WARREN — After serving the past 17 years as director of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library and spending 37 years in the library field, Jim Wilkins has retired to begin the next chapter of his life.

“I will miss this library and the people,” he said.

In November 2008, Wilkins began his career at the library as the director / fiscal officer, handling the duties of both positions for 17 years.

Wilkins said he graduated from college with an accounting degree and had passed the CPA test, but after doing that work, he decided he wanted to do something else.

He started at the Barberton Library in 1988 as a fiscal officer.

“After working there for a while, I liked the atmosphere of a library and decided to go back to college to get my library degree. I knew working at a library is what I could do for a living,” Wilkins said.

He earned a master’s degree from Kent State University and then served as a library director at a small library in Bucyrus.

Wilkins said he liked seeing the public interacting with the library staff and being able to assist people at the reference desk.

He said in the spring of 2009, the economy crashed and Gov. Ted Strickland decided one of the ways to balance the budget was to cut library funding by 50%.

“Libraries fought him on this and it came down to 30%, but even a 30% cut in a year is tough,” Wilkins said

He said as a result, 30 people in the library system took early retirement or were laid off. Wilkins said library hours were reduced.

“It was a rough time for libraries,” he said.

NEW LIBRARIES

In 2012, the new Cortland Library branch was built and the former location was sold to what is now an accounting firm. He said in 2016, a piece of property owned by Brookfield schools had a house torn down on it and offered it for sale to the library since it was next to the library property.

Wilkins said an addition was made to the Brookfield Library that included a meeting room and activity area. In 2019, the library system passed a 0.4-mill levy and 2020 was the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic

“That was like ‘Wow!’ It seems like it was just last year,” he said.

He said the library closed and then staff spent time making necessary adaptations in order to reopen almost two months later with all health safety protocols in place.

“We knew there would be ups and downs, but we got through it,” Wilkins said.

He said during the pandemic, plans were made to begin a major $7 million addition, extension and remodeling project at the main library near downtown Warren, but the pandemic delayed the project.

“We had to wait because construction companies were not working. We put the project out for bid in 2021-22 and soon the work began and was completed in August 2022. The project was able to be finished early and on budget,” Wilkins said.

The project was done by Vendric of Brookfield.

Wilkins said the Brookfield Library Branch in 2023 also received a redo after a water pipe at the library broke over Christmas when the library was closed for the holidays.

He said staff found the library saturated with water when it reopened after the holidays, and major work needed to be done.

In 2025, the new Eastwood Mall branch opened.

Wilkins said he is always pleased when the public comments on the many different and varied speakers the library has been able to bring in.

“I remember someone wanted to speak on the history of potato chips. I wasn’t sure what to expect but there were more than 100 people who showed up. It is amazing what people will go to hear about. The staff comes up with the ideas of what they feel people will want to see,” Wilkins said.

MISS PEOPLE

Wilkins said what he will miss the most is the people, including the staff and the public.

“I have been so lucky to have the greatest staff and the greatest board of trustees. They were fantastic to work with. They allowed me to bring ideas to them,” he said.

Wilkins said he oversaw a staff of 120 at all branches.

He said under his tenure, a second bookmobile was purchased and both are able to reach out more and more into different communities.

“I always remembered I would get a call to come downstairs if there was a concern or problem with a customer but when I would go downstairs I would talk with that person and address the situation and then we would all laugh,” he said.

Wilkins said he should write a book about all the things they didn’t teach you in library school, especially the questions and unusual situations with dealing with patrons.

The new library director is Kim Garrett, who replaced Wilkins earlier this month.

“I told the board when I announced my retirement that I have been working with KIm and told them she would make a great director. They interviewed people and after all was said and done, they hired Kim,” he said.

RETIREMENT PLANS

Wilkins said he is looking at doing public service people-related work whether in the schools or a hospital.

He said his wife, Judy, who is retired from nursing, has encouraged him to find something to do with his time.

Wilkins said he and his wife will travel, read and spend more time doing hobbies like building models such as a sailing vessel. The staff will celebrate with Wilkins on his retirement Dec. 6.