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Library naming rights mulled
YOUNGSTOWN
A policy concerning library building naming rights, along with the matter of potentially replacing the deteriorating West Side public library branch, will likely soon go before the full board of trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.
Heidi Daniel, director of the library system, said she plans to ask the full board to consider these issues this summer.
A committee of five trustees discussed Thursday a draft proposal saying the board may name or rename a building for a donor who gives at least 60 percent of the estimated total project cost.
A still-unnamed donor proposes to contribute more than 60 percent of the cost of replacing the West Side library in exchange for naming rights.
Daniel has estimated the cost of replacing that building in its current location at $2.7 million.
Some of the committee’s discussion pertained to the time period over which installments of donations given in exchange for naming rights to buildings should be made.
“When you get a donor who’s willing to donate a large sum of money, $100,000, or whatever donor amount it is, there are not a lot of donors that are going to be willing to do that in one year and write a check for that, and they’re going to want to do it over a five-year period or a 10-year period – X amount each year,” said Carole Weimer, a library trustee.
Delores Crawford, board vice-president, called for “some specific language” in the library’s policy concerning the time period over which a donation must be fulfilled. Crawford said the fulfillment limit for gifts should not exceed 10 years.
In any case, Daniel said the library system won’t commit itself to building a new branch unless the system can afford to pay for the building in full, with or without a donor’s gift.
Daniel has proposed demolishing the West Side branch and replacing it with a new branch at the current location at 2815 Mahoning Ave.
“The building is in disrepair. It is probably not going to make it through another winter without us replacing a roof and a boiler, which is very expensive,” Daniel said of the West Side branch.
The new West Side branch Daniel proposed would heavily emphasize technology and house library materials and vehicles for “pop-up” libraries that visit housing projects, schools and community events.