Cleveland Public Library-Louis Stokes Wing — Attraction in Cleveland

Considering the epochal changes in 2020, the changes in the Louis Stokes wing, as well as the Main Building, are not insignificant also. It is unknown when the Library Gift Shop will re-open. While many will see this as something of very small import, I have been writing since I was ten years old. In the fall of 1980 I was visiting the New York City Public Library at 42nd Street and 5th Avenue to see a display of GBS's letters. Long story short, I met an Irish gentleman, collected his birthday and address and jotted off a brief note. This was waiting for him when he returned to Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland. In one month and eight days we will have been writing forty years.

So when the gift shop had a 75% off sale - oh my - at least three major forages and then I picked up some (but not enough) of the cards fashioned after the twenty-seven ceramic tiles made with images from Shakespeare's writings back in the day.

DO go up to the second floor of Main (the older, smaller building on third & Superior) in the Literature Department - make a left turn when you get to Superman (tell him Tim says hi) and check out the tiles. Then check out Superman and try to figure out why he's ensconced in the lobby on the second floor of Main rather than somewhere else. Happy to hear your thoughts/comments.

So...the entire library closed on Friday the XIIIth (no significance that I know of) of March and remained closed until the 26th of May, when staff returned. The library opened to all (with a scanned body temperature below 100.4°F anyway... something new to get used to) August 24th.

People are trickling in. Social distancing requirements means quite a bit of furniture has been stored away. When you see the amount of plexiglass in use you may wish you'd invested in the firms which make it (and after the fact I've still not investigated. Like Kleenex ™® has it just become like "tissue paper" and plexiglass is just....plexiglass? You could look that up - at the library, in fact!

Some of the swaths of plexiglass are so vast you might think that after hours the librarians pull out some hand-held devices and play three-dimensional space games...but I've not seen it yet!

Computers are still available at Tech Central along with the 3-D printers, but expect more stringent time limits.

You'll notice lots of hand sanitizer stations - Don't be stingy but no....hmmm...thinking of "Animal House" I am going to censor what I was about to say. It may be too late.

WEAR YOUR MASKS- and not like fashion items hanging off your ears. Seriously! You think SARS and MERS were bad (don't know those - find out at the _ _ _ _ _ _!) Those specifically attacked the pulmonary system. This novel Coronavirus targets endothelial cells and they are ALL OVER the body! That's why you get such hinky things like "Covid toes" and weird cardiac effects in young children and doctors observing blood clots forming IN REAL TIME in patients. DON'T MESS ABOUT WITH COVID-19!

Wear your mask, ok? You're not going to starve off your oxygen (how do you think doctors and nurses survived all these years?) and you won't suffocate on your own CO2 - likewise,ok? I have a Facebook friend who just got out of hospital 25 years in the Army...and he told me fighting this thing was pretty close to the worst he'd experienced. I just found out my younger older sister was diagnosed. I hope she doesn't get it too bad. But WEAR YOUR MASKS CORRECTLY 😉 for yourself, your family, and your friends.

The Eastman Reading Garden nestled between the two building (I really like the Monopoly people popping up here and there) is a nice place where you can social distance if the library starts to seem claustrophobic...but there's so much extra empty room that may not be an issue. Read up on Linda Ann Eastman - ya gotta be pretty cool to have a garden with Monopoly people names after you!

I can't say I've stuck just to LSW (Louis Stokes Wing for those of you "in the know" and I have no idea how Google figures out how many people read these things - are they ranked somewhere? I'm pretty...

I really like the downtown branch. Ton of books and music available and the building itself has an amazing amount of really ornate marble. It's really an impressive place all around. The staff has always been very nice. One guy actually came running after me down the street when I forgot my ID at the counter, which is pretty above-and-beyond and was greatly...

I spent a lot of time here as a student. First visit in about 25 years. An absolutely incredible collection of materials, history and art. The staff was so helpful and friendly. I was a little disappointed that the General Refence furniture was gone, but I love the exhibit space. First time bringing my kids and husband from Cincinnati. Can't wait...