The Friends of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (PLYMC) Bookstore and Gift Shop is proud to be a source of additional funds which benefit all of the public libraries in Mahoning County.

The store, which opened in 2003, is owned and operated by the Friends of the PLYMC, an independent organization comprised of volunteers who support the Library.

Fundraisers come in all shapes and sizes. The Library is fortunate to have a space such as the lower level of Poland Library to offer to its Friends for one of the largest Library fundraisers.

The bookstore certainly does have books – over 37,000 of them!

The spacious store, with 2,900 square feet, has ample space for both books and gifts. Books sit beside other items, such as stuffed animals, figurines of book characters and authors, and jewelry available for purchase as part of that fundraising effort. 

The Bookstore raises funds which benefit all libraries in Mahoning County. These funds have been used to support numerous events across the county, such as author visits and reading programs.

The books can be easily found on clearly labeled bookshelves. The store is well-organized, with separate sections for adults and children, reference materials, magazines, and audio-visual materials.

Why were gift items included? When the store was in the planning stages, volunteers gathered input from other libraries and discovered that gift items were important to customers and not only raised funds, but also brought in more customers.

The Library would like to offer a very special thank-you to the wonderful volunteers who give freely of their time to staff the store. The work of this auxiliary group is so important to the Library. We are gratified by our volunteers' support and enthusiasm. We see in their efforts, a love of libraries and recognition of the importance of libraries in their communities. The Library Board of Trustees, Director and staff hold these volunteers in high regard. To volunteer, contact: dliptak@libraryvisit.org

It is the hope of the Library and its Friends that all customers who walk through the doors of the Friends of PLYMC Store in Poland Library have a pleasant visit, find selections that make them happy, chat with the friendly volunteers, and leave with a desire to return. In doing so, they make libraries across the entire county stronger.

The Friends of the Library Bookstore, in Poland Library, has a large selection of gently worn and even brand new items at low prices. Stop by for great deals. Proceeds benefit the Library.