The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation Funds New Memory Lab at Cuyahoga County Public Library
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant to Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL/the Library) to establish the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Memory Lab (the Memory Lab) in the CCPL South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch.
The Memory Lab will provide space, equipment and training to individuals and organizations in the local community to support the preservation of cultural heritage through digitization and storytelling. Personal memories, family histories and the chronicles of local organizations are all recorded in a variety of formats using ever changing technology; the Memory Lab will ensure that these important stories are not lost to time. The grant will fund the build-out, equipment and start-up staffing.
“We are tremendously grateful to the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation for their generous gift to Cuyahoga County Public Library,” said Sari Feldman, executive director of Cuyahoga County Public Library. “We believe this investment in the community will bring meaningful value to residents who wish to pass along family history to future generations and to local non-profit organizations that have neither the time nor the expertise to record and share their collective impact with a broader audience. We are honored that the Foundation is supporting this work at the Library.”
“Public libraries are vital community assets that advance lifelong learning and preserve the stories that shape our culture,” said Morton L. Mandel, Chairman and CEO of the Mandel Foundation. “We are very pleased to support individuals, families and non-profit organizations throughout Greater Cleveland with the establishment of the Memory Lab at Cuyahoga County Public Library. This lab will make it possible for generations to pass along the stories, photographs and other artifacts that form our collective cultural history.”
Design of the Memory Lab is currently underway, and the space will open to the public in Spring 2017.
About Cuyahoga County Public Library
Cuyahoga County Public Library is committed to being at the center of community life by creating an environment where reading, lifelong learning and civic engagement thrive. With 27 branches serving 620,000 residents, Cuyahoga County Public Library is recognized as one of the nation’s busiest and best public library systems.
