Canfield woman to lead urban branches initiative for Library

“My vision is having the kinds of services that change people’s lives,” said Anne Liller, new manager of Urban Branches for the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. Liller believes that every visit to a library has the potential to be life-changing. Moreover, she is hoping that, in the newly created position, she will not only watch those changes occur, she will reach out to become a catalyst to change lives.

Two new library branches now under construction will be a part of this urban initiative. The Library expects to open its new city branches, East and Newport, later this year. The East branch is located at the corner of East High Avenue and Early Road. The Newport Branch is located at the corner of Market Street and Midlothian Boulevard. Other branches under Liller’s supervision are the West branch, along with Struthers, Campbell and Brownlee Woods.

The Library received a grant of $40,000 from the Raymond John Wean Foundation to assist with this new urban library initiative.
“This new position was created to address growing needs of residents and leaders in rebuilding our urban core,” said Library Director Carlton A. Sears. “The city of Youngstown has been rebuilding over the last several years and addressing changes in demographics and work trends. The Library, an institution deeply engrained in the community, recognizes a need for a librarian to further enhance our community connections and become actively engaged in the public we serve with our urban branches.”

Liller will work extensively with educational, cultural, religious and civic organizations to create more awareness of the many Library services that may be of value to their members. However, she hopes to take the position one step further.

“We can be a clearinghouse for information for the community to make people more aware of our services,” she said, “but we can be so much more. I would like to be able to not only connect people with Library services, but also help connect them with other community organizations and services that would fit their needs.

“People come into our libraries and experience a change. Then, those same people go out into the community and take with them that change. They will interact with others and be an encouragement by example. This snowballs and the whole community benefits,” she added.

Sears has a similar vision: “This position has the potential to systemically change the way the Library interacts with the community by ensuring that the vast array of individuals working to better the urban core will take full advantage of the programs and services available through the public library. With the knowledge and experience Mrs. Liller gains as Urban Branch Manager, she will better be able to assist in the development of Library policies, programs, collections, and hours of operation to serve this population.”

“When we set about searching for an individual to fill this position, we sought a person with an in-depth understanding of library programs and services who also had a passion for the betterment of Mahoning County’s urban core. The manager needs to become actively engaged in the urban community, while also managing branches that serve its population,” Sear said.

“With her knowledge of our library system and her involvement in the community which is already in place, we believe that Anne Liller is uniquely qualified to fill this important position,” Sears noted.
Liller began working at the Library in 1986 as a work/study employee, working toward her master’s of library science degree. She has been a librarian since 1988, most recently working at the Boardman Library.

In 2003-04, she was one of 70 people nationally to participate in the Urban Library Council’s Executive Leadership Institute, an intensive 10-month program. During that time, she began networking with community organizations in many ways, including: partnering with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program through Youngstown State University to bring more tax counseling programs into the Library, partnering with the Original Visiting Nurse Association of Mahoning County to provide blood pressure screenings in urban branches, and participating in Project Opportunity for adult new readers. She is a former volunteer for Help Hotline Crisis Center and currently serves as board president for both Help Hotline and Mahoning Valley Dispute Resolution Services.

She plans to work with these partnerships and develop many more. “The Library can be a clearinghouse of information for the urban community. I will reach out to make our patrons aware of the variety of services that may benefit them,” she said.
Liller admitted she has always felt a strong affinity to the Youngstown area, where she has lived for the past 30 years. “Youngstown is unique and our urban libraries will reflect the uniqueness of our area.”

Liller believes that libraries truly do change lives and she is looking forward to taking a more active role in the life-changing process with this position.
She and her husband live in Canfield and have three children and two grandchildren.