MAHONING COUNTY Library panel to urge more funds for software

YOUNGSTOWN -- The budget, finance and audit committee of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will recommend adding $100,000 to the technology development fund and selling the Austintown Library building.
The committee met Tuesday afternoon to discuss revisions to the 2001 budget. One of the proposed changes would transfer $100,000 more from the general fund to the technology development fund, said Carlton A. Sears, library director. That would bring the total budget for technology development to $200,000.
New software: The budget committee will recommend the change because the library must replace its automation system.
The new software, which is yet to be selected, will require all staff to be retrained, Sears said. "It's a huge project. We have to get people educated about how to use Windows."
Windows is a basic software program that operates most personal computers.
The committee will also recommend selling the Austintown Library building to Access, an organization that provides data services to area schools. If approved, the building would be sold under a 10-year land contract that would require the organization to pay the Public Library of Youngstown $45,000 a year for each year of the agreement. In turn, the library would contract Access to provide $45,000 worth of data processing services.
The recommendations are to be made during the next meeting of the library board of directors, next Thursday.