Debra Ann November Learning Center - DANLC is the New Wing of the East Cleveland Public Library.  Iris and Mort November, primary benefactors named the new wing in honor of their daughter.  Debra Ann (1953-1977), was an inquisitive young woman who spent many of her summers as a camp counselor because of her love of children.*

Gregory L. Reese, Executive Director, of the East Cleveland Public Library raised nearly $4 million for the new wing.  The Cleveland Foundation provided a $1 million start up grant along with other foundations and corporations to build the new wing.

Architect, Richard Fleischman, designed the 18,000 square-foot Learning Center.  It contains the 240 seat state-of-the-art Greg L. Reese Performing Arts Center that is suitable for any type of program or performance, a children's department that contains a computer lab and adventures in learning areas, a computer lab with 30 computer work stations and the Icabod Flewellen Collection along with other archived material regarding African and African-American culture and history.

Mission

"We ensure access to the best information resources available.  So all patrons have the opportunity to learn, grow and enjoy themselves for the enrichment of the community."  This is the mission of the East Cleveland Public Library and the Debra Ann November Learning Center.

Scope and Purpose

The Icabod Flewellen Collection as well as other donated materials will reside in the Debra Ann November Learning Center.  The all of the collecetd material will consist of original and digitized material.  Research computers, listening and viewing stations will be available for patrons to access the collection.  The archived collections contain print and graphic material as well as audiovisual material.  The contents of the Flewellen and other collections will consist of:

• Print medium
  • Rare and vintage books
  • Letters, memos, legal and financial documents
  • Newspapers, newsletters, magazines
• Photographs and Paintings
  • Various sizes color and black and white
  • Negatives of various sizes
  • Graphic designs and drawings
  • Painted portraits
• Video Tapes
  • VHS (commercial, professional & amateur)
  • 1' C format Master
  • Audio Tapes

Double and single sided tapes; Reel to Reel (10", 7", 5", 3") and cassette tapes, consisting of interviews, conferences and various events.

The Flewellen collection, New Day Press, Dr. Morris Jones collection and other donated materials are significant to the culture and history of those of African descent. The purpose of the DANLC archived collection will be to:

• Preserve and provide access to the archived material.
• Make the archive a recognized resource of cultural and heritage materials.
• Initiate needed preservation procedures to preserve the collected materials.
• Provide access services that will meet the needs of the East Cleveland Public Library community as well as the greater Cleveland area.

Access Policy and Procedures

The Materials

The archive contains printed and handwritten documents, books, photographs, paintings, vinyl records, films of various sizes, digital and analog formats of audio tape in cassette, Reel to Reel(3”, 5”, 7” 10”) and video tape in VHS, SP Beta and 1” format. The content of the material pertains to Africans and African Americans of Cleveland, Ohio, the country and the world.

Available Information

Location of the materials in the archive will be done with an online finding aid and an in-house database that contains the inventory and access catalogs. Search guides or finding aids will be created from the Access database and placed on-line as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file with image identification and indexing for advanced searching.

The Clients

The East Cleveland Public Library will provide access to materials of Debra Ann November Learning Center Archives and Icabod Flewellen Collection to researchers, students, the general public or anyone with interest in the material.

The Support

The East Cleveland Public Library DANLC Archives and Icabod Flewellen Collection will contain computers and other equipment for listening, viewing and copying of the archival materials. Copying of the material will be done on a per copy fee basis.

Access Conditions and Provisions

Some of the formats in the archive do not have the available technology for viewing. Permission for access of certain materials must be obtained by the Archivist. No originals will be used as access copies unless authorized by the Archivist. Audiovisual formats that are not available for viewing will at least have an original transfer and an access copy for duplication. A majority of the original material will have accessible copies on CDs or DVDs. The original copies will be preserved in digital files (AIFF, WAVE, AVI, JPEG, MPEG, OCR, and TIFF) with CD and DVD derivatives for access. The original fragile documents and some of the non digital derivates will not be available for access unless permission is given by the Archivist.

Service Limits

• The East Cleveland Public Library DANLC Archives and Icabod Flewellen Collection will be available for access during East Cleveland Public Library hours unless a special event or certain situations deems it necessary for access not to be available. Major research requests must schedule an appointment with the Archivist.
• There will be fees of $. 25 per photocopy, $1.50 for copies on CDs and $2.50 for DVD copies. The Archivist must be contacted regarding copies of audio and video material prior to the request.
• The purchase of an access copy does not mean ownership of the content. The signing of a release or copy right waiver only allows the use of the material for the purpose stated on the release or waiver. Renting, selling or re-editing the content of the access copy is not allowed.

Guidelines for Reading Room and Special Collections Usages

The objects housed in these collections are non-circulating materials. Many of the items are in fragile condition and irreplaceable, hence certain precautions are necessary.

General Rules

1. Do not bring purses, briefcases, backpacks, etc., into the Archives. They will be checked and place in a secure cabinet. Please hang coats in the provided area.
2. Please sign in and out in the daily visit log each day when entering and departing. The staff reserves the right to inspect all research material and all personal articles before a patron leaves the area.
3. No food or beverages are allowed in the Archives. Smoking and gum chewing are not permitted. Children under 12 must be accompanied by adult and supervised at all times.
4. Please use only pencils for taking notes. Pens should not be used in the Archives.

Handling the Collection

1. Gloves will be provided to avoid damage to the collection caused by oils and other materials on your hands
2. Support bound materials by using a book futon or wedges.
3. Never place an open book face down.
4. Do not lean on books or documents.
5. Never write your notes on any of the books or documents. Do not make tracings or rubbings of archival material without specific permission and assistance from the archivist.
6. Be careful when opening books and turning pages; always lift the top corner of the page. Do not attempt to open uncut pages in a book. Please consult the archivist in each case.
7. Do not use paper clips, rubber bands, post-it notes, or any three dimensional object (ruler or heavy object, etc.), to mark the pages of a book. Scrap paper can be used as bookmarkers, but need to be remove when they are no longer needed.
8. Items in folders should be examined one at a time; please keep the items in order. Do not rearrange the order in which materials are delivered to you. No marks may be added to or erased from any material.
9. While material from these collections is in your hands, it is your responsibility. Please respect it and handle it with care.
10. Do not remove items from their clear Mylar sleeves. When using materials housed in special enclosures, please be sure to put them into the closures the same way. If you need help re-housing an item, please ask a staff person.

Ordering Reproductions

• Do not photocopy material without first asking the staff. If you wish to order copies of the material, you must fill out a request form. These forms are available upon request from the staff. Please be aware that some items in the collection are too fragile to be copied.

The East Cleveland Debra Ann November Archives and Icabod Flewellen Collection reserves the right to refuse copying request. Thank you for your cooperation; following these rules will help us to preserve our collection so that researchers can continue to benefit from the information they contain.

Permission must be obtained from the Archivist or Technical Assistant for access to archival material in the collections.

*Some of the information from: Case Western Reserve University.  "The November Family Gifts to the Cleveland Community," http://www.case.edu/farm/mortnovember (accessed 7/15/06).