Cleveland Public Library celebrated its 150
th year of service in 2019, but don’t expect some musty, dusty old building and rows of card catalogues.
The historical Main Library was restored to its former glory in the late 90s, after painstaking attention to the building’s architectural integrity and aesthetic.
Around the same time, the entirely new, 11-story Louis Stokes Wing was built right next to the Main Library. This modern addition to the CPL family houses over 30 miles of bookshelves (about 1.3 million books) and is decked out with all the latest electronic resources, making CPL more relevant and vital to the community than ever.
What You’ll See & Do There
- A library as special as CPL is always going to be something more, and the amazing exhibits that are on display during the year surely set it apart from your everyday public library.
- The Cleveland Museum of Art has partnered with the library on a program that encourages high school students to curate their own art galleries which are then displayed at the library for up to three months at a time.
- CPL also features an ever-evolving lineup of multimedia exhibits it curates itself with engaging topics like “The World of Puppets: From Stage to Screen” or a celebration of Cleveland’s most famous export: “Superman: From Cleveland to Krypton.”
- As mentioned above, the Louis Stokes wing features some of the best cutting-edge technology you’ll find in a library anywhere.
- Their TechCentral learning center boasts a laundry list of technology-based education and services, from computer tutorials to the unbelievably cool MakerSpace decked out with 3D printers, scanners, vinyl and laser fabrication, as well as music, audio and video production tools.
- CPL has leveled-up their youth services program to embrace the growing influence of gaming culture with community eSports tournaments for the most popular games in the competitive scene, as well as casual gaming events and workshops that help gamers build connections with one another.
- Libraries today provide a variety of social services to its community, and CPL is no different, offering:
- Services for educators, legal and financial clinics, career development and more.
- Maps, travel guides, passport services and even language learning materials are available for travelers in need of a little assistance.