YOUNGSTOWN — The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County has announced the main branch downtown will reopen to the public Monday.

The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon by Aimee Fifarek, executive director, during a birthday celebration honoring the library’s founder, Reuben McMillan.

“We’re very excited to have people back,” Fifarek said.

Construction and renovation continues at the main branch, however. The building, measuring about 60,000 square feet, has been consolidated into one quarter of the area and changed on the inside to allow patrons more space as work is done.

Social-distancing measures will be enforced, Fifarek said.

A greeter will be in place, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available for patrons upon entering the building, as with any library in the county, Fifarek said.

The construction is part of a $25 million project of the library, 305 Wick Ave. Completion is anticipated in early 2022. Originally named the Reuben McMillan Free Library, it opened in 1910.

Two renovations occured: one in 1954 that removed front stairs and period lamp posts, and another that included a large addition and relocation of the entrance from Wick Avenue to the side off the parking lot.

Also announced by Deborah Liptak, development director, was the launch of a $1 million capital campaign for the renovation project.

“There are so many great services that the library will be providing within the spaces of this building,” she said, once the project is completed.

MCMILLAN

McMillan was born 200 years ago Wednesday. He and a group of cofounders established the Youngstown Library Association, explained Dr. David Ritchie, president of the library’s board of trustees.

“His name is etched in limestone on the face of the Main Library,” Ritchie said.

The birthday party was held to honor McMillan, the Main library’s namesake, with cupcakes for staff and a quick round of announcements live streamed for folks at home.

McMillan was a superintendent of the school district when he recognized the need for a public library system, as popularized by Andrew Carnegie, Fifarek said.

Fifarek said recently while staff moved items around the main branch, documents were found stating that if people from 1850 donated $1, a library would be introduced to the community.

“They took the time, already running a school district, to create an entirely different organization that would be available to more people,” Fifarek said, which was “an innovative idea” at the time.

afox@tribtoday.com