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Library Board Will Extend Search for New Director; Board Elects Officers; Authorizes Bidding Process for Jackson-Milton Library 

YOUNGSTOWN (January 19, 2012/For Immediate Release) – At their meeting today, the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County (PLYMC) voted to extend the search for Library Director, upon recommendation of the Search Committee.   

Reporting for the Search Committee, Trustee Alex Benyo made the motion to extend the search: “We did a very thorough search across the country and many candidates were interviewed. We are in 100% agreement that we need to continue the search.” Benyo noted that “the new director will have some very big shoes to fill,” referring to current Director Carlton A. Sears, “and we want to attract just the right candidate.”

Bradbury Associates/Gossager Sager Associates will continue the search at no additional cost to the Library. The terms of their contract guaranteed a successful search. The Bradburys have set a tentative timetable for the national search, which includes advertising for the position in about a month and a cut-off for applications around the end of April. Interviewing is expected to take place in May. “We are hoping to have someone in place sometime in July,” said Jobeth Bradbury.

Sears and Library Trustees will work on a bridge for this transition, since the process of selecting a new director will now extend past his original March 30 date of departure. He will meet with the Board’s personnel committee to discuss. The Board will need to take formal action to put such an extension into place.

All candidates interested in the position will need to submit their interest, even if they had applied in the first round. The two candidates that visited Mahoning County this week, Juliet Machie and John Weedon, would again be considered if they choose to apply.

The first search yielded 25 applications and 18 of these were deemed fully qualified, according to Dan Bradbury. The list was pared down to a field of eight and then to three. One of these three dropped out last week as she had taken another job. Two of the candidates came to Mahoning County for further interviews and a public forum this week.

“The Search Committee and Library Trustees felt it was important to explore all options and not hurry the process,” said Janet Loew, Library communications and public relations director. “They are open to the possibility that other well-qualified candidates may yet emerge. Some time has elapsed since the December 7 deadline for submitting applications and this opens the possibility that people not previously considering a job change may be motivated to apply at this time. Our trustees are taking great care with the process with a goal of finding a director who is a perfect fit for our library system and who will build on the fine work our current director has done.”   

Members of the Library Board of Trustees Search Committee are: Dr. David Ritchie,Trustee president; plus Trustees Alex Benyo, Delores Crawford and Kathryn Bennett; Library Director Carlton Sears; Library Assistant Director Mary Pullin; Library Human Resource Director Ruth Bradshaw; and community member Joyce Brooks, who has actively participated in sessions of Library Strategic Planning, including the current Library 2011 plan.  

For information: http://www.libraryvisit.org/directorsearch.aspx 

In other action, the Board voted to re-elect the following officers: President, Dr. David Ritchie; Vice President, Delores Crawford; Fiscal Officer, Susan Merriman; Deputy Fiscal Officer/Secretary, Tina McBane; Library Director, Carlton Sears.

Additionally, the following trustees, whose terms were to expire this month, were re-elected to three year terms: Dr. David Ritchie, Alex Benyo, Millicent Counts, Thomas M. Frost and Judith Schmutz.

The Board also approved a motion authorizing the Fiscal Officer to place and open bids for the Jackson-Milton Branch Library project. Although the project is not ready to go for bids just yet, the Board was authorizing action when ready. Architect Ronald Cornell Faniro is preparing construction documents in anticipation of being ready to go for bids in late March.

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Celebrate Springfield Library’s Sixth Birthday at Fundraising Event February 4

NEW MIDDLETOWN (January 4, 2012/For Immediate Release) – Celebrate the sixth birthday of the Springfield Branch Library with a fundraising event which benefits that branch at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, at the Free Methodist Community Church. 9900 Youngstown Pittsburgh Rd. The Springfield branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County opened January 19, 2006.

The program, “A Book Review and a Free Mug, Too!”, features Irene Ohlin, who will present with humorous excerpts from “Home to Harmony,” a novel by Philip Gulley. Each paid attendee receives a free “I Love My Library” mug.

“Thousands of readers have fallen in love with acclaimed Quaker writer Philip Gulley's Home to Harmony, a charming novel of a small town with a kindly spirit whose endearing and eccentric residents are like old friends…Written in a warm, down-home style, this novel chronicles the moving and humorous world of Quaker pastor Sam Gardner in his first year back in his hometown. Laugh and cry with Sam as he reflects on the quirks of human nature…” [source: http://www.harmonyseries.com/hometoharmony.html]

Tickets are $10 with proceeds benefitting the Springfield Library. For information or tickets, please contact the Library’s Development Office at 330-740-6086 or 330-744-8636, ext. 51630. Sponsored by the Springfield Library Campaign Committee.
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OhioLINK and SearchOhio Partnership Greatly Expands Access to Materials for Mahoning County Library Patrons

YOUNGSTOWN (November 22, 2011 / For immediate release) – Patrons of the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County (PLYMC) now have access to over 75 million books and materials, as OhioLINK has been added to the already expansive offerings through SearchOhio available at PLYMC. read more...

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