Cleveland Public Library offers full service at the drive-up window located at the rear of the Louis Stokes Wing on Rockwell Avenue, just west of East 6th Street.
Use the drive-up window to check out and return books, magazines, and audio/video recordings–even to sign up for a library card! You can have books and other materials sent to the drive-up window for pick-up by selecting “CLEVELAND Main Drive-Up Window” when placing a reserve in the Library’s online catalog. Otherwise, patrons may phone ahead to any of the Main Library subject departments and request that library materials be sent to the drive-up window (please allot enough time for library staff to bring your materials to the drive-up window).
Drive-Up Window
Day of the Week | Hours |
Monday – Friday | 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. |
Saturday | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. |
Sunday | Closed |
There are on-street parking meters available on East 6th between St. Clair and Superior (including designated handicapped spaces) and nearby paid parking garages.
History
The Main Library in downtown Cleveland consists of the historic Main Library Building built in 1925 and renovated in 1999; the Louis Stokes Wing completed in 1997; and the Eastman Reading Garden located between the two buildings. The two buildings and the garden take up an entire city block on Superior Avenue between East 3rd Street and East 6th Street. The Main Library’s Subject Departments are divided between the two buildings.
Cleveland Public Library first opened as a “Public School Library” for the Cleveland Board of Education in 1869. It was the first large public library to allow people to select their own books directly from its bookshelves. For 56 years, the Library was in a series of temporary and rented spaces. In 1925, Main Library opened to the public in a new building designed by the Cleveland architectural firm of Walker & Weeks. The new Main Library proved to be immensely popular: The original estimate of 5,000 daily users was soon eclipsed; by the early 1930s, more than 12,000 individuals walked through the doors every day.
By the 1950s, the Main Library’s collection had tripled in size and the Library was short on space. In November 1957, voters approved a $3 million bond issue for the Library to purchase and renovate the six-story building that was the former location of The Plain Dealer.
The succeeding decades were difficult times for both Cleveland and its public library system. Increased migration to the suburbs led to a decline in the city’s population and resources. During this time, circulation at the Main Library and its neighborhood branches declined dramatically; from a high of 10,374,652 in 1932 to 3,402,050 in 1970. Funds for the purchase of new books and materials, as well as for the maintenance of library buildings decreased.
The last quarter of the 20th century has seen dramatic improvements in the Library’s fortunes. Due to the vision and perseverance of key staff and influential directors, the Library not only reversed its downward trend but became strongly positioned to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In 1975, the library built and renovated neighborhood branches while streamlining the Library’s operations. By 1981, the card catalog was fully computerized.
By the late 1980s, after the Library had completed the renovation of its neighborhood branches, attention turned to the Main Library downtown, where outmoded mechanical and electrical systems were posing a hazard to the public, the staff, and the collections. In November 1991, by a 71% majority, voters approved a $90 million bond issue to go forward with a plan for collection preservation, new technology, and renovation.
An entirely new downtown building was dedicated on April 12, 1997. With eleven floors, including the lower level, the new 267,000-square-foot building has more than 30 miles of bookshelves–enough for 1.3 million books and is equipped with the latest electronic resources. The new building is named for Cleveland native Louis Stokes, who, in 1968, became the first African-American elected to the U.S. Congress from Ohio. During his illustrious career, Representative Stokes helped found the Congressional Black Caucus, and he became the first black member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. He was re-elected fourteen times before retiring in 1998.
The $24 million renovations of the landmark Main Building called for a sensitivity to the building’s architectural integrity while incorporating new technologies. Electrical, plumbing, and ventilation systems were replaced. Modern fire safety systems, including sprinklers, were installed, and trenches were cut into the cement floors to accommodate wiring for new computer and electrical equipment. New mechanical machinery was placed out of sight in the basement, returning its court to an uncluttered and light-filled state. As part of the architects’ goal of returning the building to its original luster, historic ceiling finishes were restored, the exterior marble was cleaned, historical light fixtures were restored and rewired, decorative metalwork was repaired and polished, and the original leather doors were rejuvenated. For the first time in decades, the Main Building’s historic spaces and architectural details can be fully appreciated, while featuring many technological advances and conveniences.
Demonstrating the Library’s continuing support for the visual arts, the Library Board commissioned a substantial collection of permanent art to be included in the buildings and garden. Thirteen artists of local and national reputation created original art for the Main Library, the Louis Stokes Wing and the Eastman Reading Garden. Selected by a jury coordinated with the Committee for Public Art, the artworks are significant additions to the Library’s and the city’s artistic heritage. The new art at the Main Library was made possible largely by generous grants from Cleveland foundations, corporations, and nonprofit groups.
Today, the Cleveland Public Library circulates one of the largest and most extensive collections in the country, boasting close to ten million items.
Main Weather
- Temperature: 39° F
- Wind Speed: 12.5mph
- Wind Direction: W
- Daily Rain (Inches): 0
- Barometric Pressure: 29.4
Last updated: Wednesday, April 24 2024 4:07 pm
Events and Exhibitions
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Wednesday, April 24 | 12 am
Art from the Heart and Soul
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – ForLit Gallery/Classroom
Sister Milunka Pejoska creates and draws original pencil artwork from her subconscious imaginaation. This exhibit in the International Languages Art Gallery will run from January10 – June 10, 2024.
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Wednesday, April 24 | 11 am
My Digital Life: Google Docs Part 2
Main Library (Downtown), 2nd Floor – Conference C
Google Docs effectively create, collaborate, and share documents within a small group or business. Using NorthStar materials, get a fundamental view of how you can put this tool to work for you. As a prerequisite, students must come to class with a Google or Gmail account previously prepared.
Part 2 of 2. Participants should be comfortable with a mouse and keyboard.
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Wednesday, April 24 | 12:30 pm
Movie Hangout
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – Room 477 – Storytime Room
Stop by and enjoy a movie and games.
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Wednesday, April 24 | 3 pm
April Artists
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – Room 477 – Storytime Room
Calling all artists! Come get creative with paint and canvases & submit your artwork to our “April Artists” gallery for display throughout the week.
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Thursday, April 25 | 12 am
Art from the Heart and Soul
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – ForLit Gallery/Classroom
Sister Milunka Pejoska creates and draws original pencil artwork from her subconscious imaginaation. This exhibit in the International Languages Art Gallery will run from January10 – June 10, 2024.
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Thursday, April 25 | 11 am
My Digital Life Word Workshop
Main Library (Downtown), 2nd Floor – Conference C
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Thursday, April 25 | 3 pm
April Artists
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – Room 477 – Storytime Room
Calling all artists! Come get creative with paint and canvases & submit your artwork to our “April Artists” gallery for display throughout the week.
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Friday, April 26 | 12 am
Art from the Heart and Soul
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – ForLit Gallery/Classroom
Sister Milunka Pejoska creates and draws original pencil artwork from her subconscious imaginaation. This exhibit in the International Languages Art Gallery will run from January10 – June 10, 2024.
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Friday, April 26 | 3 pm
April Artists
Online Event presented by Main Library – Downtown
Calling all artists! Come get creative with paint and canvases & submit your artwork to our “April Artists” gallery for display throughout the week.
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Saturday, April 27 | 12 am
Art from the Heart and Soul
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – ForLit Gallery/Classroom
Sister Milunka Pejoska creates and draws original pencil artwork from her subconscious imaginaation. This exhibit in the International Languages Art Gallery will run from January10 – June 10, 2024.
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Saturday, April 27 | 10 am
CPL PLAY
Main Library (Downtown), 2nd Floor – Learning Commons
Welcome to CPL PLAY where Cleveland Public Library celebrates games culture!
ACCESS → It’s all FREE and open to the public. There is no charge to attend, spectate, or compete.
COMMUNITY → Connect with fellow gamers. Network with Northeast Ohio’s community centered in games culture, including local game developers, business owners, and more.
ACHIEVEMENT → Level up to earn recognition through gameplay and compete in local esports events.What’s new in 2024?
Expanded access to new technology and new ways to play, more guests, and new workshops and presentations.
All CPL PLAY events now feature both FREE PLAY and VERSUS PLAY elements.FREE PLAY puts the focus on new gaming experiences and includes everything from video games to board games.
VERSUS PLAY is competitive gaming, live-streamed events, and esports coverage.Whether you’re a competitor, spectator, enthusiast, or a casual fan, there’s more for you at CPL PLAY!
Visit cpl.org/gaming for more info and a calendar of events. -
Saturday, April 27 | 4 pm
Poetry Reading: Stephanie Ginese and Taylor Byas
Main Library (Downtown), 2nd Floor – Literature Department
Join the Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library for a National Poetry Month reading featuring authors Stephanie Ginese (Lorain) and Taylor Byas (Cincinnati).
About the readers:
Stephanie Ginese is an author, instructor, and stand-up comedian from South Lorain, Ohio. Her debut collection of poetry, Unto Dogs, was released in July of 2022 on Grieveland. She is currently the inaugural writer-in-residence at ATNSC and a 2023 Cleveland Arts Prize recipient. She lives in Cleveland with her two children. She can be found at www.sginese.com.
Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. is a Black Chicago native currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is an Assistant Features Editor for The Rumpus, an Acquisitions Poetry Editor for Variant Literature, a member of the Beloit Poetry Journal Editorial Board, and a 2023-24 National Book Critics Emerging Fellow. She is the 1st place winner of the 2020 Poetry Super Highway, the 2020 Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets Contest, and the 2021 Adrienne Rich Poetry Prize. She is the author of the chapbook Bloodwarm from Variant Lit, a second chapbook, Shutter, from Madhouse Press, and her debut full-length, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times from Soft Skull Press, which won the 2023 Maya Angelou Book Award and is shortlisted for the 2023 Chicago Review of Books Award in Poetry. She is also a coeditor of The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol X: Alabama, forthcoming from Texas Review Press, and Poemhood: Our Black Revival, a YA anthology forthcoming from HarperCollins.
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Monday, April 29 | 12 am
Art from the Heart and Soul
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – ForLit Gallery/Classroom
Sister Milunka Pejoska creates and draws original pencil artwork from her subconscious imaginaation. This exhibit in the International Languages Art Gallery will run from January10 – June 10, 2024.
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Monday, April 29 | 11 am
TechCentral MakerMonday Small Business Development Laser Engraved Products
Main Library (Downtown), 2nd Floor – Conference C
Join TechCentral's Makers as we explore using the equipment in MakerSpace to create some cool projects. Patrons will meet in a classroom for a focused lesson on using the featured equipment. These focused projects will guide you through selecting, designing, and making our themed project for the day.
Patrons will participate in the event’s activities and complete the designated project.
The class size is limited to 10 individuals, and registration is required due to limited materials.
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Tuesday, April 30 | 12 am
Art from the Heart and Soul
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – ForLit Gallery/Classroom
Sister Milunka Pejoska creates and draws original pencil artwork from her subconscious imaginaation. This exhibit in the International Languages Art Gallery will run from January10 – June 10, 2024.
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Tuesday, April 30 | 11 am
My Digital Life Excel Workshop
Main Library (Downtown), 2nd Floor – Conference C
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Tuesday, April 30 | 3 pm
Exploring Our Collection – CPL’s Map Collection
Main Library (Downtown), 1st Floor – Brett Hall
Cleveland Public Library has over 161,000 maps, including local, national, international, and interstellar items! Our librarians will share some of our highlights of the Map Collection and help visitors find maps of their own interest. Departs from Brett Hall.
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Wednesday, May 1 | 12 am
Art from the Heart and Soul
Main Library (Downtown), 4th Floor – ForLit Gallery/Classroom
Sister Milunka Pejoska creates and draws original pencil artwork from her subconscious imaginaation. This exhibit in the International Languages Art Gallery will run from January10 – June 10, 2024.
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Wednesday, May 1 | 11 am
My Digital Life: Accessing Telehealth Appointements
Main Library (Downtown), Lower Level – TechCentral Department
Everything is going digital, including going to the doctor. Join our virtual students as we explore the topic of your online health using materials from NorthStar!
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Wednesday, May 1 | 12 pm
Cleveland Public Library’s Photography Club
Main Library (Downtown), 1st Floor – Brett Hall
Have you ever been inspired to pull out your camera when you're in Main Library? Or wished you had the chance to spend some time behind the scenes in our historic buildings? Or wished to build community around your photography hobby? Now's your chance!
Every other Wednesday this spring, meet in Brett Hall for a chance to capture the photos you wish you had thought to take on your last visit. Be inspired by our architecture, rare materials, artworks, and other hidden gems within the Library to build your photography portfolio. As the weather breaks, we will explore Downtown as well.