New Canfield library boasts triple the space

CANFIELD — The $5.3 million library that will open to the public here at 9 a.m. Monday is more than three times larger than the one it replaced, and it is designed to be a community focal point for people of all ages.

The Canfield Branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, located at 43 W. Main St., replaces the former branch that was demolished on the same site in the fall of 2014.

Located in the center of the city, within easy walking distance of the village green, town hall and middle school, the new library occupies 18,514 square feet, compared with 5,104 square feet at the former Canfield library.

Library officials today conducted a preview tour of the new building, which has a 65,000-item collection.

“Our hope was to provide a modern facility that would serve the northwest part of the county,” said Heidi Daniel, library system director.

“We wanted to be able to provide a space that would draw in a variety of age ranges,” with an early learning center for young children, a teen area and a large adult section, she added.

“People don’t just want [library] materials. They want a place to talk to their neighbors, to meet with people in the community, so we have these community spaces,” said Deborah McCullough, library system deputy director.

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