Our History
Dive into the rich history of Cleveland Public Library, a cornerstone of knowledge and community since its founding in 1869.
Cleveland Public Library (CPL) opened its doors on February 17, 1869, on the third floor of the Northrup & Harrington Block, on West Superior Avenue adjacent to the Board of Education. The first two floors would be later occupied by the Hower and Higbee department store. The Library opened with about 5,800 books in a space of 20 by 80 feet. To learn more about the Library’s history, check out Open Shelves, Open Minds: A History of the Cleveland Public Library by C.H. Cramer.
Over the Years
| 1853 | Ohio funds libraries in schools |
| 1869 | Public School Library becomes Cleveland Public Library |
| 1890 | First library of its size to offer open shelving |
| 1892 | CPL’s first branch opens near the West Side Market |
| 1898 | The first space dedicated to children opens at the Main Library |
| 1903 | CPL is one of the first libraries to lend Braille books to the blind |
| 1925 | Construction of Main Library completed |
| 1957 | Friends of Cleveland Public Library founded |
| 1975 | CPL begins transferring 5 million catalog cards to computer records |
| 1982 | CLEVNET consortium of libraries launches |
| 1997 | Louis Stokes Wing is dedicated |
| 2003 | CPL is the first library to offer e-books |
| 2012 | TechCentral opens with computers, tablets, and 3D printers |
| 2019 | · Cleveland Public Library celebrates its 150th Anniversary · Friends group transitions to the Cleveland Public Library Foundation · Facilities Master Plan kicks off the reimagination of all 27 branches |
| 2021 | CPL begins construction on six buildings: Hough, Jefferson, Lorain, West Park, and Woodland campuses as well as our Central Distribution Facility |
| 2022 | · CPL breaks ground on its Brooklyn, Eastman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rockport and Waltz buildings. · Reimagination of our Jefferson and Hough campuses completed · CPL receives $3.25 million grant for the creation of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Workforce and Senior Digital Innovation Center at our Glenville Branch · CPL unveils its Clark-Fulton Learning Center at our Fulton Branch in partnership with Verizon and JumpStart · CPL partners with CMSD to expand its student ID card to a Cleveland Public Library card and GCRTA pass for older students |
| 2023 | · Cleveland Public Library leads a city-wide reading campaign, achieving 1,476,215 books and 10, 699,118 minutes read · CPL breaks ground on its Glenville building · CPL completes the reimagination of our Lorain, West Park and Woodland campuses. A new Central Distribution Facility completed and moved from the Lakeshore facility to the Woodland campus |
| 2024 | CPL completes the reimagination of our Brooklyn, Eastman and Rockport campuses |
| 2025 | · CPL’s Main Library building celebrates its 100th anniversary and receives a coveted state historical marker · CPL opens its newly reimagined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. campus |
Take a Tour: Main Library
Take a FREE tour of our downtown Main Library campus and discover all that Cleveland Public Library has to offer!
Learn about the Library’s history, art and architecture; tour our cutting-edge Studio 525 and TechCentral department; explore our chess sets and miniature books in Special Collections; take in breathtaking city views on the tenth floor of the Louis Stokes Wing; tour our Photograph and Maps Collections; and much more.
Built for just less than $5 million, Main Library opened to the public on May 6, 1925. Its cornerstone contains a time capsule with documents relating to the construction of the Library and events that occurred in 1923. The Terrestrial Globe light fixture in the lobby features a recreation of a map by Leonardo da Vinci. Originally, not a stick of wood was used in the Main Library, except for the flagpole, due to a desire to make the building as fireproof as possible. It was all stone.
The downtown Main Library campus encompasses two large buildings – the Louis Stokes Wing, 525 Superior Avenue, and the historic Main Library, 325 Superior Avenue – connected via an underground passage.
- Tours are offered Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., subject to staff availability.
- Tours can accommodate groups of 5-15 guests (18 years and older).
- Smaller groups can take a self-guided tour with the help of our Top 10 Things to See @ Main Library.
- Larger groups should contact the Library at (216) 623-3420 or by email main.services@cpl.org.
- If you would like to arrange a tour for children under 18, or if you’re scheduling a tour on behalf of a school or youth organization, please visit our Schedule a Visit to Youth Services page.
- Most tours last between 90 minutes – 2 hours led by trained, knowledgeable staff.
- Allow approximately two hours if you hope to tour the entire downtown campus.
- Shorter tours are available, focused on select departments.
- All guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and expect a fair amount of walking.
- Cleveland Public Library is ADA-accessible; please make a note on your reservation request if any members of your party have mobility issues and/or require assistance.
- Reservations should be made at least one month in advance.
If you have additional questions, please call the Main Library Office at (216) 623-3420 or email main.services@cpl.org.
Top Ten Things to See at main library
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