Cleveland Public Library

Cleveland Public Library Visit us at www.cpl.org We are the "People’s University," the center of learning for a diverse and inclusive community.
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To be the best urban library system in the country by providing access to the worldwide information that people and organizations need in a timely, convenient, and equitable manner.

In observance of Labor Day, all Cleveland Public Library locations will be closed Monday, September 7.The Library is sti...
09/06/2026

In observance of Labor Day, all Cleveland Public Library locations will be closed Monday, September 7.

The Library is still just a click away! Access our digital resources anytime.

🌈 A roundup of photos by Bridget Caswell Photography from Sapphic Night at The Stallion - Leather Stallion Saloon. These...
09/04/2026

🌈 A roundup of photos by Bridget Caswell Photography from Sapphic Night at The Stallion - Leather Stallion Saloon. These images will be joining our Photograph Collection as part of Indelible, a year-long initiative to update and expand the collection in collaboration with LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

For more information and to get involved with the project, visit cpl.org/indelible

This week’s Cleveland 230 honorees left a lasting mark that can still be felt today.Their contributions shaped Cleveland...
09/04/2026

This week’s Cleveland 230 honorees left a lasting mark that can still be felt today.

Their contributions shaped Cleveland, improved lives and created change that continues far beyond our city.

This week’s honorees are:

#116 John P. Green - He was the first Black person elected to public office in Cleveland, and as a state senator introduced legislation to create a statewide Labor Day.

#117 Frank Ray Walker and Harry E. Weeks - Their architectural firm designed many of Cleveland’s most iconic early buildings, including Severance Hall and the main Cleveland Public Library.

#118 Inez Killingsworth - She founded Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People to help Cleveland residents keep their houses during the foreclosure crisis of the early 2000s.

#119 William H. Brett - While serving Cleveland Public Library’s chief librarian for 34 years, he greatly expanded book access by striking down barriers of age, language and distance.

#120 Elizabeth Mather and Roberta Holden Bole - They helped establish the Cleveland Botanical Garden and Holden Arboretum, broadening access to green space for generations of Clevelanders.

#121 Sisters of Charity - They were Cleveland’s first public health nurses, arriving in 1851 to establish hospitals, orphanages, a nursing school and many more community resources.

#122 Garrett Morgan - He was an inventor and businessman best known for inventing early versions of the gas mask and traffic signal.

Learn more about this week’s Cleveland 230 honorees and explore the full list at cpl.org/cle230.

: Look for the union label! 🧵 As we enter Labor Day Weekend, here's a reminder that weekends, fairer pay, and safer job...
09/03/2026

: Look for the union label! 🧵

As we enter Labor Day Weekend, here's a reminder that weekends, fairer pay, and safer jobs come from hard-fought union battles.

The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) played a major role in Cleveland's labor history, organizing massive strikes in 1911 and 1918 to improve conditions for the city's thousands of garment workers. It was one of the largest U.S. labor unions and one of the first with a membership consisting mostly of women.

The Cleveland ILGWU dedicated its Ohio-Kentucky regional headquarters and health center, pictured here, at 3233 Euclid Avenue in 1951.

SCL002699: Buildings-ILGWU (1951).

We really do love Library Card Sign-Up Month. 📚❤️Help us celebrate! Get a library card, tell a friend and spread the lib...
09/01/2026

We really do love Library Card Sign-Up Month. 📚❤️

Help us celebrate! Get a library card, tell a friend and spread the library love!

08/31/2026

Summer’s winding down, but the fun isn’t over yet. 😎 Come kick back with us at The Cool Down!

Free food, carnival fun & more. 🎉
Register at clevelandreads.com

Cleveland. 1928. The Statler Hotel. And a meeting of Mafia leaders. 👀Hear the story behind Cleveland’s 1928 Mafia Summit...
08/31/2026

Cleveland. 1928. The Statler Hotel. And a meeting of Mafia leaders. 👀

Hear the story behind Cleveland’s 1928 Mafia Summit with author and historian Don Billie at our Rockport Campus.

Have you noticed different colored flags waving above Main Library? 👀We're partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protec...
08/29/2026

Have you noticed different colored flags waving above Main Library? 👀

We're partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Flag Program to help raise awareness about local air quality. Each day, the flag color reflects the Air Quality Index (AQI), making it easy to see whether the air is healthy or if extra precautions may be needed.

Next time you’re downtown, look up at Main Library and check the color of the flag!

Not downtown? You can check current air quality and weather conditions from across our network anytime at cpl.org/weather-network.

We’re continuing this week’s Cleveland 230 honorees by recognizing those who stood against racism.Across generations, th...
08/28/2026

We’re continuing this week’s Cleveland 230 honorees by recognizing those who stood against racism.

Across generations, these honorees have helped create change, from fighting for freedom and breaking barriers to advancing racial equity today.

Our next seven honorees are:

#109 Charles Chesnutt - An author, essayist, political activist and lawyer, he is best known for his novels and short stories examining race issues.

#110 The Ford and Cozad Families - The Fords and Cozads played a key role in Cleveland’s abolitionist movement, helping enslaved people obtain freedom.

#111 John Brown - He is considered Cleveland’s last stationmaster on the Underground Railroad.

#112 Ione Biggs - One of the first black women hired by Cleveland police, she was an activist who challenged bigotry and discrimination in all its forms.

#113 Donald and Norma Freeman - They fought for Black liberation and published the political/cultural periodical Vibrations from the 1960s to the 2020s.

#114 John Mercer Langston - He became Ohio’s first Black lawyer in 1854, and was a leading abolitionist and political activist who achieved many more firsts.

#115 Chinenye Nkemere - She is the Principal at Enlightened Solutions, a think tank advancing racial + gender justice through systems change research.

Learn more about this week’s Cleveland 230 honorees and explore the full list at cpl.org/cle230.

This week’s Cleveland 230 honorees built bridges between communities.Their work has helped create spaces for Clevelander...
08/28/2026

This week’s Cleveland 230 honorees built bridges between communities.

Their work has helped create spaces for Clevelanders to connect, be heard and feel a sense of belonging.

This week’s honorees are:

#102 Lee C. Shapiro - As director of the Cleveland Regional Office of American Jewish Committee, she strengthened the organization’s impact by cultivating interfaith and intergroup relationships.

#103 Khalid Samad - He co-founded Peace in the Hood, and served as a youth gang intervention specialist for the city of Cleveland and its school district.

#104 Marie Toledo - She is an advocate, speaker and culture expert who has dedicated herself to making sure Native Americans are included in Northeast Ohio’s arts and culture network.

#105 Tom Turkaly - He is executive director of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation, a local landmark that pays tribute to Cleveland’s diversity.

#106 Johnny K. Wu - Filmmaker Johnny K. Wu creates community linkages through his advocacy work, board memberships and as co-founder of the Cleveland Asian Festival

#107 Felicia C. Haney - A writer and owner of Beech Street Publicity, she co-founded Rebel Readers book club to break down barriers and encourage Clevelanders to read together.

#108 Allison Luckacsy-Love - She is an architect, city planner, and civic innovator shaping Greater Cleveland through community-centered design.

And we’re not done yet! It’s a Cleveland 230 double feature, so check back later today as we recognize seven more honorees.

Learn more and explore the full list at cpl.org/cle230.

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325 Superior Ave E
Cleveland, OH
44114-1205

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Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm

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