Remembering William H. Brett on the 100th Anniversary of His Death

August 24, 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of William Howard Brett, the renowned librarian who served as Director of Cleveland Public Library from 1884 to 1918. As a widely celebrated and respected leader in the library field, Brett’s legacy is enduring. He advocated for the “open shelf” system to bolster public access to library materials, vastly increased…

Benjamin Percy on Grit, Talent, and Telling a Story

Benjamin Percy Being Interviewed on Cleveland Public Library's Auditorium Stage

Benjamin Percy can find a lesson about storytelling just about anywhere. In a Batman comic? Of course. While watching Breaking Bad, Goldfinger, Die Hard, or Law & Order? Certainly. What about in the stories of Alice Munro or Flannery O’Connor, or in novels like Catcher in the Rye or Remains of the Day? You bet. While you’re at it, don’t…

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge Keynotes Panel Discussion on Ohio Workforce Development

Today, a panel of leading Ohioans will highlight how libraries address community workforce needs. The program, titled “Libraries Educate Today’s Workforce for Tomorrow’s Careers,” features keynote remarks from Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (OH-11). “Libraries are a fundamental part of our communities,” says Congresswoman Fudge. “They are not only information hubs, but also places of refuge for our teens, serve as shelter…

Policy on Web Accessibility

On June 19, 2018, the Board of Library Trustees voted to adopt a Policy on Web Accessibility. The Policy on Web Accessibility establishes standards for the accessibility of web-based information, resources, and services offered to patrons of Cleveland Public Library. The policy also sets forth a procedure by which the public can notify the Library of accessibility issues related to…

Cleveland Public Library Names SO-IL + JKurtz Winners of MLK Design Competition

The winning team proposed designing the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch around the concept of Dr. King’s “table of brotherhood.” The Cleveland Public Library Board of Trustees has announced SO-IL of Brooklyn, New York, and JKurtz Architects of Cleveland as the winning team in the design competition for the Library’s new Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch. During a special…

A Tribute to Dr. Motoko B. Yatabe Reece (November 4, 1926 – May 30, 2018)

Dr. Motoko Reece was a true gem of Cleveland Public Library. The legacy she built in Special Collections was to honor and enlighten the public of the collections established by John G. White back in 1899. Today, the White Collections of chess, the peoples and histories of Asia and folklore are world-renowned. Dr. Reece worked in the Fine Arts &…