Cuyahoga County Public Library

Cuyahoga County Public Library is a public library system serving Cuyahoga County, Ohio, with its headquarters located in Parma, Ohio. The library system was established in 1922, with the goal of providing access to literacy and information to the residents of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in collaboration with Ohio State Library and American Library Association. The library system has since grown to include 27 branches, serving a population of over 850,000 people, including residents of Cleveland, Ohio, Parma, Ohio, and Lakewood, Ohio. The library system is a member of CLEVNET, a consortium of public libraries in Northeast Ohio, which includes Cleveland Public Library, Akron-Summit County Public Library, and Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.

● History

The history of the library system dates back to 1922, when it was established as a county library system, with the support of Ohio General Assembly and National Endowment for the Arts. The library system has undergone significant changes over the years, including the introduction of bookmobiles in the 1950s, which allowed the library to reach rural areas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in partnership with United States Postal Service and Federal Highway Administration. In the 1980s, the library system began to automate its operations, with the introduction of online public access catalogs and circulation systems, developed by OCLC and Innovative Interfaces. The library system has also been recognized for its innovative services, including its e-media collection, which offers access to e-books, audiobooks, and streaming media, in collaboration with OverDrive, Inc. and Hoopla Digital.

● Services

The library system offers a wide range of services to its patrons, including lending services, reference services, and programming for adults, children, and teens, in partnership with Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The library system also offers interlibrary loan services, which allow patrons to borrow materials from other libraries, including Ohio State University Libraries and University of Michigan Library. In addition, the library system provides access to databases and online resources, including JSTOR, EBSCO Information Services, and ProQuest, which offer a wide range of academic journals, newspapers, and magazines, in collaboration with Gale and Oxford University Press. The library system also offers technology services, including public computers, Wi-Fi, and printing services, in partnership with Microsoft and Hewlett Packard.

● Branches

The library system has 27 branches, located throughout Cuyahoga County, Ohio, including branches in Cleveland, Ohio, Parma, Ohio, and Lakewood, Ohio. Each branch offers a unique collection of materials and services, including children's services, teen services, and adult services, in collaboration with Cuyahoga County Public Health and United Way of Greater Cleveland. The branches are also equipped with meeting rooms and study rooms, which are available for public use, in partnership with Cuyahoga County Planning Commission and Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency. The library system also offers outreach services to residents who are unable to visit a branch, including home delivery and deposit collections, in collaboration with National Federation of the Blind and American Red Cross.

● Collections

The library system has a diverse collection of materials, including books, audiobooks, e-books, magazines, newspapers, and databases, in partnership with Penguin Random House and Hachette Book Group. The collection includes materials for all ages, including children's literature, young adult literature, and adult fiction and nonfiction, in collaboration with Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and National Book Foundation. The library system also has a strong collection of local history and genealogy materials, including census records, newspaper archives, and family histories, in partnership with National Archives and Records Administration and Library of Congress. The library system also offers access to streaming media, including movies, music, and TV shows, in collaboration with Netflix and Hulu.

● Community_involvement

The library system is committed to community involvement, with a focus on literacy, education, and economic development, in partnership with Cuyahoga County Department of Development and Greater Cleveland Partnership. The library system offers a range of programs and services for children, teens, and adults, including storytime, book clubs, and job training, in collaboration with Cleveland Foundation and United Way of Greater Cleveland. The library system also partners with local organizations, including Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and Cuyahoga County Public Health, to provide outreach services and community outreach, in partnership with National Alliance on Mental Illness and American Cancer Society. The library system also offers meeting rooms and study rooms for public use, in partnership with Cuyahoga County Planning Commission and Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency.

● Governance

The library system is governed by a board of trustees, which is appointed by the Cuyahoga County Commissioners, in collaboration with Ohio State Auditor and Ohio Attorney General. The board is responsible for setting the library system's budget and policies, as well as overseeing the library system's operations and services, in partnership with Cuyahoga County Department of Finance and Cuyahoga County Department of Human Resources. The library system is also a member of CLEVNET, a consortium of public libraries in Northeast Ohio, which includes Cleveland Public Library, Akron-Summit County Public Library, and Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, in collaboration with Ohio Library Council and American Library Association. The library system is accredited by the State Library of Ohio and is a member of the Public Library Association, in partnership with Institute of Museum and Library Services and National Endowment for the Arts. Category:Libraries in Ohio