Saturday, March 26, 2016
By Sarah Lehr
STRUTHERS
A strategic plan laid out by the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County alludes to a possible merger of several locations for the purpose of investing in fewer, larger branches.
That consolidation could spell the closure of some branches in order to combine the Struthers, Campbell and Brownlee Woods libraries.
In Struthers, the fate of the local library has been a recurring topic of conversation at city council meetings.
At a meeting earlier this year, Auditor Christina Bohl urged council to put forth a strong pitch for Struthers as a new, consolidated branch location.
“I just think a town without a library is sad,” said Bohl, who added she was speaking “more as a concerned citizen” rather than in her official capacity.
Janet Loew, the library system’s communications director, said the merger is not official, but rather under consideration pending further study. There is no hard time line at this point, Loew said.
The MyLibrary2020 Plan, a six-year strategic plan adopted by the library’s board of trustees in 2014 after public surveys, cites a need to focus limited resources on fewer libraries that can serve more people, stay open longer, and implement more advanced technology.
Specifically, the plan cites a population loss in the Mahoning Valley region and a need to re-evaluate areas of greatest need.
“It’s not possible for us to have a library in every town anymore,” Loew said. “We have to consider cost-efficiency and the greatest benefit to the public.”
The library system considers data on usage at specific locations and will map the addresses of patrons who check out materials, Loew said.
The library’s board likely will vote to hire a consultant to examine the merger and other aspects of the strategic plan. Going forward, the library also will gather input from small-group meetings with residents “from all walks of life,” Loew said.
Mayor Terry Stocker said he sympathizes with the “public outcry” regarding the library and believes Struthers is a strong candidate for the new branch location. He said the city has suggested two potential properties for the branch – a vacant property at Walton Street purchased by the city through the Mahoning County Land Bank and a property near Center Street the city may buy from a private citizen.
Longtime city resident Ruth Charles has been a vocal advocate for preserving a Struthers branch.
She said she’s noticed the Struthers library, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, is frequented by schoolchildren, senior citizens and others who cannot drive and rely on a library within walking distance from their homes.
In response to that concern, Loew said the library prioritizes accessibility through programs such as a free mail-order book service and the Pop-Up Library, which allows patrons to check out materials at community events.
Charles added, “We need to advocate for our community and our children. We can’t let Struthers be thrown into the river because it’s not Boardman or Canfield.”
A new $5.3 million library branch opened in Canfield in January and the Boardman branch completed $627,110 in renovations last fall. Upgrades are also slated for other branches.
Loew said the Boardman and Canfield branches showed high rates of usage and noted the two branches are not solely for Boardman or Canfield residents because they are accessible to anyone with a county library card.
She stressed that the Struthers library is still in the early stages of considering a merger.
“If there were to be a consolidation of three branches, it wouldn’t be taken lightly,” Loew said.