Following is a narrative summary of recommended actions based on the Master Facilities Planning Study conducted by Himmel & Wilson during the 2003 calendar year. Libraries are listed alphabetically. Most of the data supporting the recommendations can be found in a report entitled, "Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County - Branch Analysis."

Austintown
Having opened in 2002, the Austintown Library is in good physical condition and is performing exceptionally well in terms of public acceptance and use. The current estimate of the population being served by the library is 35,105, somewhat higher than the 30,000 target population prescribed by the consultants for a regional facility. However, the consultants believe that the population served will decrease to approximately the 30,000 level when an adequate replacement for the current Canfield Branch is built. At 22,180 square feet and given the 30,000 anticipated service population level, the Austintown Library will attain a .74 square feet per capita ratio, almost exactly matching the .75 square feet per capita we are recommending for regional branches.

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

It is estimated that the Boardman Library is serving a population of 30,327, almost exactly the target established for regional branches. At 21,500 square feet, it is slightly undersized (approximately 1,250 square feet). The .71 square feet per capita provided is a bit low but is quite acceptable.

Recommended Action for 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 should be 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 back issues of periodicals. Serious consideration should also be given to incorporating a café into the library's design.

Population in this area has declined significantly in the past fifteen years and continues to do so. While usage of the Library is still quite healthy given the size of the branch and its hours (closed Sunday and Monday and no morning hours with the exception of Saturday), circulation declined by more than eleven percent in 2002 and by a similar percentage in 2003.

The Brownlee Woods facility is structurally sound; however, its interior is dated and the layout of the Library is poor. The visibility of the Library is poor because it is located in a residential area. The site is also quite small and off-street parking is extremely limited.

Recommended Action for Brownlee Woods: The consultants recommend that the current 5,040 square foot Brownlee Woods facility be replaced with a new facility of approximately 12,000 - 15,000 square feet designed to serve residents of the Brownlee Woods neighborhood as well as the Struthers community. A community/neighborhood branch of this size would effectively serve approximately 25,000 people by providing .6 square feet of library space per capita. 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. A combined library could offer a significantly larger selection of materials and services and could be open additional hours.

The consultants believe that the current Brownlee Woods facility has potential resale value and could be used for some other purpose that is compatible with its residential setting. Possibilities include use as a medical arts building or perhaps as an insurance office. The new combined Brownlee Woods/Struthers Library could be built along the commercial corridor on Youngstown-Poland Road/Hwy 170 south of East Midlothian Boulevard and north of Brandon Avenue. This would provide high visibility for the Library and could stimulate economic development in the area as well.

The Campbell Library has some significant structural deficits that need to be addressed if the building's structural integrity is to be maintained. A design flaw that allows moisture on the roof to penetrate the walls is particularly troubling. The look and feel of the building reflect the fact that it was built in the mid 1960s (nearly forty years ago). This branch would be more viable and would attract additional use if the exterior and interior were renovated and if the library's hours of operation were extended.

Recommended Action for Campbell: Immediate attention should be given to the moisture problem 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. Hours of operation of the branch should be increased by reallocation of staff hours from facilities that are closed.

The current facility is very crowded and not surprisingly, has a tired, overused look and feel. The building's electrical system is totally inadequate to support even the limited deployment of computers and other technologies. The carpeting and the building's windows are both in very poor condition. The current structure does not lend itself to expansion and the consultants question whether the current site, even if it was expanded to include an adjacent property owned by the library, would be adequate to support a regional facility given the need for parking and recommended green space. Traffic flow into a new library built on this site would also be problematic given the volume of traffic on Highway 224 and the width of the road.

Recommended Action for Canfield: Preliminary planning for a regional branch library to replace the current facility should begin immediately. The consultants recommend a new facility of at least 22,500 square feet. If the Greenford Library is closed (as recommended by the consultants), the replacement for the Canfield facility should be closer to 25, 000 square feet in size. This would attain the recommended .75 square feet per capita ratio.

Finding a suitable location for a new Canfield Library is likely to be difficult and a decision on a site should be approached cautiously. In the opinion of the consultants, the new Canfield Library has the potential for becoming one of the busiest, if not the busiest branch in the PLYMC system. Planning for the Library 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. Branch hours should also be increased, by reallocating staff ours from facilities that are closed, in the short-term to take some pressure off the building by spreading public use of the facility out over more time.

The East Library is located only 1.5 miles from the Main Library and is not highly visible. Even the main floor of the building fails to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines. While the East Side neighborhood is home to over 10,000 people, the population has declined considerably over the past several decades and continues to drop. As population has fallen, the center of population in the neighborhood has moved to the north and east.

Recommended Action for East: The consultants recommend the construction of a new neighborhood/community sized library as a replacement for the current East facility. In order to achieve the recommended ratio of .6 square feet per capita served, the branch should be approximately 6,000 square feet. The consultants recommend that the new library 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.

Both circulation per capita and library visits per capita are respectable, demonstrating some community interest in the branch. However, because of the small population base, on average, the Library sees fewer than nine people per hour open (8.65) and circulates only slightly more than eleven (11.6) items during each hour it is open. Population in the Greenford area is growing slowly but steadily. The building, although extremely small, is in good condition.

Recommended Action for Greenford: In the consultants' opinion, 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. It is recommended that the Greenford Library be closed.

That said, given the inadequacy of the nearest PLYMC branch (Canfield), the consultants believe that an argument can be made for keeping the Greenford Library open and monitoring population growth and library usage until such time as a new regional facility is opened in Canfield. 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.

The Greenford facility is not owned by the PLYMC. If the Library is eventually closed, PLYMC should work with the community to find a suitable civic reuse of the facility. PLYMC should work with the residents of the area to determine how it can ensure that young children and those whose mobility is limited continue to have access to some public library service. A campaign should be conducted to make elderly residents in the area aware of the SOS (Special Outgoing Services) program.

While usage of the Lake Milton Library is poor, alternatives for library service for residents in this portion of Mahoning County are somewhat limited. The closest full service public library is seven miles away in Trumbull County (Newton Falls Public Library). The nearest PLYMC branch is the North Jackson Library, which is even smaller than the Lake Milton branch. The Canfield and Austintown Libraries are both approximately fifteen miles distant.

Recommended Action for Lake Milton: In the consultants' opinion, the Lake Milton Library is, at best, marginally viable. 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, the consultants support retaining the facility at this time.

Because it is likely that usage would increase if the facility was somewhat larger, was open additional hours, and had a broader array of resources, the consultants support efforts to increase the productivity of the branch. PLYMC should work with the local community to secure adequate local and/or private funding to expand the facility to approximately 2,300 square feet (thereby achieving the .6 square feet per capita recommended for neighborhood/community libraries). In return, PLYMC should commit to expanding 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.

The Lowellville facility, while structurally sound, is expensive to operate. The lighting system is extremely inefficient and the HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) system is outmoded. Restrooms are not ADA compliant.

Recommended Action for 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. The consultants believe that 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 the Poland Library or the Struthers Library.

The consultants doubt the Lowellville Library has a great deal of resale potential; however, a governmental or non-profit organization might find it attractive if the Library was willing to donate the property to them. The Library should work with the community to find a suitable reuse of the facility. PLYMC should also work with the residents of the area to determine how it can ensure that young children and those whose mobility is limited continue to have access to some public library service. A campaign should be conducted to make elderly residents in the area aware of the SOS (Special Outgoing Services) program.

Some sections of this part of Mahoning County are actually losing population while the number of residents in other sections of this area is increasing. Overall, the nature of the area is shifting from being a rural, agricultural area to characteristics more typical of suburban areas. Over time, the density of population in proximity to the commercial center of New Middletown is expected to increase. The consultants believe that library use in the New Middletown/New Springfield area would increase substantially if a larger library with longer hours and more resources were provided.

Recommended Action for New Middletown: The consultants recommend moving the New Middletown Library out of the New Middletown Municipal Building into a larger existing facility (approximately 3,000 square feet) 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. However, hours of operation and the resources provided from the larger temporary facility should be increased in unison with the move.

Population in the North Branch service area has decreased by over twenty-seven percent (27.34%) since 1990 and now stands at 10,978. Projections show the population declining by an additional thirteen percent in the next five years.

The North Branch Library is less than a mile and a quarter away from the Main Library. It is less than three miles away from the East and South branch facilities and is 3.5 miles away from the West Library. Furthermore, many of the residents of the northernmost portion of the branch service area are now using the Liberty Branch of the Warren - Trumbull County Library. This facility, opened less than one year ago, is only 3.7 miles north of PLYMC's North Branch.

Recommended Action for North: At $ 8.13 per circulation, the North Branch Library is the costliest branch facility to operate in the entire PLYMC system. A variety of factors, including cost of operation, declining population, and the branch's extremely close proximity to the Main Library lead the consultants to recommend closure of this building. However, the consultants also believe that the facility can continue to have some utility to the PLYMC system by acting as the home of the Library's Special Outgoing Services program. Access to major highways (and therefore to the balance of the County) is good and, as was noted above, the building is in good overall condition and is quite attractive. Some consideration might be given to making the SOS collection directly accessible to groups of the public (such as shuttle bus outings from senior congregate housing sites) on a scheduled basis.

While the people in the immediate area do make use of the Library, there are too few residents to make it cost effective to maintain an adequate collection of materials or to staff the Library for more than a minimal number of hours. The Lordstown Branch of the Warren - Trumbull County Public Library, which is 6.5 miles away, is closest to this area. However, the new full-service Austintown Library, with its large collection and extended hours, is only 6.7 miles away and is close to many of the retail stores and services used by many of the residents in the North Jackson area.

Recommended Action for North Jackson: In the consultants' opinion, 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 and the Library should work with the community to ensure that the charming building continues to be used in a way that benefits the community.

PLYMC should work with the residents of the area to determine how it can ensure that young children and those whose mobility is limited continue to have access to some public library service. A campaign should be conducted to make elderly residents in the area aware of the SOS (Special Outgoing Services) program.

The Library is a perennial underperformer. In fact, on several measures of use including visits per hour open (4.29), items circulated per hour (8.25) and collection turnover (0.61), it is second lowest in the PLYMC system only to Lowellville. Circulation has plummeted nearly one-third (33.22%) since 1998 and now stands at only 11,762; however a large portion of this drop came between 2002 and 2003 when hours at the branch were reduced to 28.5 per week.

Recommended Action for 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 PLYMC 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 consultants recommend the closure of the North Lima Branch.

The building may have some resale potential and the Library should work with the community to find a suitable reuse of the facility. PLYMC should also work with the residents of the area to determine how it can ensure that young children and those whose mobility is limited continue to have access to some public library service. A campaign should be conducted to make elderly residents in the area aware of the SOS (Special Outgoing Services) program.

Regardless of how usable space is calculated, it exceeds the .75 per square foot per capita recommended for regional facilities and therefore is unlikely to require expansion for decades, if ever. The building is extremely attractive, houses a large collection of materials and is open reasonably good hours, including Sunday afternoons. On average, over forty-five (46.55/hr.) people visit the Library during every hour when it is open and it is estimated that this number more than doubles during peak hours of use. In spite of Poland's considerable staff size, cost per circulation is quite reasonable at $ 2.16.

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

The Library is quite dated in appearance and lacks off-street parking. In spite of a lack of ambiance and structural deficits that include restrooms that do not meet ADA guidelines and aging mechanical systems, the Library as been circulating well over 50,000 items per year. Circulation dropped significantly in 2003 after hours at the branch were reduced.

The Sebring Library is located over twenty-eight miles from the Main Library. Other than the Rodman Public Library, located in Alliance in Stark County, the next closest full-service public library is in Canfield, nearly nineteen miles away.

Recommended Action for 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 .6 square feet per capita ratio 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, the consultants recommend a general renovation of the interior to improve its appeal.

Although population in this area of the City has declined and continues to decline, the Southside (not including the Brownlee Woods area) is still home to over 16,000 people. Although the current South Library is quite visible on the Market Street corridor, the building is only 1.5 miles south of the Main Library. The Boardman Library is 5 miles to the south.

The South Branch performs poorly on some measures. Its cost per circulation is quite high ($ 5.16/circulation), although it is considerably lower than cost per circulation at the North Branch ($ 8.13). Collection turnover is also quite poor, indicating that the collection may be larger than necessary or that it is not highly relevant to residents of the area.

Recommended Action for South: In the consultants' opinion, the South Branch Library needs to be replaced with a facility of approximately 7,000 - 8,000 square feet to enable it to serve the 12,000 - 14,000 people projected to live in the community over the next decade.

The consultants believe that the Library should remain on the Market Street corridor but that it 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, PLYMC should consider efforts 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.

The Struthers Library bore the burden of serving many of the users of the Poland Branch Library during the closure of the old Poland Library and before the opening of the new Poland facility. When Poland reopened, Struthers quickly returned to previous circulation levels. Both population in the area and circulation are declining slightly.

The Struthers Library performs quite well on many measures. On average, over twenty-five people (25.86) visit the Library each hour. Furthermore, these visitors check out over 40 items (41.06) each hour.

Recommended Action for Struthers: The consultants recommend that the current Struthers Library be replaced by a new, larger facility designed to serve the Brownlee Woods/Struthers area. The new branch should be approximately 12,000 - 15,000 square feet and should be located somewhere on the Youngstown - Poland Road corridor.

The new branch would improve services in many ways and would solve several problems. First, the new branch would replace an aging Struthers facility. Second it would replace a very undersized Brownlee Woods facility. The combined building would be larger than both the current facilities combined and would contain a better variety of resources while eliminating unnecessary duplication of titles. The joint facility would also be open longer hours than either of the current facilities and would provide comfortable seating areas and other amenities not practical in the current facilities.

Several of the multiple roof areas on the building(s) are failing. The multiple heating systems are in poor condition and it is suspected that hot water heating conduit in the floors have failed or are failing. The building's electrical system is inadequate to support technology and lighting in the building is poor. A parking area, located in the rear of the building is a good distance away from the Library's entrance.

While use of this branch has been dropping, it is still very respectable. Over forty items (43.39) are checked out during an average open hour.

The PLYMC's Special Outgoing Services (SOS) program is inconveniently housed in the lower level of the older portion of the building. A meeting room and restrooms are completely inaccessible to individuals with handicaps.

Recommended Action for West: The consultants believe that the current West Branch facility is not worth salvaging. It is recommended that the current branch be razed and that a replacement facility of approximately 12,000 square feet be constructed in the very near future. The consultants also recommend that the Special Outgoing Services program be relocated to the current North Branch Library.

New, and very exciting, possibilities are now unfolding for the Main Library. The recent construction of residential housing in close proximity to the Library by the Youngstown State University appears to be just a hint of what is to come. Plans for the "Smokey Hollow" development would add a significant new dimension to the Library's services. It would add a role as a popular neighborhood library to its more traditional reference and research functions.

The original building was constructed in 1910. A major addition was built in 1996. Over the years, the building has undergone several rounds of remodeling. However, a significant amount of space in the original building is not usable for public purposes. Adequate meeting facilities are lacking and space is not available to create a children's services area large enough to meet current needs, let alone those that are developing. Parking is marginally acceptable at the current time and will become inadequate as use of the facility grows.

Recommended Action for Main: 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 consultants recommend that PLYMC 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 such as a café. The expansion should also be large enough to accommodate additional use from the area currently served by the North Branch.

Other ideas that contribute to positioning the Main Library to become a destination, such as the children's museum idea, should be explored to determine their feasibility.