Poland Library on South Main Street
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County board of trustees will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. today to discuss the future of the Poland library branch.
The session will take place in the event space at the Main Library, located at 305 Wick Ave. The meeting is open to the public and available for remote viewing. Community members may join the meeting via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.j/84147054732.
Library officials plan to present findings during the meeting regarding the potential relocation of the Poland branch. The board previously ordered an investigation to determine if the branch should stay at its South Main Street location or move to a new site.
The relocation proposal has faced opposition from Poland residents and the Poland Village Council. Local leaders recently passed a resolution asking the board to keep the library in its current building.
Library system estimates show a new building would cost between $6.7 million and $9.9 million. Renovating the existing branch is estimated to cost $7.3 million. However, library administration officials said long-term maintenance costs over 30 years would be higher for a renovated building than for a new facility.
The meeting occurs as State Sen. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, prepares to introduce legislation in the Ohio Senate. The bill would require county commissioners to approve any library branch closures in larger counties. Under the proposed law, library systems that close branches without this approval could lose state funding. State funds currently make up about half of the library system budget.
Mahoning County commissioners have expressed support for keeping the library at its current site.