Heights Libraries

What Heights Libraries does

Heights Libraries, formally the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, is a public library system operating as a political subdivision of the State of Ohio. Founded in 1916 and headquartered in Cleveland Heights, the system serves residents of Cleveland Heights and University Heights in Cuyahoga County, Ohio through five physical branch locations: Coventry Village, Lee Road, Noble Neighborhood, University Heights, and the main library. The organization employs 101–250 staff and is governed by a publicly appointed board with funding derived from local taxation.

The library's core offering combines traditional lending services with a technology and innovation stack that includes the CLEVNET shared catalog consortium, the Libby digital lending platform, and the Springshare/LibCal event management system. Through its Heights Knowledge and Innovation Center, the library operates three specialized labs: the STEAM Lab (science, technology, engineering, arts, math), the Media Lab (multimedia production), and the Legacy Lab (digital preservation of local history). Additional product lines include Micro:bit coding kits, hotspot lending, an eMedia Card for remote digital access, a Maker-in-Residence program, and the Unpacking Our History podcast and video series focused on race and social justice topics, funded in part by an American Library Association Carnegie Whitney Grant.

Heights Libraries operates a non-commercial revenue model: all services are provided free to eligible residents, funded through public taxation and CLEVNET consortium membership. The go-to-market approach is community-based, relying on direct outreach through the Book Bike, home delivery for mobility-limited residents, library visits to schools and senior centers, social media, email newsletters, and event partnerships with local organizations such as Coventry Village, BottleHouse Brewery, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, and Cedar Lee Theater. The customer base spans all age segments (children, teens, adults, seniors) and includes targeted programming for the LGBTQIA+ and African American communities.

Name

Heights Libraries

Legal name

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library (operating as Heights Libraries)

Website

https://heightslibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Heights Libraries is a public library system operating five branch locations in Cleveland Heights and University Heights, Ohio, serving local residents with free traditional lending, digital collections, maker-space technology labs, and community programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Digital Reading Content & eBooks (Leveled Readers, Libraries) (EDAFACAH), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community education programs
• Digital lending platform
• Maker space labs
• Local history archives

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Heights Libraries (Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library) is a public library system that lends physical and digital collections, delivers educational programming for all ages, operates technology and maker spaces (STEAM Lab, Media Lab, Legacy Lab), provides community outreach services such as home delivery and a Book Bike, and produces original content such as the Unpacking Our History podcast and video series on race and social justice.

Product overview

Heights Libraries is a public library system operating five branch locations in Cleveland Heights and University Heights, Ohio. The library offers physical and digital collections, technology services through its Heights Knowledge and Innovation Center (featuring STEAM Lab, Media Lab, and Legacy Lab), community outreach programs including home delivery and passport services, and educational resources such as LinkedIn Learning access. Its digital presence includes the Unpacking Our History podcast/video series featuring interviews on historical and social justice topics, and the LibCal event calendar system. The library is a member of the CLEVNET Library consortium, providing shared access to digital resources and catalog systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unpacking Our History: A documentary series featuring interviews and lectures on historical and social justice topics, including interviews with authors and scholars on race, civil rights, criminal justice, and American history
• Heights Knowledge and Innovation Center
• CLEVNET

Products and services

• Heights Libraries Digital Collection Online portal providing access to eBooks, eMedia, research databases, and digital resources through the CLEVNET consortium for library cardholders.
• Heights Knowledge and Innovation Center Technology and innovation hub offering maker spaces, technology education, and digital preservation resources for community members.
• STEAM Lab Technology laboratory offering hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics for community members; available for reservations.
• Media Lab Multimedia creation space for digital media projects, video production, and learning for community members.
• Legacy Lab Digital preservation resources for archiving and preserving community historical materials and local memory.
• Unpacking Our History Podcast and video series featuring interviews with authors and scholars on race, civil rights, segregation, and social justice; includes reading packets and digital archive.
• Special Collections Curated collection of unique materials including Candid Nonprofit Resources, sports equipment, memory kits, microfilm publications, video games, and hotspot lending.
• Community Outreach Services Outreach services including Book Bike mobile library, home delivery for homebound residents, library visits to schools and senior centers, and community resource connections.
• LinkedIn Learning Access Free access to LinkedIn Learning online courses in business, technology, and creative skills for library cardholders.
• Passport Services Passport application acceptance and passport photo services for community residents.
• Maker-in-Residence Program Program connecting community makers with library resources, workspace, and community engagement for makerspace projects.
• Micro:bit Coding Kits Educational coding kits available for loan to teach programming and computational thinking skills to community members.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CLEVNET Library ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional library consortium providing shared catalog system, digital collection access, and resource sharing among member libraries in the greater Cleveland area. Heights Libraries is a proud member, providing patrons access to expanded collections and services.
• FRIENDS of Heights LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit support organization providing volunteer opportunities, fundraising support, and advocacy for the library. United by common interest in the continued well-being of Heights Libraries.
• American Library Association (Carnegie Whitney Grant)minorOthersGrant funding provided to support the Unpacking Our History project, enabling the creation of educational content on historical and social justice topics.
• BottleHouse BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal brewery hosting Read with Pride book discussion events, providing venue space for LGBTQIA+ community programming.
• Coventry VillagecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNeighborhood commercial district partnering with Heights Libraries for co-sponsored outdoor events including Movies in the PEACE Park and Cleveland Shakespeare Festival at Coventry PEACE Park.
• Cleveland Shakespeare FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal theater organization presenting free Shakespeare performances in Coventry PEACE Park as part of library programming.
• Cedar Lee TheaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal cinema hosting the 2nd Annual Dementia Friendly Film Fest, partnering with Heights Libraries to provide accessible film programming for seniors.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Public Library: Headquartered in the same metropolitan region (Cuyahoga County), Cleveland Public Library operates multiple branches with comparable services including digital collections, maker programming, and community outreach. It is the most directly comparable peer for Heights Libraries.
• Cuyahoga County Public Library: Also serving Cuyahoga County, this is a much larger branch system (28 branches) offering similar collections, digital lending, and community programming. It overlaps with Heights Libraries geographically and is a core competitor for resident engagement in Northeast Ohio.

Broad incumbents

• New York Public Library: National benchmark for public library programming, with extensive digital collections, civic-education content, and maker initiatives. While vastly larger and urban, it sets the operating model and programming expectations that smaller Ohio systems like Heights Libraries emulate.
• Chicago Public Library: Major urban library system with a comparable service mix of branches, digital lending, maker labs, and community programming. Relevant as a scaled reference point for what innovation programming in public libraries can look like.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library: One of the largest library systems in Ohio, offering extensive branches, digital collections, and innovation programming including maker spaces. Operates in a different geography but exemplifies a scaled version of the same public-library operating model.

Others

• Public Library Association: Professional association under the American Library Association that provides programming standards, advocacy, and grant pathways (including the Carnegie Whitney Grant that funded Unpacking Our History) relevant to Heights Libraries' operational development.
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Coventry PEACE Park collaborators): Noted as a co-programming partner for community events at Coventry PEACE Park; representative of the broader civic/community partnerships category that supplements Heights Libraries' core service delivery.
• CLEVNET Library Consortium: The regional consortium through which Heights Libraries shares catalog and digital infrastructure with other Northeast Ohio libraries. While not a direct competitor, it is an enabling partner that defines much of Heights Libraries' digital service capability.

Regional players

• Akron-Summit County Public Library: Ohio public library system of comparable scale serving Akron and Summit County with similar services including digital lending, community programs, and special collections. Comparable in mission and operating model though in a different geography.
• Toledo Lucas County Public Library: Northwest Ohio public library system with multiple branches and a comparable mix of traditional lending, digital resources, and community programming. Similar in operating model though geographically distant from Heights Libraries.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMiWVeT7atVy0_sPmdUUf6A
• Facebookfacebook.com/heightslibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/heightslibraries/?hl=en
• Xx.com/heightslibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heights Libraries