Elyria Public Library

About Us

The Elyria Public Library System is one hundred thirty-five years old! That’s a noble birthday for any institution, especially a public library. It took the foresight and vision of one man’s hope for his community to grow and thrive. In 1864, Charles Arthur Ely, son of Heman Ely founder of Elyria, died and left a portion of his will to establish a public library.

We think Mr. Ely would be pleased to see that his investment and foresight for his community has grown to include four locations plus a bookmobile! The Library service area includes the Elyria School District and the Keystone-LaGrange School District. Currently, the System has a collection of more than 375,000 library materials that include books, magazines, and newspapers. Audio Visual materials include fiction and non-fiction videos—VHS or DVD format—plus an extensive foreign film collection and music CDs from alternative to country, and gospel to movie soundtracks. In addition we have fiction and non-fiction Books on Tape or CD.

There are movie nights at the West River Library, book discussion groups, curriculum helps for home-schoolers, vocational and college information, Homework Help, Books-by-Mail for those who qualify, and
free computer classes. Every week there are special programs for children, teens and adults. Our Project: READ program is an adult literacy program—an accredited affiliate of Pro-Literacy America. Sign up to improve your literacy skills or volunteer to be a tutor.

We have computers for you to use with free Internet access, that includes free computer access to other northeast Ohio libraries’ catalogs through CLEVNET.

Most of all we have highly trained and skilled individuals—librarians and other staff members available to help you find all the information you ever needed or wanted! We’re just a phone call or email away. Check the website or stop in at your favorite Elyria Public Library System location.

135 Years of Service
The Elyria Public Library System

Milestones:

1864 Charles Arthur Ely, son of Elyria’s founder, died and left a Will establishing a public library for Elyria and the vicinity.
1870 The library began operation with 2,000 books. Fines were five cents per day, which remained until 2003.
1873 The library was destroyed by fire and rebuilt. The new building was built on the site currently held by Loomis Camera.
1900 Steam heat was added to the building.
1901 Electric lights and ceiling fans were added to the facility.
1902 The Elyria Board of Education secured a .6 mil operating levy.
1908 A telephone and typewriter were added to the library.
1914 The collection reached 26,232 volumes and annually circulated 58,000.
1915 The first Children’s Librarian was hired.
1916 The operating levy ended.
1920 The library received $5,000 from the Community Chest.
1929 The Broad Street building sold for $60,000 and the Dr. Reefy house was purchased for $30,000. An addition was build onto the house.
1934 The first collection of an intangibles tax on stocks and bonds gave the library $18,000.
1938 School library service was re-established.
1948 The library became a charter member of the first cooperative film circuit in the U.S.
1965 Kiwanis spearheaded a fund drive for a new library building.
1966 The library was designated as a U.S. Federal Government Documents Depository.
1967 The Main Library opened on Washington Avenue.
1979 The Friends of the Elyria Public Library was established.
1981 The Nord Foundation grant allowed access to on-line databases.
1982 The King Fauver Memorial Fund made it possible to automate material cataloguing.
1984 The Ethelyn Smith bequest made it possible to meet a 35% matching fund requirement for a $102,000 Bookmobile grant. The Greater Lorain County Community Foundation gave a grant enabling Project: READ to begin. The Curtis and Jesse Spence fund made it possible to join CLEVNET, an on-line cataloguing computer system. Videocassettes were added to the collection and a front parking lot was added.
1985 The Bookmobile started service throughout the Elyria and Keystone areas.
1986 The Lewis Miller Trust and the Ethyl Tyer Trust made possible the purchase of more library books.
Conversion to an on-line catalogue and circulation system was completed.
Compact Disks were added to the collection
1987 The Keystone School District and the Village of Lagrange requested to be officially defined as part of the library’s service area along with the Elyria School District.
1988 Framed art for lending was initiated. The Blue Ribbon Long-Range Planning Committee was formed from citizen organizations.
1991 The November bond issue was passed to build West River Library, but an operating levy failed.
1992 The Washington Avenue Library was renovated.
The West River Library was designed and ground was broken
The Library joined the Cleveland Area metropolitan Library System.
1993 CLEVNET added more data-bases including Medline. The State of Ohio reduced the 6.3% personal income tax revenues to 5.7%
1994 West River Library opened. Lack of funding lead to staff and budget cutbacks.
1995 Office and Professional Employees’ International Union Local 17 was ratified.
1999 The New Bookmobile was on the road.
2000 The Neighborhood Center opened. The old Bookmobile served to open the LaGrange Library.
2001 The State of Ohio froze the Library and Local Government Support Fund distribution levels.
2003 The Keystone-LaGrange Community Library opened. The Audio/Visual Department at Central Library was moved to the first floor.
2004 20 staff members were laid off in January. The operating levy passed. Staff members were recalled in April.
2005 Joined MORE—Moving Ohio Resources Everywhere— a statewide resource-sharing network connecting the Elyria Public Library with more than 100 participating libraries statewide.