Large expansion seen for Canfield library

AUSTINTOWN — A “massive” fundraising campaign will be needed to help pay for a large expansion being planned for the Canfield branch of the Mahoning County Library.

Lynn Roman, a trustee with the non-profit organization Canfield Foundation, told those attending the Regional Chamber’s Good Morning Canfield event Friday morning that the county library system has purchased an option to buy the land behind the current library on West Main Street.

The land will be needed if the library system is able to succeed with a proposal to expand the branch from its current 5,000 square feet to 20,000, Roman said.

Carlton Sears, director of Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, said it is rare for the library system to pay for land, but it is important to keep the library downtown, so expansion appears to be a better choice than building a new building.

Sims said the project is likely to take about three years to complete.

Read more in Saturday’s Vindicator and vindy.com