DEAR EDITOR:

A recent article in the Business Journal outlines the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (PLYMC) Board of Trustees’ plan to relocate and build a new library in downtown Struthers. This is a wonderful thing. The reasons listed in this article for relocating the library include proximity to downtown Struthers and vibrant businesses, outdoor reading spaces, proximity to Yellow Creek and increased visibility and accessibility.

All of these attributes we have now with the current Poland Library location. Why, then, is the library board considering relocating the Poland library? Moving the Poland library out of the village would remove it from the downtown business corridor and activities (Lighting of the Village, Celebrate Poland, summer concerts) and, most importantly, remove easy access for a majority of our schoolchildren who can walk there now. It just makes no sense.

If you are wondering about the recently disclosed structural issues with the building, the engineering consultant who conducted the study says these issues can be fixed. And there is nothing that is an immediate structural concern. The projected cost to fix and maintain the current Poland library is about $6 million. The estimated cost to build a new library outside the village, half the size of the current building, is $12 million, excluding land costs. For me, it’s a simple decision and the most fiscally responsible: spend the money to retain the current Poland library where it is.

Struthers Mayor Catherine Cercone-Miller said of the new Struthers’ library building that “being part of downtown will tie things together… it [will] be a vital part of our community.” That is what the current Poland library is now, a vital part of our Poland community. And what it means to our community cannot be put into words. I implore the PLYMC Board of Trustees: Please don’t take away the heart of our community.

LAURIE LaPLANTE

Poland