Saturday, January 23, 2016
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 conducted a Friday 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.
Vehicles can enter the 90-space library parking lot from Main Street or Lisbon Street. A sidewalk leads from the village green to the library.
Patrons begin their visits in a central entrance lounge with two public doorways. From there, they can enter a large meeting room that is available for catered functions, or the adult library, or walk through a smaller meeting space to the children’s section.
The new library has a total of four meeting rooms of varying sizes.
Outside the building is a small amphitheater and an outdoor seating area for seasonal use.
The formal grand opening will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Saturday, with an 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting and dedication.
That event will include ice sculpting and a children’s story time, with performers including Jocko the Clown, Stage Left Dance and groups from the Canfield schools.
Refreshments will be provided by the Stone Fruit Coffee Co. and by Inspired Catering by Kravitz.
The new branch will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
It also will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays beginning Feb. 7, but closed on summer Sundays.
To maximize staffing efficiency, patrons will be assisted at a central service desk.
The building also features a $50,000 children’s early learning playscape funded by Canfield Rotary.
Hudson Construction Inc. of Hermitage, Pa., was the general contractor for the debt-free project.
Ronald Cornell Faniro of Youngstown was the project architect.
The largest private donor for the project was the James and Coralie Centofanti Charitable Foundation, which contributed $200,000.
Private donations for the project totaled about $700,000. The rest of the money for the new library came from tax dollars.
In its entry lounge, the new building features a coffee bar to be operated by the Stone Fruit Coffee Co., which has a nearby shop at 410 W. Main St. in Canfield.
The library’s coffee bar likely will open before the end of next week, Daniel said.
Coffees, espresso, hot chocolate and frozen hot chocolate will be among the drinks sold at the library coffee bar.