Through the careful consideration of a host of data gathered, the Strategic Planning Steering Committee initially identified eleven issues to be addressed in the plan. Applying principles such as, 1) concentrating on what is most important, 2) reducing needless duplication, 3) maximizing the use of current assets, 4) increasing productivity, and 5) generating new revenues, the Steering Committee collapsed and prioritized the eleven issues into five issues, which are provided below.

While much work remains to be done to activate the plan and to achieve the goals, the priorities presented below point the way to a new, higher level of achievement for the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County!

The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is indebted to many people who have contributed to this plan. Included are citizens who participated in surveys and public meetings, individuals who freely offered their time and expertise to the consultants and to the Library during the data gathering phase, staff who provided background data and who researched specific topics, and Planning Steering Committee members and Library Board members who helped create the following strategic plan.

Priority I (Financial Stability):
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will secure adequate funding for operations and innovation while controlling costs in an environment that is opposed to increased taxes.

Priority II (Service Infrastructure):
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will provide high quality services from conveniently located, highly efficient facilities equipped with technology that reduces operating costs and technology that provide users with easily accessible up to date resources.

Priority III (Meeting Community Needs):
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will strive to meet the diverse needs and high expectations of the people of the City and County in an equitable manner.

Priority IV (Staff Development)
The people of Youngstown and Mahoning County will be served by a Library staff that is well trained, friendly, and assigned in adequate numbers to carry out high quality customer service.

Priority V (Civic Responsibility - The Library's Role in the Community):
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will take an active role in building the greater civic community.

Click here for more information on Priorities and Potential Strategies for Library Services and Collections

Main Library: The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County has the opportunity to play a major role in the redevelopment of the inner city. The development of the Main Library as a countywide "destination" would help "anchor" other redevelopment activities in the area. The Library should continue working with community planners to develop a plan for the expansion of the Main Library. The expansion should be large enough to, at a minimum, provide space for a new children's service department, a separate young adult area, several meeting facilities, additional space for popular materials (fiction, non-print, etc.), and amenities, which have been so well received in other locations. The Main Library should be the center point of the whole system and a significant source of pride to both the county and city.

Austintown: Given the high level of circulation at this location, self-checkout technology should be installed.

Boardman: Relatively minor structural deficits such as roof repairs should be addressed immediately. Existing space at the Boardman Library should be reprogrammed and the entire building renovated to improve efficiency while at the same time creating a more inviting atmosphere. The efficiency of the circulation function should be improved and, given the high level of circulation, self-checkout technology should be added. A computer laboratory and additional space for non-print materials should be created by repurposing underutilized space originally designed for purposes that are now obsolete. Serious consideration should also be given to incorporating a café into the library's design. It is an amenity that is clearly well received in other locations as well as an additional source of revenue supporting all libraries in the county.

Brownlee Woods / Struthers
The current 5,040 square foot Brownlee Woods and 6,700 square foot Struthers facilities should be replaced with a new facility designed to serve residents of the Brownlee Woods / Struthers areas, pending further cost modeling that demonstrates the long-term cost-effectiveness of such an approach. It is estimated that the combined populations of Struthers and Brownlee Woods areas will continue to decline and that it will reach the 25,000 level by the year 2020. It is expected that a combined library could offer a significantly larger selection of materials and services and could be open additional hours at a lower cost then operating each independently.

Campbell: Immediate attention should be given to the structural issue that allows moisture to penetrate the walls. Both the interior and exterior of the building should be renovated to update appearance and to improve lighting and electrical distribution issues. Major mechanical systems should be evaluated and replaced and/or updated as needed.

Canfield: Preliminary planning for a regional branch library to replace the current facility should begin immediately. The new facility should ideally be located less toward Austintown or Boardman and more to the south or west as there are fewer alternate library outlets from which to choose in that direction. Finding a suitable location for a new Canfield Library is likely to be difficult and a decision on a site should be approached cautiously. The new Canfield Library has the potential for becoming one of the busiest, if not the busiest branch in the County. Planning should proceed cautiously and with great attention to detail to make sure that this area of the County gets the right library on the right site to effectively serve the population. Some short-term fixes of the current structure are necessary to bridge the gap between the present and the time when a new Canfield Library is opened. New carpeting, replacement windows and some upgrading of the electrical system are recommended. PLYMC should look at some of these upgrades as an investment since the building has some good potential for reuse for another governmental or commercial purpose.

East: A new neighborhood/community library should be constructed as a replacement for the current East facility in the early stages of this planning period. The new library should be located in close proximity to one of the new school campuses being built by the Youngstown Public Schools. The new building should be located further north and east than the current location.

Greenford: The current population served by the Greenford Library is too small to make it a viable library. Furthermore, given the current rate of population growth, it is likely to be twenty years or more before the population reaches the critical mass necessary to consider a full-service facility. An argument can be made however for keeping the Greenford Library open, given the inadequacies of the nearest “regional” library (Canfield). Until such time as a new regional facility is opened in the Canfield area, population growth and library usage should be monitored. A determination could then be made as to whether the Library should be closed or should remain open based on the actual rate of population growth and any change in the level of usage of the Greenford Library, especially as impacted by a new library in Canfield.

Lake Milton: An argument can easily be made for closing the facility given the low number of visits per hour open and the low number of circulations per hour. However, given the dearth of practical alternatives for providing library service to the residents of the northwestern portion of the County, retention of the facility is suggested at this time.

Because it is likely that usage would increase with a facility that was somewhat larger, was open additional hours, and had a broader array of resources, efforts to increase these should be undertaken. PLYMC should work with the local community to along two paths. First, an effort should be made, with other library interests in the northwest portion of the county, to determine if a facility of more suitable size and services necessary to stimulate stronger use can be developed. Failing this, an effort to secure adequate local and/or private funding to expand the current Lake Milton facility as a neighborhood/community library should be undertaken. PLYMC should expand hours of operation and improved resources for a period of three to five years during which time population trends and library usage would be monitored.

Lowellville: The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County has attempted to sustain library service in Lowellville for many years in spite of extremely low usage. New computers have been added in recent years. And for a period of time collections were dramatically expanded. Nothing has seemed to stimulate use. The time has come to close the Lowellville Library. Three other PLYMC branches (Struthers, Poland, and Campbell) are less than five miles away and, in fact, many Lowellville residents are already using these libraries.

New Middletown: Move the New Middletown Library out of the New Middletown Municipal Building into a larger existing facility on or near Main St. in the commercial section of town. This should be seen as a temporary (5 - 10 years) solution to improving service in the area. Consideration of building a completely new building should be delayed until the pattern of growth in the area is apparent.

North: A variety of factors, including cost of operation, declines in population, the branch's extremely close proximity to the Main Library (1.2 miles) and the use of Main by residents of this area suggest that this library be closed. The building should be reconfigured and continue to be used by the Library. The North location, next to Park Vista, and with access to major highways (and therefore to the balance of the County) makes this an especially appropriate location for SOS. Other functions might be considered. Furthermore the building is in good overall condition, is quite attractive and should require minimal investment. With relocation of SOS to this site, consideration can be given to making the collections accessible, even if only on a limited basis, to groups of users (such as visits from senior housing sites) on a scheduled basis.

North Jackson: The population in the North Jackson area is simply too small to support viable public library service. On average, fewer than five people (4.61) visit the Library each hour it is open. The North Jackson Library should be closed. However, before doing so, an effort should be made, with other library interests in the northwest portion of the County, the school district and township to determine if there is a more suitable approach to delivering service in the northwest portion of the county.

North Lima: It is very difficult to justify the continued operation of the North Lima Branch. Usage is very poor and the people of the area have reasonably convenient access to two of the Library system's mot active regional-sized branches. The Boardman Library is only five miles away and the Poland Library, although 6.4 miles distant, is easily accessible via Hwy 680. The North Lima Branch should be closed. The building may have some resale potential. The Library should work with the community to find a suitable reuse of the facility.

Poland: Given the high level of circulation at this location, self-checkout technology should be installed.

Sebring: PLYMC should explore the possibility of acquiring adjoining properties to allow for the addition of off-street parking, a reorientation of the entrance to the parking area and potential expansion to bring the branch closer to the size recommended for neighborhood/community libraries. If the acquisition of adjacent properties is not possible, PLYMC should explore other sites in the community for the eventual relocation of the Library to a site with more interior space and ample off-street parking. In the short-term, a general renovation of the interior to improve its appeal is recommended.

South: The South Branch Library needs to be replaced with a facility that will enable it to serve the people projected to live in the community over the next decade. The new location should be placed somewhat south of its current location. The Library should work in close cooperation with community planners to determine how the Library can contribute to a revitalization/redevelopment of the area. In the short term, consideration might be given to soften the look of the interior of the current building. Consideration should also be given to adding more computers and reducing the number of volumes in the Library's collection and to increasing the relevancy of the collection offered to better match community needs.

West: The current West Branch facility is not worth salvaging. Public comments also seem to indicate that there is a question in the mind of some whether it would be a prudent use of funds to invest in a replacement for this building, given that it is located fairly close to two of the Library system's largest branches (Main, 3.0 miles away) and Austintown (2.2 miles away). Use of this facility by the public should continue to be monitored and a decision made in the future as to whether or not a major capital investment is warranted. West Branch should be considered a candidate for closure. Some short-term fixes of the current structure will be necessary in the time being.

Senior Outreach: In each of the cases where a recommendation has been made to close a branch library, an accompanying recommendation in the strategic planning process has been to conduct an awareness campaign to make elderly residents in the area more aware of SOS services. Use of SOS has already risen 54% in recent years. It was clear in public comment sessions that the number of people that qualify for this service is much larger than those availing themselves of it. The demographic patterns of the area also point to the potential for even great need and use of this service. Efforts to relocate this service to more suitable quarters, such as North, should be given a high priority. This will, of course, first necessitate moving the Main Children's collection, relocated to North some years ago, back to Main.