Canfield's new library to be multi-generational community hub, director says

CANFIELD

Saying it will be a community hub, library officials conducted a formal groundbreaking Friday for the new $5 million Canfield public library.

The 18,135-square-foot library will replace the 5,104-square-foot, 1969-vintage branch, which closed Sept. 20 on the same site at 43 W. Main St.

The former library has been emptied of library materials and will be demolished in about two weeks, along with two adjacent houses.

Library, school and city officials as well as school and preschool children attended the expedited ceremony in a tent in front of the former library, retreating inside the building for a reception as the rain intensified.

“We hope that the library’s proximity to the [Village] Green will firmly connect it to the community and spur economic growth,” said Dr. David Ritchie, library board president.

“When a community gets a new library, it’s a very special occasion that happens maybe once in a lifetime,” said Library Director Heidi Daniel.

“This new library will be a multigenerational learning hub” with “new technology, which can inspire all ages,” she added.

Read more about the project in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.