Library officials take no action on replacing director

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County public library trustees took no public action concerning the hiring of a new library-system director after a 25-minute executive session Thursday.

The stated purpose of the closed-door session of the board of trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County with its search committee and search consultants was “to consider the recommendations of the search committee for the new director.”

After the meeting, Carlton Sears, who is retiring after 15 years as library director, declined to discuss the committee’s recommendations or whether all five finalist candidates who appeared at a Wednesday evening public forum were still in the running for the job.

Candidates appearing at the forum were: Stephen P. Bero of Grayslake, Ill.; Warren-born Jason J. Buydos of Cincinnati; Heidi M. Daniel of Sugar Land, Texas; David J. Mather of New Port Ritchey, Fla.; and Richard B. Werner Jr. of Cleveland.

The search committee, consisting largely of trustees and top library administration staff, had reviewed comments from library staff and the public and re-interviewed the five finalist candidates for the job earlier Thursday.

The five finalists to lead the 16-branch library system were among 31 applicants, 12 of whom were interviewed earlier by the search committee via Skype.