Chapter 11. I Make My Comeback in The Cleveland Library

The first assignment, cleaning up the Intercultural Branch Library, turned out to be exactly that! It was without exaggeration, one big, horrible mess! On my first visit to the building, it was immediately apparent to me that no one had been there in the months that it had been closed. The rooms were filthy. The floors, furniture, book shelves, books, magazine and newspaper racks and their contents were covered with cobwebs and several inches of dust. In several places paint and pieces of plaster from ceiling areas had fallen as a result of rain seepage through faulty roof and wall areas. Some of this debris rested on valuable artifacts and memorabilia. It was evident that no one had been there just to check the building and its contents, let alone do any cleaning or maintenance of the building’s interior or exterior! I was sick at heart at what I saw and immediately reported it to the administration and got some action out of the Buildings Department to clean and do the necessary maintenance so I could go in and do my job!

From April 15, 1946 until September 1, 1946, I divided my days, spending half a day bringing order out of the chaos that had been left at the defunct Intercultural Branch Library. I was faced with the monumental task My Comeback in the Cleveland Library of identifying and discovering ownership of artifacts, objects, textiles and other ethnic items with minimal records of ownership. In addition, in those cases where records existed, I had difficulty finding the items. It was only after about three months, that I was able to locate and make my own list of items and by contacting people on an original list of those who had signed up as members of the branch library, to discover who had given what! I recall that one very valuable middle eastern tapestry eluded me for a long time. I could not find it in all of the logical storage places that one would normally think such a valuable piece should be stored or displayed. I finally found it, covered with dust, draped over the library’s grand piano stored in one of the back rooms! It was not until sometime in August of the year that I was able to find who had lent what and to return and get receipts for all such “items, and to see that items that had been given as outright gifts to the library were distributed to those branches or divisions of the library where such. items would normally be classified or cataloged. I brought closure to this assignment by writing a full report and submitting it along with a full inventory of the items returned to owners, as well as a list of the gift items that had been absorbed into the collections of the library system.

As disconcerting, tedious and tiring the Intercultural Branch Library assignment had been, the public relations, radio broadcasting job was professional, creative and fun! My afternoons spent in public relations work, writing library news clips for the news media, writing the scripts for the Saturday noon radio programs, and my weekend appearances on the air were delightful and challenging times for me. They more than made up for the drudgery experienced during my morning hours spent bringing order out of the chaos that existed at the Intercultural Library. I had been given my first experience in radio script writing and broadcasting at WBOE and WTAM from 1938 until 1942 during the latter days of my service as a reference librarian in the Sociology Division at the Main Library and while I was a Branch Librarian at the Woodland Branch Library, before I had gone into military service. Now being able to do such work as one of my primary jobs was a complete joy for me. It not only gave me the opportunity to be creative in writing but also articulate in speech!

So it was that from April 15, 1946 until September 1, 1946, I reveled in a dual job that gave me an experience that very few professional librarians get in a lifetime! During those four and one half months, I was not only able to bring official and proper closure to the Intercultural Library, but also managed to produce and broadcast a radio program every Saturday afternoon at 12:15 P.M. over Station WJW.

On September 1, 1946, as scheduled and promised by Mr. Metcalf and Mr. Mumford, I was appointed Branch Librarian of the Fleet Branch Library, located at 6511 Fleet Avenue which was treasured and greatly respected in that Polish enclave of the City of Cleveland. Here I was to get a liberal education in what it means to be the Librarian in an ethnic community. I also continued doing the radio programs! Why? Apparently, as My Comeback in the Cleveland Library Albert Carl Young put it, I had built up a good audience. In addition, Mr. Metcalf and Mr. Mumford wanted me to continue! I continued with pleasure. In fact I continued doing the radio work as an additional assignment over and above my full time job assignments as I progressed over the years from position to position (without additional remuneration) until January 31, 1956. I enjoyed writing and broadcasting every script written in those years, and remember with pleasure men like Wally Kay, who on Saturday at noon so many years ago announced: “These programs are shortcuts to those great books of all times and nations which concern all of us, because in them the infinite variety of the world and men’s little changing nature are expressed with lasting felicity. These programs are prepared by Edward D’Alessandro. The subject today is ’The Brownings’ Mr. D’ALESSANDRO …”

The Saturday noon radio programs were to be the vehicles that provided the greatest impetus for my professional and personal life in the years following my return from military service. I Was single, living at home with my parents. Brothers Nick and Sol were busy with their families and occupations, Brother Art was in residence at St. Vincent Charity Hospital, pursuing his career. Living at home, I had the advantage of father’s continuing advice and counsel at those times whenever I wrestled with difficult career or personal decisions. A word or two with father about a problem often helped to make the solution of the problem easier. I am not saying that I always followed his advice after consulting with him on a matter. Suffice it to say, there were times when I was sorry that I had not done so!

Father had encouraged me to continue doing the radio work when I became Branch Librarian at the Fleet Branch Library and I was forever grateful for that bit of advice. That experience provided valuable professional exposure for my abilities within and without the Library System. It built a fair sized listening audience for “The Great Books” programs and created some loyal and steady fans.