After more than eight years of reimagining what the future would look like for the Stark Library system, reality has replaced reimagining with the last phase of the project in progress and a projected end date in sight.
The project started with Phase 1 in the summer of 2017, with building a new library in Jackson Township and doing major building updates to all of the branches. North, East Canton, Madge Youtz, Perry Sippo, DeHoff Memorial and Lake Community all received updates. This phase officially finished in early 2023.
Phase 2, or Re|Imagine 2.0, then began with designing a new main library and a new operations center for downtown Canton. Mary Ellen Icaza, CEO and executive director, and Danielle Attar, director of marketing and communications, recently talked with the Hartville News about the progress of Phase 2, starting with the services the new main library will offer.
Icaza said, “The updates are important and benefit the community in several ways, plus it fulfills our mission of advancing literacy, connecting people and encouraging exploration, and I find that to be exactly what Stark Library is all about.”
Stark Main Library reimagined: The new 30,000-square-foot operations center is almost ready and projected to open in mid-December 2025. The new building is located close to the main library on Cleveland Avenue, across the street from Heggy’s Nut Shop. It will be used for a number of things, including the library’s mobile services, maintenance team, technology services and receiving mail. The center will serve all 10 library locations throughout the county.
The reimagined library will be 70,000 square feet with three floors, and while it will be located in the parking area of the old library, the address remains 715 Market Ave. N. HBM Architects from Cleveland designed the new buildings. Icaza said the firm has a long history of designing libraries and has worked on all of the Phase 1 Re|Imagine projects.
Icaza said, “All three floors of the new building will be open to visitors. There are offices on the third floor, but there will also be a large meeting room that can accommodate up to 150 people. We renamed the genealogy department to Family and Local History, and it will be located on the third floor.”
The cost of the new library and the operations center is $66 million. According to Icaza, funding has come from several sources, including the library’s capital fund, a capital fundraising campaign called the Front Porch Campaign, and multiple grants, including the recent $10,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. It was received as recognition of the historic Canton Public Library, which opened in 1905 as one of 104 Carnegie libraries built in Ohio.
Groundbreaking for the new library building is planned for spring 2026 with a projected opening in the summer of 2028. Some of the services provided will include an interactive children’s play and learning area, large meeting rooms, collaborative workspaces, rooftop terrace, maker studio, community stairway for gatherings, new technologies such as a recording studio for podcasts and music, green space between the library and operations center, and a children’s music garden and much more.
Icaza said, “There will also be a digitization area where families can digitize family photos and other uses, and private studios for tutors. Plus, the building has many windows versus the cement walls of the old library.”
Stark Library’s temporary location: The old library closed in late August, and all of the books, employees, computers and other services were moved to a building at 1020 Market Ave. N. in downtown Canton. The building was the Nationwide Insurance building through 2019 and had been empty until the library temporarily located in half of the building.
Icaza said, “This temporary location is open. The entrance is located at 11th Street and Market. We rent half the building covering two floors. With the building being so large, we can offer the same services we did in the other building.”
Attar added, “We were fortunate enough to get a building that size in pretty much the same area as the other library building.”
Saying goodbye to the old library
The old library was closed to the public for good in August 2025. Site preparation for the demolition of the building will begin soon.
The library held a special closing event to allow patrons to see the old library one more time before closing its doors.
“The day we closed the building, we held an event there one last time because there are a lot of people who have a strong connection to that building. It has been the main library in that location since 1978,” said Icaza.
When the old building is demolished, the area will be used for a paved parking lot for the new building.
Updates to Lake Community Library
There were many updates made to the Lake Community Library in 2023 as part of the Re|Imagine Project. Icaza said after those improvements were completed, the branch saw a 26% increase in usage.
“We added two more study rooms in that upgrade, and the branch has reported 100 reservations for the rooms in the first year after the upgrade.”
Other updates included a quiet space, a meeting room, new furniture, new carpet and a more accessible entrance.
Hello to the future
Both Icaza and Attar are excited about the future and all of the new features of the reimagined Stark Library.
Each had their favorite new services in the new building. Icaza mentioned she is most excited about many new features, such as the interactive children’s play and learning area for caregivers and children to engage and have fun; the outdoor green spaces for people to enjoy; and the windows lining all three floors of the building because they will be so transformative.
Attar is looking forward to the green spaces, especially in a city environment, where people can have picnics on the grass and sit outside; the community staircase will be exciting for scheduled meetings or casual meetings; and she is also excited about the interactive children’s play and learning area.
“The children’s play area will be great for the colder weather days for parents, grandparents and caregivers to visit and have a blast with the kids. I’m excited about the amazing energy the new features will generate for Stark County,” Attar said.
