A whole latte reading going on

Patrons are being asked to name the caf & eacute;.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Patrons at the soon-to-be-completed Poland library will have the option of picking up a bagel or cup of coffee with the next best-selling book taken home from the library's shelves.
The new building will include the first library caf & eacute; in Mahoning County. Library officials said the trend of in-library caf & eacute;s is becoming increasingly popular across the country, but the Poland caf & eacute; will be the first in the area.
"We hope our patrons will like this, it is an extra service we have not done before and will be looking to see how successful it is," said Janet Loew, communications and public relations director for the library. Loew said the Poland branch was selected as the first library to contain a caf & eacute; primarily because the new building will have an abundance of available space.
In response to residents' demands, the new building is being built on the same site where the previous library was located. Loew said the layout of the land on the site mandated that the building have two levels. All library services will be located on the second level, but the lower level was left wide open for other types of services.
Other amenities: Along with the caf & eacute;, the lower level of the new library will include a bookstore, a recycling exhibit, and the largest meeting room in the library system, with space for 300 people. Loew said patrons who come to the building for meetings or the bookstore should enjoy having a caf & eacute; close at hand.
"[The caf & eacute;] will be nice for those people in the area and for people who are using the community meeting room," said Loew. "I think the caf & eacute; will be one of the reasons many people will want to use that library."
Naming contest: Before anyone settles into a comfortable chair with a book and a cup of cappuccino, however, library officials must come up with a name for the new addition. The public is being asked to enter a Name-the-caf & eacute; Contest in hopes of choosing an appropriate name.
Entry forms for the contest can be picked up and dropped off at any library in the Mahoning County or over the Internet. Deadline for entering the contest is Sept. 7. A panel of judges will select five winners.
First-place winner will receive one cookie per day for a year, second-place winner will receive a $25 gift certificate, third-place winner will receive a Three-Press coffee set, fourth-place winner will receive an assortment of tea and accessories, and the fifth-place winner will receive a coffee mug, coffee, biscotti and a gourmet chocolate bar.
Loew said the library will not own and operate the caf & eacute;, but will be leasing the space to an outside company. The library system however will own the name of the caf & eacute; in the event that the operator changes over time.
goodwin@vindy.com