Cleveland Public Library

One of the great but hidden assets of the Cleveland Public Library is the CPL branch in Cleveland City Hall. The staff is extremely helpful in finding all things Cleveland and beyond. Many times their research ends up in opinions and legislation that change lives. Many times the development of an idea starts with research there. The monthly new acquistions reports keep the citizens informed of new information that can impact on our quality of life.

The glorious architecture of Brett Hall
The incomparable foreign film collection
Materials in 45 different languages
The Eastman Reading Garden (with my favorite spot next to the water)
The bronze sculptures outside the library
The mosaics in Louis Stokes Wing
The pig scultpure in Business, Economics, and Labor Department
The J.G. White special collections room--truly one of the most calming and beautiful spaces in Cleveland
The wealth of printed materials
The photograph collection and the map collection
The knowledgeable staff--if you need it, they can find it!

Gabriel Salenka, lately arrived from Europe, has the honor to inform the public that he has brought with him a dog, (trained by himself) who performs the most surprising feats of sagacity ever seen in this or any other place. The said Salenka, being blindfolded, takes a pack of Cards, and defires every one of the Company to choose one in their own minds...

This title goes on for 18 more lines!

M. Mullin

I've lived all over the country and this is truly the best public library system I've ever encountered. Better than New York! The selection of materials is phenomenal - CPL has plenty of popular material but is rightfully resisting the trend to become a "free Blockbuster" or "free Barnes & Noble" like so many libraries seem to be. I have wonderful memories of going to the downtown library with my father to pick up books for him to read in German. Now I go to the downtown library on weekends to pick up treasures like Harry Potter in French! CPL is truly the best kept secret in the Midwest, in my opinion. Thank you and keep up the good work!

SMILES ON MY PATRONS FACES WHEN THEY SEE ME.

EATING LUNCH IN THE GARDEN WITH MY FAVORITE COWORKERS.

POPULAR MAGAZINES (FASHION, HAIR, DECORATING).

ALL OF THE EXCITING BOOKS TO READ.

The CPL's Special Collections Department is an under-appreciated gem of Cleveland. In addition to the world-class collection of chess books, there is a phenomenal collection of books on art, travel, and exploration, including many rare volumes that are worth tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars (if they can even be found on the market at all). An example is a complete set of Edward Curtis's 20-volume North American Indian project, including the separate portfolios, worth over $1,000,000 and available to peruse just for asking. The librarians are top-notch, and always very helpful. I am often amazed at the quality of the collection, and very much appreciate having this resource available. CPL is a first-class library, and very much worthy of continued support.

the library is the only public place in cleveland that feels like home.

I appreciate the community programs that the CPL offers. Concerts and cultural activities for children are especially enjoyed. The staff in the branch library that I utilize are always courteous and helpful. I think being open late is helpful for persons who work days. Saturday & Sunday hours are good also.

Clev. Public is always beautifully maintained with wonderful special displays. The holdings are immense- it is a scholarly research institution in itself. For my Masters' research at JCU, I have found the newspapers on microfilm and the older journals at CPL indispensible.

Laura Peskin
Willoughby OH

As a large fan of the commercial airline industry, I love the library's large selection of books about the industry. It covers everything from the airplane manufacturers to the airline seating charts in the OAG. It's also nice to be able to check books out and read them in the Eastman Reading Garden or check email using its wifi.

I appreciate the huge collection of movies downtown on DVD. There is so much to pick from, plus I save a lot of money.

J. E. Williams

As a little girl, I have so many memories of going to story time at the Glenville Branch. We would go up into the loft with the winding staircase. It seemed like such a large staircase back then. I wish that it was still open to the public. It was such a magical experience and I know that it was part of the reason that I fell in love with reading!

K.A.

I love to read about the interesting articles about art, music, architecture and different types of special collections on the Fine Arts & Special Collections blog at http://www.cpl.org/finearts/ -- One of the most unusual stories that was posted was about a man who wrote chess books that are in the library collection - he was imprisoned for burglary, forgery, and then killed his mother when he escaped one day while on furlough to play in a chess tournament (he was recaptured after a few days). His name adds to the whole story, Claude Bloodgood.

Something about the wonderous collection of over-sized atlases (the elephant folios) from far flung parts of the world that has always made me feel like I'm the captain of great ship, ready to chart my next voyage into the great unknown. Better pack a big lunch.

I agree about the movies. I love the selection of foreign films. It helps me with my French!

I like the movie collection at my branch. The best thing is the librarian helps me order the ones they dont have. I dont know what I would do with out the library.

Good luck Mr. Thomas.

My favorite part of Cleveland Public Library is the rich archival collection of local history and artifacts. Clipping files, article archives, local genealogical resources and the phenomenal periodical collection spanning the arts and sciences.