43
Library finds a temporary home in Campbell schools
By Justin Wier
CAMPBELL
A new library express location in the D’Amato Fieldhouse will allow the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County to maintain a presence in the Campbell community.
The former Campbell library closed unexpectedly in June when architects determined the roof needed to be replaced.
Since then, the library signed on to participate in Campbell City Schools’ Activity, Recreational and Cultural Center, or ARCC, which is scheduled to open in fall 2019.
The new express location in the high school’s fieldhouse at 280 Sixth St. will bridge the gap.
Interim Director Susan Merriman said the library was scrambling to find a location after the branch’s closing.
“This is a good segue way to build that relationship with the Campbell schools,” Merriman said.
The branch will operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. It includes three public-access computers and a printer as well as a small selection of books and DVDs. Patrons can pick up items on hold at the location and return them in book and media drop boxes outside the fieldhouse.
Library officials stressed that the branch is open to anyone in the Campbell community, not just students at Campbell City Schools.
“This is the library’s Campbell branch,” Merriman said.
Campbell Schools Superintendent Matt Bowen said the branch will benefit the entire community. It will also strengthen the partnership between the library and the schools leading into the ARCC project.
“It’s a perfect way to transition and learn how to work together,” he said.
In addition to the library, the Mahoning County Educational Service Center will operate a STEM school in the ARCC. The library and the MCESC will share a maker space.
The building, which is scheduled to open in fall 2019, will be located along state Route 616 near the district’s K-7 school.
It will also feature a recreational center with a track and basketball courts. Future phases would add multipurpose rooms and an auditorium.
The district is in talks with potential health partners to operate in the ARCC. Bowen expects an announcement in the coming weeks.
He hopes the facility will benefit not just Campbell, but the entire region.