Hubbard Public Library Children’s Room 1988-2026
Compiled by Mary Anne Russo January 2026
April 11 1988 Mary Anne Lange is interviewed for Children’s Librarian position.
May 23 1988 Mary Anne Lange first day on the job
May 13 1989 Mary Anne becomes “Mrs. Russo”
July – August 1989 Children’s Room renovation begins with a 30 Books for 30 Days promotion. Patrons would check out 30 books and keep them for 30 days while CR was closed for renovation. July 26, staff began moving books out of the CR into the meeting room. A small selection of books would remain available to the public in a mini-CR in the meeting room. Painters worked the first week of August to change the dark steel gray walls to off white. New carpet in a burgundy color was installed the week of August 7. Books were moved back the following week. The refreshed Children’s Room was opened August 21 with a new floor plan arrangement.
September 1989 First evening sessions of Preschool and Toddler Storytimes were held. Mrs. Russo conducted Preschool Storytimes and Mrs. Nancy Grapevine facilitated the Toddler sessions. Evening sessions prove to be popular and become a permanent and essential addition to the program schedule.
November 1989 Computer classes were offered with instructor Barb Jones using the Apple computers that were funded by a grant.
February 1990 Clifford the Big Red Dog program was held on February 22 with a large crowd. Nancy Grapevine gave birth to daughter Alison late that night after being told by Mrs. Russo that she could not have the baby until after the Clifford program!
November 1990 A Cake Walk program was held with a crowd of 150 in attendance. Cake pans from the library’s new collection were baked and decorated by staff members. This popular event was offered annually for many years.
September 1991 Family Night programs were introduced as an option for families who had children of various ages (toddlers and preschoolers) and wanted to bring everyone to the same program. Family Nights would continue on a regular basis for many years.
July 1992 Children’s Room suffers a flood after heavy rains. Fortunately, no materials are damaged, however the room is closed for several days for clean-up. Some materials are relocated to the meeting room and set up on tables for patron access.
October 1992 Babytime is introduced, bringing programming for children ages birth – 24 months to the community. HPL is the first library in our area to offer infant programs.
October 1993 Hubbard hosts a NOLA (Northeast Ohio Library Association) workshop featuring speaker Jane Marino, author of Mother Goose Time: Library Programs for Babies and Their Caregivers. During the workshop, Mrs. Russo and Mrs. Grapevine present a live demonstration of our Babytime program.
December 1993 Mrs. Russo and Mrs. Grapevine appear on the local TV program “Expressions” telling a mash-up story combining Santa Mouse and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
January 1995 Water main break on January 10 causes flood in Children’s Room. Fortunately, no materials are damaged. Children’s Room is closed through January 13 for clean up.
March 1995 Library undergoes a renovation. Children’s Room loses approximately 1/3 of its square footage as the new staircase is put into place. Circulation services are combined and located on the first floor in space that had been part of the Children’s Room. (Previously, Children’s Room had their own circulation desk and clerks.) Children’s programs are cancelled from March 14 – May 8 due to the construction. Class visits are held in May with a construction theme.
February 1997 Mrs. Russo and Mrs. Grapevine are guest speakers at Sue McCleaf Nespeca’s class at Kent State University, sharing their experience and expertise on infant programming.
December 1997 Children’s Room is closed December 16 – 26 for a mini makeover, shelves are painted a buff color (replacing the steel gray), new green carpet is installed. New tables and chairs feature golden oak with dark green legs.
September 2001 Major library renovation project begins! Front porch entrance and side entrance are removed, along with lobby restrooms. Ground outside Children’s Room is excavated to allow natural lighting in the Children’s Room and creating an outdoor courtyard area. The Storytime Room is added adjacent to Children’s Room, along with a workroom/storage area. Storytime Room includes a large “book” mounted on the wall which opens to reveal magnetic/dry erase boards, a flannelboard, and a puppet stage. A low counter around the perimeter of the room provides a child-height surface for art and learning activities. Inside the Children’s Room, a gazebo is constructed as a focal point and murals are painted on the walls by patron Paula Rubinic. An elevated model train track is installed by Rudy Bender. New staff desk/work area completes the upgrades. Numerous other changes are made throughout the library building, including a new entrance, new meeting room, office space and additional square footage on the second floor. Construction continues through the spring of 2002.
June 2002 Mary Motter joins the Children’s Room staff on a part-time schedule.
July 2003 Children’s Room is flooded on July 22. Library closed. Summer Reading party is held as scheduled in front half of meeting room. Children’s Room is closed July 22 – July 26. Staff removes all books from floor-standing shelves because there is carpet under the shelves. Carpet is cleaned. Books are returned to shelves. A second flood occurs on July 28. Books are again removed from shelves. Entire library is closed July 28 – July 30. Carpet is removed. Books are returned to the shelves. Children’s Room remains closed through August 5. New carpet is ordered.
November 2003 Carpet finally arrives and is installed November 17 – 19. Carpet is not placed underneath the book shelves so that staff does not have to empty and refill the shelves yet another time. Children’s Room is closed November 17 – 19, but programs are held as scheduled.
August 2004 Mary Motter leaves her part time position to move to Tennessee.
September 2004 Dana Tirabassi is hired as the new part time Children’s Room assistant.
September 2004 Hubbard becomes the first library in the area to offer a reading to therapy dogs program. The first Paws to Read program is held on September 27 and is offered on a monthly basis for several years. K-9s for Compassion is the partner organization and we would go on to collaborate with them on a variety of other events, including a K-9s Christmas, Meet the Breeds and K-9 Theatre.
2009-2010 State funding cuts have a devastating effect on library staffing and hours of operation. Children’s Room programming is reduced to a bare minimum during this period.
August 2012 Picture book bins and slatwall are installed to provide attractive, front-facing display and browsability.
January 2013 Infant programming format is changed from Babytime to Rhythm & Rhyme, an adaptation of Betsy Diamont Cohen’s Mother Goose on the Loose. The revised program is offered in a series format for children ages birth – 24 months.
September 2014 Tweens on Tuesday is introduced as an after school series program for students in grades 5 – 7. The popular program continues throughout the following years.
August 2015 A party is held on August 12 to celebrate the opening of the Sensory Garden in the area outside Children’s Room. Constructed by maintenance man Chip Silvidi, the garden includes a waterfall, giant windchimes and plants that invite exploration.
November 2016 A Family Night is held at Elmwood Assisted Living with residents and library patron families in attendance, beginning a successful collaboration of intergenerational programming.
January 2017 Nancy Grapevine retires after 30 years of service as the full time Children’s Room assistant. Dana Tirabassi moves into the full-time position. Amanda Balla joins the staff as our part-time Children’s Room assistant.
September 2017 Toddler and Preschool Storytimes are combined into one program for children ages 24 months – age 5. Mrs. Russo and Mrs. Tirabassi facilitate the programs.
March 2020 Covid-19 pandemic disrupts library services. Library closes at noon on March 14 and remains closed until June. Mrs. Russo conducts weekly Facebook live storytimes from home throughout March and April.
June 2020 Library opens with reduced hours and limited services. Children’s Room staff does what they can to offer summer reading activities to the community. Craft/activity To Go Kits are assembled and distributed weekly. Facebook live videos provide instructions for the kits.
July – August 2020 Service hours continue to be limited. Outdoor programs are held in the grass area between the parking lot and the football stadium. Grass is spray painted to mark each participant’s personal space to follow social distancing protocols.
July 2020 Toy Lending Library opens, providing entertaining and educational learning materials while offering patrons a much needed and timely resource.
September – December 2020 Reduced hours continue. In person programming is not viable during this time. Children’s Room staff members continue to create To Go Kits and weekly Facebook virtual programs.
January 2021 – April 2021 Library hours return to normal, but in-person programming remains on hiatus. To Go Kits and virtual programs continue.
May 2021 The first in person program to return is Tweens on Tuesday, which is offered in a mini three-week session for a group limited to 6 students.
June 2021 Summer Reading returns with regularly scheduled in person events each week. Rhythm & Rhyme also resumes weekly sessions.
September 2021 All in-person programming resumes following typical schedules.
November 2021 Heather Phibbs joins Children’s Room staff in a part-time role, replacing Amanda Balla who accepted a position as the Teen Librarian.
May 2022 Class Visits resume after a 2 year Covid-19 hiatus. After much deliberation, it is decided that students will no longer have the opportunity to check out books during the visits. Instead, funding is secured to purchase paperback books to distribute to the students.
June 2022 The Toy Lending Library is awarded the American Library Association’s Ernest A. DiMattia Award for Innovation and Service to the Community and Profession. Staff members Mary Anne Russo, Dana Tirabassi, Amanda Balla and Heather Phibbs attend the annual A.L.A. conference in Washington D.C. to accept the award. In addition to the awards ceremony, a highlight of the conference is an opportunity to visit the Library of Congress, where staff meet Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress.
July 2022 A retractable awning is installed in the Sensory Garden, providing much needed shade for daytime outdoor use of the area.
July 2022 The Reading Pals intergenerational program is introduced in collaboration with Elmwood Assisted Living.
November 2022 Permanent StoryWalk® located in the grass area between the parking lot and the football stadium is completed.
August 2024 New carpet is installed in the Children’s Room and Storytime Room. Just outside the Children’s Room door, a cobblestone "patio" serves as a welcome mat. Once inside, visitors are beckoned to follow the gentle curves of a cobblestone path, leading to the whimsically patterned carpet. Featuring spirals in a color palette which blends ideally with existing elements of the room, the carpet evokes thoughts of fern fronds or snail shells, enhancing the nature inspired ambiance.
October 2024 – 2025 Sensory Garden renovation takes place. Retaining walls are installed, water feature and statue are relocated. Chimes, poetry post, and driftwood are retained from original garden. Reading nook seating area and a pollinator garden with native plants are added, all combining to create a peaceful and serene area for reading, thinking and enjoying nature.
November 2024 School Library Journal includes an article written by Mary Anne Russo about the Reading Pals intergenerational program.
March 2025 Author Eric Litwin presents a Family Concert at Hubbard Schools, followed by a presentation for Hubbard teachers. The event was made possible through the efforts of Dana Tirabassi, in collaboration with Hubbard Schools and funded by federal grant money. Mr. Litwin made a brief but delightful visit to our Children’s Room after the teacher presentation.
August 2025 A garden party is held to celebrate the completion of the Sensory Garden renovation.
October 2025 Mary Anne Russo notifies the Board of Trustees of her intention to retire effective January 31, 2026.
December 2025 Heather Phibbs completes requirements for her M.L.I.S. degree at Kent State University and will become the Youth Services Supervisor effective February 1, 2026.
January 2026 Rachel Vallely is hired for the part-time Youth Services Assistant position and will begin working in February.
January 31 2026 Mrs. Russo retires after 37+ years.