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New temporary library opens in Perry Township
Location to serve area after fire destroys branch
Posted on Mon, Sep. 30, 2002
By Karalee Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer
PERRY TWP. - The Perry branch of the Stark County District Library begins a new chapter today.
After operating out of a bookmobile since June, library staff will open the doors to a new temporary location at 4030 Lincoln Way East at 10 a.m.
The library will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It will be closed on Sundays.
The Perry Heights branch at 4001 13th St. S.W. was destroyed by arson June 8.
Several people, such as Marian Sutton, who works in the technical services department at the main branch library, spent Monday morning unloading boxes and placing library materials on shelves at the Perry branch.
Sutton is one of several library employees who has divided her time between her regular library branch and assisting at the Perry branch.
``There is such a need in this community to have their library back,'' she said. ``I really like this site, and I just want to do anything I can to help.''
The lease for the new 3,000-square-foot location is good for 18 months, said Edlyn Theiss, associate director for branch services.
``This seemed like the best site,'' she said. ``Library patrons will be able to find all the things they were used to finding at the old Perry site.''
Theiss had been working at the library only a few weeks when the June fire destroyed nearly 50,000 library items.
``I watched it burn,'' she said. ``It still gives me chills.''
Shirley Rembert, branch manager at the Perry and Jackson township sites, said the transitional location will house about 10,000 library items -- books, CDs and videos -- versus the 58,000 items that were available at the old site.
``Even though we'll have a smaller collection, people will still have access to Internet information and online databases,'' she said.
Rembert said library officials are planning to build a state-of-the-art facility at an undetermined location.
``We would like it to be at least 12,000 square feet,'' she said. ``We were growing and becoming crowded'' at the previous 8,000-square-foot library.
Less than a week after the June fire, the bookmobile, which held 2,000 library items, was stationed in the branch parking lot. It had been serving residents on a limited basis.
Librarian Vickie Colangelo, who has operated the bookmobile along with Susan Massie, a children's librarian, said it will be bittersweet to say goodbye to the bookmobile.
``I won't miss not having a bathroom,'' she said laughing. ``But it's kind of a weird feeling to know it's going to be gone. It's been home.''
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Karalee Miller can be reached at 330-478-6000 (Ext.18) or kmiller@thebeaconjournal.com