YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County announced it’s changing hours at its Newport Branch and extending hours at its Michael Kusalaba Branch.
Starting Tuesday, the Newport Branch will be open Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesday and Thursday, the branch will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 a.m.
For the Michael Kusalaba Branch, the temporary hours announced in August have been extended. Currently, they are:
- Monday and Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Wednesday through Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Michael Kusalaba Branch hour changes came as a result of a security incident in July. The library system said that on July 25, a person with a sword came into the Michael Kusalaba branch and verbally threatened staff and bystanders. Library workers immediately notified the police and moved patrons to a safe location.
The person with the sword entered a restroom and locked the door, the library said. When Youngstown police arrived, they disarmed the individual, who then voluntarily left the location. He was then found at the main branch, where he was taken into custody.
“Our branch staff and security personnel acted commendably in a very tense and potentially dangerous situation. I am incredibly proud of our team for their exemplary response,” said PLYMC Director and CEO Aimee Fifarek in a statement.
The library system said the times were selected to ensure the most staffing during the day.
“PLYMC will evaluate the effectiveness of these revised hours and decide on their continuation later,” the library system said in a statement. “The library will also conduct a comprehensive, system-wide security review across all locations.”
Lydia Taylor
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