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| About the Library > Library History | ||
| The Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County has a rich history of dedicated directors and staff members and equally dedicated and notable trustees. The pages below contain current as well as historical information. The history is provided as written by library staff members and directors throughout the years. This history gives a flavor of the rich fabric, woven throughout the past 125 years, which provides the essence of today's library system. | ||
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| History of the Reuben McMillan Free Library Association to 1957 by James C. Foutts | ||
The first legal steps were taken to provide public library service for the city of Youngstown were taken on October 27, 1880, when the Superintendent of Schools, two of his teachers and two physicians signed the Articles of Incorporation establishing the Youngstown Library Association. These charter members were Reuben McMillan, Sarah E. Pearson, Julia Hitchcock, Dr. F. S. Whitslar and Dr. J. S. Cunningham. At this time the library already has been operating as Youngstown School Library for about 10 years and was located in the offices of the Board of Education and the First National Bank Building on West Federal Street. The historical beginning of the library as some time in the 1840's after the General Assembly of Ohio passed a law providing for the furnishing of books to every school district in the state. The books were sent to the various Boards of Education in the State, but with the outbreak of the Civil War, the statute was suspended. In 1870, when the library was located in the Old Wood Street School building, there were 168 volumes. The books were marked "Ohio School Library" and were in a locked case which was opened once or twice a year to a class that exhausted the readable contents in one or two visits. |
 The first building used solely as the Reuben McMillan Free Library. It was formerly the home of Richard and Henrietta Brown at the corner of Front and Market Streets. |
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In 1878 the library was moved downtown to the rooms of the Board of Education and the First National Bank Building on West Federal Street and was open to the public on Saturday evenings. When the association became a legal non-profit corporation in 1880 in order to receive gifts and legacies, its official name became the Youngstown Library Association. In 1890, through the efforts of some public-spirited men, notably John H. Clarke, a law was passed by the Ohio General Assembly, applying especially to Youngstown, by which a tax could be levied on the property of the city for library purposes. True public library service was inaugurated with the subsequent appropriations of tax funds in 1891. At this point the library, located on the entire second floor of the Reel and Moyer block at 129 West Federal Street, owned 792 books and had 678 juvenile patrons and 627 adult borrowers. The total circulation for the year ending May 5, 1891, was 7,383. Reuben McMillan retired from his position as Superintendent of Schools in 1886, but continued as president of the library trustees until 1890. When the Association members chose John H. Clarke for their second president, they recognized the interest and effort which had been contributed to the library's development by this enterprising young attorney with deep convictions about the importance of good books and libraries. He later moved to Cleveland where his eminence in the legal profession was recognized by an appointment as a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He resigned that position at the death of President Wilson to champion the cause of the League of Nations. Many years later Justice Clarke wrote, "I have lived a long, very busy, and not uneventful life, and as I look back on its activities, other than professional, it seems to me that the most useful, certainly the most satisfying part of it, was striving as I did as a young man to obtain a public library for the city in which I lived, and to carry forward its good work when it was once secured...a public library is an essential to the good government of a city as pure water, and streets well paved, lighted and policed." At his death in 1945 he left a trust fund of $100,000, the income from which is to be used to purchase books for the public library. Early in 1897 some of the pupils and friends belonging to "The Ladies' Reading Circle" held a social gathering at which the subject of memorials was discussed by the group. The idea of dedicating the library to Mr. McMillan was conceived on this occasion and it was discussed afterwards by a number of citizens, though much against the expressed desire of Mr. McMillan himself. Later, through efforts of Robert McCurdy, who in those days was considered the great "money-raiser" of the town, public interest was aroused and funds were subscribed by local citizens. On October 27th Mr. McCurdy, Mr. John C. Wick and others agreed to purchase and present to the library, the Richard Brown property at Front and Market Streets, on condition that the name of the Youngstown Library Association by changed to "Reuben McMillan Free Library Association." Richard Brown very generously agreed to sell his property to the library at the extremely low price of $17,000. A total of $36,562.65 was raised for the new library and memorial. The name of the association was changed from the Youngstown Library Association to the Reuben McMillan Free Library Association on March 5, 1898. The house was remodeled and was dedicated February 16, 1899, with the association president, Mason Evans, Mayor Moore, Robert McCurdy, F. Truedly, J. T. Brooks, and John H. Clarke delivering the addresses. It was then that Mr. Clarke so beautifully characterized Reuben Macmillan as "A man who sought neither wealth nor honor save as these were to be found in the faithful doing of his duty. He spent a long life for a meager salary in training the youth of this city to live the highest intellectual life, and when his name was chosen for the library, it was because his generation chose to honor and revere the type of manhood which finds its best expression in 'The high stern-featured beauty of plain devotedness to duty.'" In 1903, another milestone in the library progress was passed as the first Youngstown separate children's room library was established. Proper books were purchased and regular story hours were arranged to encourage the enjoyment of our heritage and legends and folk tales. Because there were no branch libraries, a group of volunteer women was organized to take small collections of books to youngsters who would congregate at a designated home in such outlying parts as Steelton, Brier Hill, Craven Street, Willow Street, Hubbard Road, St. Louis Avenue and Caldwell Street. When the County Commissioners decided in 1907 that they must have the library site at the corner of Market and Front for the new Court House, the association had no other course but to sell. The selling price finally was set at $141,255 by an arbitration committee of five citizens representing the interests of both parties. After some preliminary contacts by the Chamber of Commerce which were not too promising, the librarian, Anna Louise Morse, made a trip to New York and returned with a $50,000 gift from Andrew Carnegie to help with the new building. Several downtown sites were considered in the Phelps, Front and Boardman Street areas, but the prices were considered too high and the W. S. Bonnell property at Wick and Rayen finally was purchased at $50,000 with $5,000 of that amount being a gift from the Bonnells. An architect was then commissioned to design the best possible building for $150,000 and the result was the present structure as it stood for 45 years prior to the extensive remodeling program which was completed in 1954. Few libraries built in that era were so well or so easily convertible to modern use. There followed a decade of phenomenal publicity and growth in the use of library books in Youngstown. Books were loaned from deposit collections in factories, department stores and schools. Downtown service first was set up in the Hippodrome Arcade, then moved to a temporary building on the public square. In 1922 the first branch library building was erected on the square as a community effort with the trade unions furnishing free labor and the building suppliers the materials. Circulation figures for the rapidly growing library system soared from 144,355 in 1915 to 689,770 in 1925. Library finances suffered severely during the years of the first world war when city council reduced their appropriations to the library in spite of the rapidly increasing load of work. However, by 1920 the legislature had made provision for a voted real estate levy which could be earmarked for library purposes and in that year the voters of Youngstown overwhelmingly endorsed a .2 mill levy for the library. In 1925 the voters approved an increased levy of .3 mills. The time was now right for the branch building program which had been the goal of each librarian and board member since the beginning of the century. Within three years of hectic activity, four permanent branch buildings were erected: Brownlee Woods at 4010 Sheridan Road in 1927, West Side at 2815 Mahoning Avenue in 1928, South Side at 1771 Market Street and Breaden at Jackson and Himrod in 1929. The Jefferson branch was moved from Jefferson School to a small storeroom on Jefferson Street. A total cost for land, building and equipment was $164,967.42 of which $99,234.20 was provided by the city of Youngstown through council improvement bonds and appropriations, while $65,733.22 was raised by popular subscription and gifts from the people of Youngstown. Beside book service to the three city hospitals and the county Tuberculosis Sanitarium was established in 1928 with a ten-day campaign for gift books which resulted in the collection of 20,000 volumes. At end of 1929 the library owned 144,278 books; circulation of the year totaled 849,028; and tax income increased to $104,233.13. Events were to prove that the new facilities came none too soon. As the trough of the depression deepened, Youngstown people had more and more unoccupied time and the demand for the services of the library skyrocketed. Idle folks not only wanted to read for diversion, they wanted to read for understanding, for inspiration and learning. On many occasions every chair in the libraries was filled and the number of books borrowed for home reading jumped to an all time high of 1,194,140 in 1932. The year 1934 marked the beginning of the modern era in library development. The Ohio Legislature had reorganized the tax laws in an effort to meet the financial crises faced by all departments of government. The tax on investments and other intangibles was set up as the source for the support of public libraries and libraries were denied any fixed share of the real estate tax without a special vote. This tax was collected on a countywide basis and libraries had to make their services free to all residents of the county in order to qualify for these funds. Thus by a stroke of the governor's pen, the Reuben McMillan Free Library became the library for all of Mahoning County. Immediately communities outside Youngstown wanted libraries of their own so it was necessary to set up a policy for establishing county branches. Because the city had paid for its branch library buildings and because most of the intangibles taxes were paid by residents of the city, it was decided that any community in the county which wanted a library would have to furnish suitable quarters with heat, light and janitor service and the library association would then supply the librarians, books and management. The first county branch was opened in Poland on the first floor of the community building in 1935. Other branches followed quickly with Struthers, Canfield, Campbell and Lowellville all beginning in 1937. The Beaver Township branch in North Lima opened in 1938 and Boardman in 1939. During the period of World War II, it was evident that more space was needed for the ever-increasing number of printed books, periodicals and scientific journals. In 1948, funds were solicited from industry amounting to almost $20,000 which was used to purchase shelving and equipment in setting up an enlarged, full-time Science and Industry Division on the main floor of the central library. The same year saw the launching of what was then the world's largest mobile library, the Book Trailer, which circulated 130,000 books during the first year of its visits to the county schools located in townships without a branch library. Due to increased demands on the Book Trailer, another was added in January of 1957. Belmont, the first adequate branch library for the north side, was opened in a storeroom on Belmont Avenue at the edge of the new shopping center in 1950. It replaced the old Jefferson Branch, which originated in Jefferson School and had continued in obscure storerooms on Jefferson and Griffith Streets. A drastic cut in tax allocations on the library in 1953, during a period of rapidly rising costs, brought serious cuts in the library's services. Still not restored are the downtown branch, bedside service at the three city hospitals, and the educational film lending service. Four years were required to finance, plan and execute the remodeling of the main library building, the largest building project undertaken by the library since the branch buildings were constructed in 1927-29, and, because of inflation, the most expensive undertaking in the 77 year history of the association. With no important structural change except in the entrance, it was possible to double the amount of usable public floor space in the 1910 building. This additional area provided for a separate Youth Room for high school readers, twice as much space for the Science and Industry Division, a separate Children's Library on the ground floor away from the adult services, an enlarged general reference, periodical and local history division, work space for all divisions and a greatly enlarged popular library collection on the main floor all well lighted. Cost of the work and new equipment (which consisted of a large quantity of GF furniture) was approximately $220,000, which the association feels represents a net savings to the communities of approximately $1,000,000, since it has deferred the need for a new building or a costly addition for another fifteen or twenty years. As 1957 drew to a close, the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County had evolved into a county-wide library owning 345,338 volumes and lending over a million books each year to 68,679 registered borrowers from a rejuvenated main building, 5 city and 7 county branches, and 2 book trailers. |
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| History of the Reuben McMillan Free Library Association -1989 - by Robert H. Donahugh | ||
While money has always been a problem in libraryland, the demands on the staff and collection during the recession of the late 50's accentuated the negative. At this time the library chief source of funding was the intangibles tax, a tax on dividends, collected on the county level. Mahoning County was near the bottom in intangibles tax collections--$2.14 per capita in 1958. The Board of Trustees was suddenly considering some kind of additional revenue--perhaps a supplemental real estate tax levy. The 60's started off with a budget cut and rising book circulation. The one-half mill library levy was put on the 1961 ballot and approved by a 2 to 1 majority. Winifred Smeltzer, a prominent member of the community, headed a Citizens' Committee that was instrumental in impressing on the public the needs of the library. More good news in 1961--plans were being made for newer and larger branch libraries, and Trustee William F. Maag was named "Library Trustee of the Year" by the Ohio Library Association. Another trustee, Guion Osborn, would receive the same honor in 1978. During this time political subdivisions in the county were feeling financial pinches and began sniffing cautiously at library funds. The sniffing turned to growling in 1962 when the City of Youngstown challenged the legality of tax support for the Reuben McMillan Free Library Association. This was a somewhat paradoxical move since the city itself had provided the principal tax support for the library from 1894 to 1931. Library director James C. Foutts fought long and hard throughout this suit and was vindicated when the Attorney General once again upheld the right of an association library (the Youngstown system was one of several such in Ohio) to receive intangibles tax funds. But the tax suit and a budget appeal had delayed the branch building program. The funds generated by the 1961 levy, the first county-wide levy, were to provide something for nearly everyone, starting a branch building and remodeling program that was unprecedented in Northeast Ohio. Five new building were dedicated in 1965--Boardman, North, Poland, Sebring and Austintown (a new outlet for the system). In addition, a remodeled and expanded West opened in 1965. Campbell was dedicated in 1966, North Lima in 1967, Brownlee Woods in 1968 and Canfield and Lowellville in 1969. Most of these facilities had been partially funded by LSCA funds, Federal monies administered and granted by the State Library. Mr. Foutts died in August of 1964; and the library system was directed by a triumvirate during the period of the search for a new director. The three persons were Catherine Harkness, Director of Adult Work; Katherine Ashley, Director of Children's Work; and Robert H. Donahugh, Head of Technical Services. On January 1, 1965, a new director was appointed--David W. Griffith. The 60' s saw changes in the library system as dramatic as those in society. In 1966 the levy was renewed, with a 58.8% majority vote. In 1967 Katherine Ashley retired as Director of Work with Children and was succeeded by Madeline Margo, who had achieved national recognition for her work with young adults and also with bookmobiles and hospital service. In January 1967, an election conducted by the American Arbitration Association resulted in the staff's turning down representation by AFSCME Local 1143. Shortly afterward the Federation of Library Employees was formed. An in-house union, growing out of the Staff Association, it was headed by Hazel Ohl and recognized by the Library's Board of Trustees as the bargaining agent for all library employees. It was succeeded in 1973 by SEIU (Local 627) and PLAY (Public Librarians' Association of Youngstown) representing supportive staff and librarians respectively. As the decade came to a close it became obvious that a full-time Personnel Office was needed, and Jane Umbel was appointed as the first Personnel Director. The building program neared completion in the early 70's with South Branch rebuilt in 1971-1972. (During the period South was closed, a storefront operation was opened in the Fosterville area.) Since the Bookmobiles were becoming increasingly expensive to operate and Federal funds had beefed up school libraries, it was decided that the bookmobiles would have to go. Small station libraries were created to take their place. Some of these stations would inspire local citizens to build new facilities in community efforts that would prove to be "grass-roots" accomplishments at their finest. In 1971, Project Outreach (YO-MAH-CO-CO) was established. This was a federally funded, LSCA experiment administered by the State Library to provide special services to the homebound and the handicapped. It was to prove so successful that subsequently it was absorbed into the library's regular program and renamed SOS (Special Outgoing Services). Among other important events of 1971: a John Cotton Dana Award for the library's promotion of Earth Day; the establishment of the Public Relations Department, under the direction of Jeanne Dykins; and the voters' approval of the .46 library levy renewal. While the library has had three strikes against it, those strikes differed in cause and length. The first took place on November 13, 1972, with librarians performing various tasks so that libraries could remain open. The strike was settled on November 18 with the Board's recognizing clerical and maintenance staff's affiliation with Local 627, AFL/CIO. The second strike went from February 24 to April 8, 1975. In 1980 the longest strike in this library's (or probably any library's) history took place. It began March 12, 1980 and forced the closings of all public library outlets in the County. The librarians' union (PLAY) settled on May 21; and Local 627 settled June 19. Later the librarians would sign on with 925, so that both library unions would be affiliated with AFL/CIO. Labor problems weren't the only things facing the library in 1972. The newly remodeled South Branch reopened, and a storefront library in McGuffey Mall was established on an experimental basis. It was to prove a failure. The levy renewal in 1971 continued to help the library's always-shaky balancing act with the budget. The Citizens' Committee for that campaign had been composed of the local Jaycees, the same group that had started in Youngstown what eventually came to be known as "National Library Week." As part of a statewide effort to provide networks that would enhance reference and other library services, the Northeast Ohio Library Association (NOLA) was established, with Hazel Ohl as the first director and Youngstown as the resource library. The five-county association would grow to seven. While library goals had always been discussed and argued, it was at this time that some definite ideas were formalized and put on paper. High among the priorities was the creation of Friends groups at all locations. Throughout the 70's, librarians and patrons met and talked, sparked by the enthusiasm and dedication of Jeanne Dykins, Community/Public Relations Director, and Dr. James A. Houck, who would eventually become President of Main Library's Friends, Chairman of the Citizens' Committee for several Library Levy Renewal campaigns, and eventually a member of the library Board of Trustees. The closing years of the decade saw the first annual "Friends of the Library Open House" and the first observance of "Friends of the Library Month." The library was among the first public libraries in the state to join OCLC (Ohio College Library Center)--in 1973. This is an on-line cataloging tool, designed to assist academic libraries in acquiring cataloging information as rapidly as possible. Through a grant from the State Library all of Youngstown's retrospective holdings were fed into the system. In 1979 the interlibrary loan subsystem was instituted, thus putting the library in touch with nearly every major library in the country. In future years, OCLC would expand its services, its clients and go international. It would also change its name to simply "OCLC," (Online Computer Library Center). The first time the library levy renewal failed was in the spring of 1976. Fortunately it passed in that fall's election. As its contribution toward celebrating the U.S.A.'s Bicentennial, the library sponsored an area-wide mural program, in cooperation with the schools. The successful venture resulted in Bicentennial murals hanging at Main Library and branches--and another John Cotton Dana Award for library promotions. David W. Griffith, Library Director since 1965, retired in 1979. Following a nation-wide search, Robert H. Donahugh was appointed by the Board in June. One of the most horrific incidents in the library's history was the fire at Main Library in October, 1978. An unknown arsonist caused incalculable damage, including the destruction of historical documents and the official records of the Nuremberg Trials. In October, Mr. Donahugh was elected President of the Midwest Federation of Library Associations. (He had been previously elected President of the Ohio Library Association in 1974.) As birthday celebrations go, the library's 100th (in 1980) was as joyous as possible following a 98-day strike. There was a special edition of BIBLIO-FILES, the official library newsletter, centennial mugs, a steel bookmark (which had to be made outside Youngstown), articles, talks and media coverage (including a Happy Birthday from Willard Scott on the TODAY TV program). At the end of 1980, Madeline Margo retired after 38 years of service to the library. The library's real estate levy came up for renewal in 1981 and passed handily--56,074 for and 29,716 against. The following year saw the highest book circulation since depression days. It goes back to the 30's--public libraries in Ohio had been funded primarily through the intangibles tax, a tax on dividends, etc., paid on the county level. In July, 1983 the State repealed the intangibles tax. Beginning in 1986 public libraries would, by law, be funded (through a special formula) from the State Income Tax. At its meeting in 1983 the Ohio Library Association named Robert H. Donahugh Librarian of the Year. In 1986, Jeanne Dykins, Community/Public Relations Director of the library, would receive the same honor. Grass roots endeavors were prominent in the hinterlands, with communities in Ellsworth, Greenford and North Jackson planning and building library buildings which were turned over to the county system. In 1985 Jane Umbel, Assistant Director, retired and was succeeded by Theresa A. Trucksis, former Director of NOLA. An earthquake in January 1986, did some damage to the Main Library Building. This would necessitate the pointing and cleaning of the building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Later in the year, champion prizefighter Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini assisted in the promotion for the Library Levy renewal. Following a successful campaign (which was to win the library its third John Cotton Dana Award), the levy passed with nearly 70% positive vote. A long, arduous series of labor disputes (unrelated to the library) hampered the asbestos removal program in the library throughout most of 1987. North, Struthers and Main Library were closed. Books were stored in vans in parking lots--all of Struthers and North's books, and Main Library's Reference books. A major achievement in 1988 was the creation of a policy manual for the Board of Trustees. For the first time in the library's history, policies were gathered together in one place. Each was reviewed by a Policy Committee and approved by the full Board. The trustees of this library system have traditionally been active on the state and national level, as well as serving on the board. Guion Osborn, James A. Houck and Myron Roh have been particularly noticeable in the Ohio Library Trustees Association. Trustees were also busy planning a new regional library in Boardman. A special committee, appointed by President William L. Spencer, was talking with bankers, planners, architects and library staff members. The new "regional" library was part of the reorganization of the system, which had begun in 1985 with the dividing of the county into three regions--Central, South and West. Three new positions were created to take charge of the regions: Regional Director (Central)--Barbara Malek; Regional Director (South)--Raffaella Pazak; and Regional Director (West)--Mary Pullin. Each region would have its own headquarters and coordinators (adult and juvenile) for scheduling, programming, materials selection, etc. The Long Rang Plan, in development for many years, was approved by the Board in 1989. In March of that year Robert H. Donahugh announced his retirement. |
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| LIBRARY SERVICES | ||
| Branching Out | ||
| Written in 1980 by Deborah McCullough, for the THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, the Oct./Nov. 1980 issue of BIBLIO-FILES, the library's former monthly publication. | ||
With an increase in circulation and demand for books and materials, the public library was faced with the decision early in its history to branch out. In 1919 without any advance announcement, a branch of the library formerly in the Hippodrome Arcade, moved to the Public Square. This central location made for convenience of use by all patrons of the city and not only housed fiction but also featured books on business and technology. In 1923 a new Square Branch building was dedicated--a result of donated labor and materials. This building was sold in 1954. The South Side Branch was one of the first of the city branches to open. It was located in South High School from 1912-1915 and moved to 1708 Market Street in 1915. After more |
 The Central Square Branch Library which opened on December 8, 1923. |
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than 10 years of dreaming and 2 years of intensive fund raising, a new branch was built and dedicated in 1929. In March of the following year, 20,000 books circulated at this facility. South was remodeled in 1971. Brownlee Woods Branch began as a sub-station in Walkers Confectionery Store in 1922 and moved to the Fire Station at Midlothian and Sheridan in 1925. Funds were raised for a new structure at Sheridan and Everett; the new building was completed in 1927. The structure that stands today was dedicated in October 1968. West side residents also campaigned for a branch in their area. West Branch was first located at the Mahoning Avenue ME Church (1925) and by July 1928 moved to a new building on Schenley and Mahoning, which was a source of pride to the community, West Branch was remodeled and expanded in 1965. In 1939 Boardman residents began using the library when it was housed in the old St. James Parish house on Market Street. A new library was dedicated in February 1954, replacing an older structure that was an institution in the community. Today the library at Glenwood Avenue is the busiest in the county. North Branch changed names and locations several times during its development. It began as a room in Jefferson School. In 1926 it was located at 315 Jefferson Street and in 1930 moved to 1578 Griffith Street. In 1950 the Jefferson Branch, overcrowded and inadequate, became Belmont Branch (1520 Belmont Avenue). In 1965 Belmont moved to its present location at 1344 Fifth Avenue and became North Branch. This beautiful structure was dedicated to the late Justice John H. Clarke, associate justice of the U. S. Supreme Court and second president of the Reuben McMillan Free Library Association. Poland Branch was the first of the county branches to open. In 1936, it began service in a small room on the ground floor of the old town hall (now the Fire Station) and in 1941 moved to larger quarters on the second floor. In May 1962 the branch moved to the ground floor of the Kennedy House across the street from its present location. The new building along the banks of Yellow Creek was dedicated in November 1965. The old Community Building (formerly a Theater Auditorium) in Canfield was the first home for Canfield Branch (named Boughton Branch) in 1936. The branch expanded to the entire first floor by l960. A new branch building located at 73 W. Main Street was dedicated in June 1969. In 1937 Struthers Branch began serving its community from an old building rented from the Knights of Pythias. A site for a new building was acquired in 1941 and a building fund was established. Funds came from savings of the Struthers School District Library Board that had been set aside for 20 years. The new branch located at 95 Poland Avenue was the result of this effort and was dedicated in September 1957. The citizens of Austintown had been served for years with a bookmobile. In 1961, the passage of a library tax levy made the library expansion program possible. In 1962 the building program began. A new branch building for the Austintown community was dedicated in February 1965. The following branches are now part of Extension Services: East Branch Library was established in May 1928 on the corner of Himrod and Loveless Avenues. The new branch at 6 N. Jackson Street, established in February 1930, was named the Breaden Family Branch to honor the generosity of this family to the library. By 1968, the name was changed to East Branch. Lowellville Branch began serving its community in the City Hall in 1937. The new building at 151 Second Street was dedicated in 1969. North Lima Branch began as the Beaver Township Library in 1938. The original building has been preserved in Pioneer Village at the Canfield Fairgrounds. The new branch at 1822 South Avenue Extension was dedicated in 1967. Sebring Branch began in a store at Fifteenth Street in Sebring in February 1956. The new building at 195 West Ohio Avenue was dedicated in August 1965. All of these branch facilities are the result of a community-wide effort for expanded library service in the county and are a source of pride to the library and the patrons they serve. |
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| Science And Industry: Youngstown Business And The Library | ||
| Written in 1980 by Diane Vicarel,, for the THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, the Oct./Nov. 1980 issue of BIBLIO-FILES, the library's former monthly publication. | ||
| Specialized services to Youngstown's business community have been provided by the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County since 1924, when the Reference Department began offering "technical service" to its patrons. Mildred Ziegler became the "technical reference assistant" in 1938. Her dedication and organization, coupled with the concern and contributions from local businesses, resulted in the formation of the Science & Industry Division in May, 1949. The $17,125 contributed by area businesses and individuals (among them Commercial Shearing, General Fireproofing, Strouss, McKelvey's, Republic Rubber, Standard Slag, Valley Mould, The Vindicator, Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Youngstown Steel Door) established and furnished the S. & I. Room, which was combined with the General Reference Room, and headed by Miss Ziegler. Five years later, in March, 1954--when the entire building was remodeled--the Science and Industry Division moved to its present location in the South Room, where Miss Ziegler continued as head of the department until her retirement in 1961. Successive department heads were Dimitri Teodorescu, Norma Allen, and, most recently, Orin Cole. |  This photograph shows librarian G. C. Maclin in the industrial department at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, circa 1923. |
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| The current (1980) “Science and Industry” collection contains over 40,000 circulating books, 5,000 reference books, 8,000 rolls of microfilm and 200 periodical subscriptions to meet the information needs of the community's 8,500 plus businesses. These needs are varied--investment information, company addresses, information on the management of small businesses, historical information on the development of Youngstown business, practice guides for licensing exams in nursing, engineering and other fields that demand them, repair and how-to information for the machine trades, and the like. As business conditions across the nation and in the Valley change, so do the information needs of the area's businesses. Rising inflation causes people to look for ways to cut back costs, so there is more demand for do-it-yourself materials, for consumer/buy-it-right materials, for personal finance and personal investing information. High unemployment rates and closing job markets--of which the Valley has firsthand knowledge in light of the recent steel mill decline--increase the demand for job-hunting materials, information on how to write resumes, and information on comparative cost-of-living in other cities, as some people consider moving into/out of the area. These changing conditions generate still more information needs--market analyses, historical information, and company information. During the development of the Science & Industry Department at the Library, some things have never changed. Youngstown business--whether in decline or prosperity--has always needed, used, and supported the library, and the Science & Industry Department--from its creation at the urging of the business community--has served it well. |
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| Children's Services | ||
| Written in 1980 by Madeline Margo, for the THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, the Oct./Nov. 1980 issue of BIBLIO-FILES, the library's former monthly publication. | ||
From 1903, the main thrust of children's work has been to introduce books to children--to get even the youngest hooked on books and reading. Storytelling and book talks are one way and they have always been an integral and vital part of the program, whether at playgrounds, schools, library story hours or groups such as the Scouts and Head Start. There have been other ways, as well, of encouraging the use of the libraries by children. Former Director Clarence Sumner's planning and subsequent opening of the Mother's Room for parents and preschoolers in 1935 was an outstanding achievement, unique in its field. (Changing times saw its dissolution in the 1950s). The moving of the Children's Library to the renovated ground floor in 1953 was another milestone. The |
 Face painting is always a big hit with children when they visit the Library. |
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Librarians at that time signified the importance of work with youth. Emphasis on programming--movies, puppet and magic shows, special holiday story hours, speakers, after-school programs, summer reading clubs--all tied in with reading--emerged in the 1970s. In 1917 school house stations were opened and in 1918, a "Ford car" was purchased to visit stations more often. ( NOTE 2004 : Today's children's programs, including the Summer Reading Club, reach more young people than ever before. Through school visits, over 49,000 youngsters are reached. Summer Reading registration averages 7,000 children each year. Josephine Nolfi is Manager of Children's Services at the Library .) |
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| Teenxtreme – Services For Teens | ||
Photo at Right: Xtreme Skateboarding pro Doug Brown demonstrated why he's an award winner when he gave a demonstration of his skills and talents at Main and Austintown Library in July 2004. |
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| Special Outgoing Services | ||
Special Outgoing Services, more widely known as SOS, is a Library agency dedicated to When federal funds ran out in December 1976, the Library assumed responsibility for continuing these special services, and creating the new Library agency, Special Outgoing Services. SOS continued to operate from the old Project Outreach to operate from the old Project Outreach location on the lower level of West Library. In 1981, due to staffing considerations and location, SOS and West Library were combined into one agency, SOS/West, operated by a single staff. In November 1982, “SOS By Mail” replaced home delivery of materials by van. The postal service absorbs some of the postage for qualified patrons. Due dates are extended, so patrons have time to read their materials. Supervisor of the SOS Service is Mona Pocatko. |
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| The Grant Center | ||
| The Library's Grant Center was accepted as an affiliate of the Foundation Center, headquartered in New York City in June of 1993 and officially opened in October of 1993. The Grant Center is located in Main Library. | ||
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| Friends Of The Library | ||
The new Friends of the Library bookstore is located inside Poland Library. |
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| Strategic Plan – Library 2011 | ||
 Library 2011, the Library's 7-year system-wide improvement plan, was adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2004, makes extensive recommendations for five key aspects of the Library's operations: Financial Stability, Service Infrastructure, Meeting Community Needs, Staff Development and Civic Responsibility. For more information on Library 2011, brochures are available at county libraries and information is available on the Library's website at: Library2011.org |
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The newly formed Friends of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, started in 2003. The Friends Bookstore, located in Poland Library, is one of the main projects of this new group. Friends are special volunteers who give of their time and efforts to support the Library. James Meehan is current president of the Friends. Branch libraries have individual Friends of the Library groups as well. For information about the system-wide Friends group or the branch Friends groups, contact Deborah Liptak, Development Director.