Library will renovate for branch

YOUNGSTOWN -- The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County expects to advertise for bids early next month for renovation of a storefront that will become the new home of its New Middletown branch.
Carlton Sears, library director, discussed this and other library projects with the building and sites committee of the library's board of trustees Thursday afternoon.
The New Middletown library is expected to move next spring from Village Hall to the storefront, which is a vacant former card shop, more than tripling the amount of library space there, Sears said. The library bought the storefront at 10418 Main St. earlier this year.
Sears also announced that the library's former Lowellville branch was listed Wednesday with Eaton Group Realtors for a six-month listing. The asking price is $190,000, which is equal to its appraised value, he said.
Closed branches
Citing their low usage, the system closed its Lowellville and North Lima branches in late April.
Sears also said planning is going forward for the return of the children's collection from North Branch to the main library at Wick and Rayen avenues, and for methods of accommodating a proposed new meeting space, a proposed cafe, and additional parking at the main library.
The current main library basement meeting room can only accommodate 54 people, forcing larger library-sponsored gatherings upstairs into the main library service area, Sears said.
Sears also said library officials continue to research methods of preventing a recurrence of last month's flooding at the Poland branch.