A new leadership team and the opening of a new branch highlight the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library system’s commitment to community service and impact.
The W-TCPL saw a leadership transition in 2025 as Jim Wilkins retired after 17 years as executive director/fiscal officer and Kimberly Garrett was named to the position. Garrett joined the W-TCPL as deputy director in 2021, bringing strategic and operational leadership skills to the position. She has more than 16 years of experience in public libraries.
Following Garrett’s appointment, Jo Phillips was named W-TCPL deputy director. Phillips comes to the W-TCPL with experience from previous positions as a children’s librarian, a youth programming coordinator and a manager at several public libraries in Ohio.
The W-TCPL opened a new branch inside Eastwood Mall in Niles in September 2025, expanding the library system’s reach and accessibility. The Eastwood Mall Library is located in a 2,500-square-foot storefront in the JCPenney concourse.
“The new library in the Eastwood Mall gives our customers a convenient, easily accessible, and comfortable space to visit,” Garrett says. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with people who are already spending time in the mall and to offer our services in a welcoming new setting.”
Another highlight for the library system in 2025 was the introduction of a new collection of the Library of Things that includes nontraditional items like traffic cones, a wall stud finder and a cornhole game.
In 2026, W-TCPL is launching a three-year strategic plan to guide the system as it continues to develop services to meet the evolving needs and interests of the community.
The Warren-Trumbull County Public Library serves the Trumbull County community through libraries in Brookfield, Cortland, Eastwood Mall, Howland, Liberty, and Warren; a Bookmobile; Pop-Up Library; and Library-By-Mail service.
Digital content including e-books and movies and music can be streamed or downloaded and enjoyed on a smartphone or tablet at no cost with a library card through dedicated apps or through the library website at wtcpl.org.
