Akron-Summit County Public Library

The Akron-Summit County Public Library has over 5,000,000 books and items in its collection and offers access to more than twelve million more items through membership in the SearchOhio and OhioLINK consortium. The library also has 335,000 library cardholders, and over 6,000,000 items borrowed. The Akron-Summit County Public Library includes the Main Library, 18 branch libraries and Mobile Services (located in the lower level of the Main Library).

The library’s history dates back to 1874, when the City Council passed an ordinance to provide a free public library for the city of Akron. The library, known then as the Akron Public Library, started on the second floor of the Masonic Temple that was located on the corner of South Howard Street and Mill Street. The library then moved to second floor of the Everett Building on the corner of East Market Street and North Main Street in 1898. Due to the library’s rapid growth, it was moved in 1904 to a new Carnegie library building funded by Andrew Carnegie on East Market Street. A growing collection necessitated another move to the former Akron Beacon Journal building on the corner of East Market Street and Summit Street in 1942. A continually growing collection necessitated construction of a new Main Library which began in 1965. The new library opened in 1969, and the name of the library was changed from the Akron Public Library to the Akron-Summit County Public Library. Changing technology and the need for more services led to an additional expansion and the complete renovation of the existing 1969 library building which necessitated temporarily relocating Main Library in May 2001 to a former DIY store on East Tallmadge Avenue until the project was completed. On October 10, 2004, the newly expanded and renovated Main Library reopened on South High Street and South Main Street.

Divisions within Main Library include:

Former Divisions within Main Library:

The library’s outreach services began in 1946, with bookmobile service to rural communities. Today, the Mobile Services department continues to extend library services beyond library buildings to children and adults in a number of different settings. Two bookmobiles visit schools, daycare centers, Head Start programs, and neighborhoods during the school year and in the summer. A van serves many senior citizens’ housing facilities and apartments using carts of materials brought inside to residents. Nursing homes and other residential facilities receive monthly deliveries of library materials. Mobile Services supports two libraries at the Summit County Jail and provides regular service to other correctional facilities for both adults and children. The Library Express Delivery Service (LEDS) provides library materials to the homebound via U.S. Postal Service. Postage is paid both ways by the Library.

...
Wikipedia