Legacy Labs support lifelong learning, connection, and storytelling.
We are evolving responsibly to meet community needs. Construction of the new Chardon Branch will begin in the summer of 2026, creating a welcoming space that expands access and enhances services. At the same time, we are reducing our administrative footprint through shared spaces and operational efficiencies to ensure that public funds are used wisely. Fiscal responsibility and sustainability are central to every decision we make.
This commitment is strengthened through our partnership with the Geauga County Library Foundation. With the support of generous donors, the Foundation enables us to expand programs and services beyond what tax funding alone can provide, helping us better serve the entire community.
Our branches also serve as community hubs, offering meeting rooms and study spaces for collaboration, creativity, and quiet focus. Complementing these spaces, our growing digital collection ensures access to information and resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Thank you for your trust, support, and partnership. This library belongs to the people of Geauga County, and we are grateful for the privilege of serving our community every day.
Kris Carroll Director Kris Carroll
OUTREACH FOR SENIORS
• 280 residents at 18 care facilities serviced by Outreach;
• Offered Books by Mail service to residents of Geauga County;
• Bookmobile services and stops, used two vehicles for access at better times; and
• Increased number of homebound patrons served across the county.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS
Presentations from our partner organizations:
• Geauga Park District
• Cleveland Alzheimer’s Association
• James A. Garfield National Historic Site
• Geauga County Clerk of Courts
• Geauga County Probate Court
• University Hospitals
• Geauga Soil & Water Conservation District
• League of Women Voters
• Geauga County Genealogical Society
• NPower Services
• International Women’s Air & Space Museum
• The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
• The Ohio Attorney General’s Office
• National First Ladies Library and Museum
• Lake County History Center
• Cleveland Museum of Art
• Geauga Department on Aging
• Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste District
• Kent State University Museum
659 Adult Programs
• Woodland Cemetery Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio
• Northeast Historical Recovery Association
• Geauga Amish Historical Society
• Sons of the American Legion, Post 214
299 Adult Technology Programs
9,915 Adult Program Attendees
125 Maker Space Trainings
The Power of
Summer Reading Kick-Off June 6th, 2025 @ Fairgrounds
525
Total Attendees
369
Total Summer Reading Programs Offered
Summer Reading: A Look Back
3,991
Children Program Attendees
2,807 Adult Program Attendees
275 Teen Program Attendees
2,877 Registered Readers
Scan for a complete list of items
51 Library of Things Items
394 Total Circulation
Geauga County Public Library’s Library of Things is a collection of non-traditional library items available for check out that embody our mission of connecting library cardholders to information, services, and resources that inspire discovery, learning, and growth.
Our Digital Collection
Geauga County Public Library provides free and open access to ideas and information available on all subjects and in all media for the enlightenment of the public at all ages and levels of ability.
659,433 Total eCirculation
49,433 DVDs & Blu-Ray Circulation
278,492 eBook Circulation
MEETING ROOMS
Geauga County Public Library provides free meeting rooms across six library branches, where library patrons can connect and engage in civic, cultural, or educational programs, events, or business meetings.
3,263 Meeting Room Bookings
STUDY ROOMS
40,703
Total Attendees
Anyone can reserve a study room at Geauga County Public Library. These rooms see a lot of traffic, for one-on-one tutoring, group study, job interviews, virtual meetings, bible study groups, and more!
In 2025, we converted our Study Room Reservation system to allow patrons to register for a room online. This was requested repeatedly, and our IT team, reference staff, and administration worked together to make it happen.
(We saw a 12% increase in study room uses after moving registration online!)
9,610 Study Room Bookings
19,706
Total Attendees
MAKER SPACE
1,782
Total Maker Space Bookings
DIGITAL LEGACY LAB
495 Attendees
The Maker Space, located at the Bainbridge Branch, is a creative, educational space that provides library cardholders access to advanced software, technologies, and equipment. The Maker Space is available to all CLEVNET cardholders. It is free to use, though users are required to pay for the materials.
617 Total Sessions One-on-one Consultations Group Orientations
In 2024, Geauga County Public Library was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation under their Support for Public Library Memory Labs initiative. This grant allowed the library to create and maintain Digital Legacy Labs at every branch and hire a Digitization Specialist to provide one-on-one instruction and group training sessions for patrons interested in the equipment. The library would not have been able to expand these resources for our patrons without the support of the Mellon Foundation.
• Deployed full Digital Legacy Labs to all six branches.
• Hired a full-time Digitization Specialist to provide orientation, one-on-one consultations, and programs.
71
23
DAYCARE AND PRESCHOOL OUTREACH
2,054
Daycare bin circulations
232
13
Daycares that receive monthly deliveries
Classroom storytimes
EARLY LITERACY INITIATIVES
Rascal Readers
Geauga County Public Library continues to offer the Rascal Readers program, a beloved collaboration supported by the Geauga County Retired Teachers, Geauga County Library Foundation, and the library.
Geauga County Retired Teachers visit kindergarten classes and read a story to students. These volunteers go to schools across the county to help instill a love of reading at an early age.
After that, students are given a certificate for their first library card, as well as a Rascal stuffie and book to take home.
209
New Rascal Readers in 2025!
BRINGING HISTORY TO LIFE
Volunteers in the Anderson Allyn Room added 2,206 obituaries to the R.B. Hayes Ohio Obituary Index. This work makes these unique resources available to genealogy researchers across the country.
548
Total Genealogy Programs
Total Patron Requests
811
Total Volunteer Hours
In 2025, the library was awarded a grant from the Ohio250 Commission to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States. Staff created the virtual Voices of Geauga presentation to highlight the history and unique voices of the people who have created the county we call home. This presentation was available at all the branches throughout 2025 and is still accessible on our website and at the Chardon Branch.
Total Digital Views Scan to View 61
23,000
The Geauga County Library Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization composed of everyday library patrons, staff, and advocates passionate about fostering a love for reading and lifelong learning in the Geauga community.
$177,166 Total Funds Raised
$107,506 Cultivated Donations
$40,603 Book Sales
$1,388 Christmas Tree Fundraiser
$22,269 Mini-Golf at the Library
$2,848 Murder Mystery Fundraiser
$2,552 Candy Sales
Geauga Count y Library Foundation
161
Volunteers
5,256 Volunteers hours
$182,856 Value Impact
EDUCATION, ACCESS, AND LIFELONG LEARNING
Geauga County Public Library is and will continue to be a trusted source of information and learning for the community, providing excellent programming and collections through a positive patron experience.
Early Literacy & Youth Engagement
In 2025, the library strengthened early literacy efforts through both new and established programs. A newly launched Summer Reading initiative for daycares reached an average of 64 children annually. The long-standing Rascal Readers program, delivered in partnership with the Geauga County Retired Teachers’ Association and the Geauga County Library Foundation, connected retired educators with 209 kindergarten students, each of whom received their first library card, a book, and a Rascal plush. The program expanded this year to include homeschool families and Thompson’s Global Connection Academy.
Youth Services also supported homeschool education with 68 programs across the county. Teen engagement continued to grow, with Summer Reading participation increasing by 13%.
The library maintained operation of its Amish Book Delivery service. Library staff from the Mobile Services department, working with a team of 20 volunteers, oversaw the delivery of 40 specialized collections to local Amish schools each month, averaging 4,000 books checked in and out during each delivery period.
Learning Opportunities for Adults of All Ages
The library provided 299 technology programs in 2025, helping adults build essential digital skills. A grant-funded digitization position expanded access to the Digital Legacy Lab, offering increased training and orientation opportunities. Maker Space programming also remained strong, with 125 classes and hands-on learning experiences offered throughout the year.
Improving Access and User Experience
The transition to an online study room reservation system marked a major service improvement, simplifying patron access and streamlining staff workflows. This enhancement contributed to a 12% increase in usage, growing from 8,545 reservations (17,146 users) in 2024 to 9,610 reservations (19,706 users) in 2025.
The library also implemented practical accessibility improvements across branches, including enhanced signage and navigation, relocation of key collections and services, and staff training focused on supporting patrons with disabilities.
For residents unable to visit in person, outreach services continued to expand. As of October 2025, the library’s Outreach Department serves 280 residents across 18 care facilities. This service is complemented by the library’s Books by Mail service, expanded Bookmobile routes, and increased homebound delivery services.
Expanding Digital Access
To remove barriers to entry, the library introduced an automated eCard registration process through its catalog. Patrons can now register for an eCard instantly, providing immediate access to digital resources without staff assistance.
Electronic Items Circulated: 659,433
Computer Uses: 40,215
Questions Answered: 140,052
In-Person Library Visits: 451,414
New Library Cards: 4,727
Program Attendance: 52,835
Total Items Circulated:
3,011,954
GENERAL FUNDING RESOURCES
GENERAL FUND EXPENSES
LOOKING AHEAD
Building the Future: Chardon Branch
Geauga County Public Library is excited to take a significant step forward in its mission to serve the Chardon community and its evolving needs. This step will take place at 345 Park Avenue, where the library is beginning to build a new branch for the surrounding community.
The new Park Avenue branch, however, is more than a building. It reflects a thoughtful approach to how library services are delivered today, the needs of the library’s patrons, and how both will continue to evolve. This aspiration is guiding the library to create a space that simultaneously supports the needs of the community, from quiet study and technology access to children’s programming and gathering spaces, while remaining flexible for future growth.
At the same time, the decision to consolidate administrative operations within the new branch underscores the library’s commitment to fiscal responsibility. By reducing longterm facility costs, resources can be reinvested directly into programs, collections, and services that benefit the community and advance the library’s mission to engage, connect, and inspire.
Geauga County Public Library looks forward to sharing continued updates as the project progresses and to welcoming the community into a space designed to serve them for years to come.
Scan here for the latest updates on the build.
Your Storywalk is wonderful. My grandchildren really enjoyed it. Whoever takes care of it is doing a great job!
( Anonymous Patron, 2025)
I picked up a Sherlock Holmes book as part of the 100 Book Challenge a few years ago, and have not stopped reading (Libby, audiobook, etc.) since!
(Anonymous Patron, 2025)
Thank you for providing Traffic Cones for checkout. The person who used them successfully passed their driving test.
(Anonymous Patron, 2025)
My Next Read program: I have really enjoyed your recommendations and sometimes it has encouraged me to read books I would never have chosen on my own. The personal notes sent with each book have also been a lovely addition.
(Anonymous Patron, 2025)
The Walt Disney World for Adults was a great program. Emily had so much informative info. She was very delightful. Great program!.
(Janice C., 2025)
You all should have a banner above your desk that says, “we are wonderful” because you are all wonderful!
(Anonymous Patron, 2025)
I love those tax guys. That is the most fun I’ve ever had doing taxes.
(Patricia M, 2025)
I just wanted to say how much our family appreciated this free, fun event. Thank you and everyone at the library for putting this on. (Photo with Santa Program)
(Anonymous Patron, 2025)
“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life.”
Sidney Sheldon –
Administrative Center Branch 12701 Ravenwood Drive • Chardon, Ohio 44024 440-286-6811
Bainbridge Branch 17222 Snyder Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
440-543-5611
Chardon Branch 110 East Park Street Chardon, OH 44024
440-285-7601
Geauga West Branch 13455 Chillicothe Road Chesterland, OH 44026 440-729-4250
Middlefield Branch 16167 East High Street Middlefield, OH 44062 440-632-1961
Mobile Services 16167 East High Street Middlefield, OH 44062 440-632-9496
Thompson Branch 6645 Madison Rd. Thompson, OH 44086 440-298-3831