POLAND — At a standing-room-only special event Tuesday, officials from the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County attempted to answer some of the questions Poland residents had concerning the future of the Poland branch.

Serving on the panel for the event were library director and CEO Aimee Fifarek, chief operating officer Jordan Shaver and Chief Experience Officer Erin Phemester. Serving as moderator for the event was Youngstown State University communications professor Adam Earnheardt.

Earnheardt opened with the question of why money was put into paint and carpeting if the Poland branch has such devastating structural issues. Fifarek said the projects were done before the board of directors knew about the foundation slag issue. (The slag was being blamed for a lot of the structure issues, such as heaving.)

“Accusations about us not maintaining the building are totally false,” Fifarek said. “To remove the slag under the foundation would be very expensive.”

That led into the question of “could a renovation be done in stages?” so the branch could remain open.

“It is possible to phase the project,” Shaver said. “We could also find temporary spaces (for some services).”

The question applied to maintaining or renovating the branch, which are options one and two. The third option is the relocation of the branch, which would mean building new or renovating a large enough building.

“The board had a robust discussion on the matter and all board members were present,” Fifarek said. “We know this building (the Poland branch) very well and were able to provide good information on the costs of the first two options. The third option involving relocation was an area we knew very little about. The board decided to explore it further, so we are investigating that option.”

There was a question on why a larger building would be needed when the population in Ohio is decreasing. Shaver said the data from the school district shows an increase in student population by 2029 and believes a larger library will be needed down the road.

Fifarek said the Poland branch is the largest branch in the system next to the main branch in downtown Youngstown. She said the problem lies in having the space to offer a children’s learning area and a computer room, which she said residents say they want.

She added the library also has to consider the Americans with Disabilities Act by having handicap-accessible spaces.

The question of the donated vintage chairs and the artwork that disappeared during the painting was presented. Fifarek said the chairs were not commercial grade and were not suitable for everyday library use. She said the paintings are back in place and were not sold.

Earnheardt presented the question of what funds the library system in Mahoning County. Fifarek said funding comes from the state of Ohio and from Mahoning County property taxes. She said some donations come in, but the majority of funds are from the state library funding and property taxes. She said the state funds are from sales taxes and thus can go up or down depending on sales.

“We have about $23 million in carryover from the prior year,” Fifarek said. “We don’t go out for bonds on big projects. We save the money we have and let it build.”

Earnheardt presented the question if the library board decides to build new, will the present branch building go back to the village.

“All our buildings are built with taxpayer funds,” Fifarek said. “In spite of the issues with this building, there is still value here.”

She said the board would likely consider selling the building to offset the cost of building at a new site if that option is chosen by the board.

The final question of the night was: “What if the library just did nothing.”

Fifarek replied, “That is not even an option for us.”

The meeting lasted one hour, but Earnheardt told the packed house they could still submit questions to the library via the website. He said there also would be more opportunities for feedback at future events.

“I am thrilled to see so many come out tonight. I am thrilled you care about your library,” Fifarek said.