Saving Nemo: Domonkas Branch Library patrons fight to keep beloved goldfish

SHEFFIELD LAKE — The Domonkas Branch Library is steps away from the shores of Lake Erie, but it is a fish inside the building that Sheffield Lake-area residents have come to visit for years. Nemo the goldfish was donated to the library by a staff member about seven years ago after other fish purchased as part of a summer reading program failed to survive. Nemo was different, persevering through the summer, then through the year, then for several more years. The beloved goldfish still spends his days inside a tank in the library's reading area for patrons to view. That living arrangement, however, appears to be nearing an end. After a mishap involving gravel from Nemo's tank damaged the building's new plumbing and library officials evaluated the annual costs of tank maintenance, a decision was reached to move Nemo to a new home elsewhere. "We're looking for another home for him because we're not really the best place to take care of him," Lorain Public Library System Director Anastasia Diamond-Ortiz said. "We asked our staff individually if they wanted to take him home, and they all declined, so we're looking at other options." That plan was not well-received by some patrons. After hearing Nemo's residency in the Domonkas Branch was in jeopardy, a group of area supporters organized in an effort to change library officials' minds. A group of four supporters gathered about 30 signatures on paper petitions Monday, and an online petition on change.org had accumulated more than 300 signatures as of Tuesday evening. Local kids love Nemo, and he has become "a staple" of the library, Sheffield Lake resident Jake Marimberga said. He is representing the group of patrons petitioning to keep the fish at the library. "He is in the front in the window, so if you're walking by, you can see him. When you're inside you can see him," Marimberga said. "He is right up front for everybody to visit when they come in and out." The library patrons fighting back against the relocation plan believe moving Nemo somewhere else could be lethal. Marimberga said a librarian took Nemo home during the COVID-19 shutdown last year, and that relocation caused the fish so much stress that he almost died. Diamond-Ortiz said the library system cares about Nemo and has sought advice from local fish experts to make sure his relocation is safe. One aquarium expert who was consulted gave the library specific instructions on the safest way to transport the fish, she said. "It's not going to be like a kid putting him in a bag and taking him somewhere. The businesses that service these things know exactly how to do it," Diamond-Ortiz said. "There won't be any harm to come to him." Marimberga said he can't imagine continuing to care for the goldfish at the library would be overly expensive. However, Diamond-Ortiz said the costs add up. Factoring in supplies and time spent by staff members cleaning the tank, she said Nemo-related expenses can reach $5,000 in a year. In addition to the taxpayer dollars that go toward the goldfish and tank, Diamond-Ortiz said employees spend nearly 100 hours annually on Nemo — hours she believes could be spent on activities for patrons instead. "We started to realize, these resources could be better spent teaching a senior how to get an email account, doing a story time. That was how we came to the decision," she said. Although Marimberga was ready for a possible negative response after sharing the petition online over the weekend, he said the reception from the community has all been positive. Marimberga is a frequent visitor to the library and said many of his friends have kids who enjoy seeing Nemo when they're at the Domonkas Branch. They're hoping their advocacy will raise awareness among other community members who also have positive memories of the goldfish. "We just want him to be happy and live out the rest of his days at the library," he said. Regardless of the petitions' outcome and where Nemo ultimately ends up, Diamond-Ortiz said she is happy to see the community so engaged with happenings at the library. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.