The Norwalk Public Library Board of Directors agreed Oct. 9 to advance a proposal to name the library’s History Room for local historian Ralph Bloom, with the board planning to present the item to the city’s Land Use Committee on Nov. 5 and the Common Council for final approval on Nov. 11.

Board members said Bloom, who has been described in the meeting as instrumental in creating the library’s History Room and in transferring city archival files to the library, asked that any recognition not be held during an evening event but in a different format. The board discussed logistical steps for a plaque and a ceremony and noted that plaque production could take a couple of months.

The board’s action responds to recent changes approved by the Common Council to the city ordinance governing the naming of public buildings and rooms, which now permits naming after living individuals. At the meeting board members said the change prompted renewed consideration of naming the History Room for Bloom, who was identified as Norwalk’s historian and as a key figure in moving city records into the library’s repository about a decade ago.

Board members voted to move the proposal forward so it may appear on the Land Use Committee agenda on Nov. 5; the board’s discussion referenced the requirement that the committee review precede a Common Council vote, anticipated on Nov. 11. The board also discussed working with library staff (Sherrell was named in the discussion) on a ceremony and plaque text once the municipal approvals are obtained.

No dollar amounts or final plaque text were proposed at the meeting, and the board did not set a public date for a dedication pending approvals by the Land Use Committee and Common Council.

The board’s discussion was recorded during the regular meeting and included a motion to advance the resolution, which was seconded and approved by voice vote.