Four local libraries rank among the best in the U.S.

Libraries mix the old and new to draw adults and youths.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
COLUMBIANA -- Local libraries ranked at the top in a recent national survey give a number of reasons for their success.
Those reasons include sticking to the basics yet being innovative, keeping good collections, expanding facilities and hours, offering amenities, and demonstrating a willingness and ability to get avid readers what they want.
Hennen's American Public Library Ratings recently ranked the Columbiana Public Library in Columbiana County as No. 1 in the 5,000 to 9,999 population category.
In the same category, the Kinsman Free Public Library and the Bristol Public Library, both in Trumbull County, were fourth and sixth, respectively.
The East Palestine Memorial Public Library in Columbiana County was ranked eighth in the 2,500 to 4,999 population category.
The 2006 ratings are based on records from 2004 for 9,076 libraries nationally.
Ohioans seem to love -- and use -- their libraries. In the highest population category, of over 500,000 residents, the Cuyahoga County Public Library was No. 1 nationally. The Columbus Metropolitan Library was ranked third nationally and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County was eighth.
Wide borrower base
Officials at the local libraries said they tended to draw more people than their population base.
Carol Cobbs, the director of the Columbiana library, said the records for 2004 reflected the first full year the library was in its new, expanded facility. The city has as a population of about 5,600 people, but, "15,000 people have cards here," she said.
In 2005, the library loaned 148,000 books. The library can generally find an item wanted by a patron in a day or two, including university-level items, she said.
The expanded library offers tea or coffee, has a meeting room open to groups, and is located on one floor, which helps parents keep track of children.
Mostly, the library's reputation is "a matter of service. Friendly and courteous," she said.
Lisa Rohrbaugh, the director of the East Palestine library, said that when she took over in 1994, she got rid of 4,000 old and outdated books that were in poor shape.
She started a variety of programs to get people into the library, including a knitting and crocheting group that meets twice a month and poetry readings.
Modern offerings
East Palestine also allows people to download music onto MP3 players. Some 3,000 titles are available. Users must only provide their own earphones. When the players are returned, the songs are deleted.
Best of all, she said, was that at the end of the month, when she tallies the numbers, some 39 percent to 44 percent of usage is adult and youth fiction. "That tells you people are reading," she said.
The Bristol and Kinsman libraries are part of a consortium that includes Niles, Hubbard, Girard and Newton Falls, which shares materials.
Cheryl Bugnone, the director of the Kinsman library, said the library has done outreach activities with school and preschool pupils. The library also has a good collection and draws readers from Ashtabula County in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The library district has a population of about 7,000. But the district has 9,000 registered borrowers.
Mona Saltzman, the administrator of the Bristol library, said it also had regional adult appeal, youth outreach, and a good collection.
"The public enjoys coming in. They're comfortable," she said.
wilkinson@vindy.com