The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County issues the following statement:
“Over the last few months, PLYMC has been attacked with unsubstantiated and false claims of fraud, inaccessibility, and a lack of transparency. The leaders of Save Our Library, their anti-property tax allies, along with the architect who designed the deeply flawed Poland Library building, continue to ignore the facts PLYMC has shared publicly on numerous occasions. As a result, some elected leaders have threatened PLYMC with funding cuts. Slashing library funding will result in branch closures, cuts to library services across Mahoning County, and job loss. These devastating effects make Mahoning County a less attractive place to live, raise a family, and do business. Spreading misleading information and falsehoods while community leaders threaten library funding for the entire county is selfish.”
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (PLYMC) has served the Mahoning Valley since 1880 when the Youngstown Library Association was officially created. With 14 branches across Mahoning County, including Main Library in downtown Youngstown, PLYMC is well known for its signature services and programs like Summer Discovery and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. PLYMC serves our communities by preparing children for kindergarten, promoting early literacy, assisting job seekers, connecting Valley residents to technology, and providing resources for small businesses.