Shaker Heights Public Library

What Shaker Heights Public Library does

Shaker Heights Public Library is an independent school district public library system serving the residents of the Shaker Heights City School District in Ohio. Established in 1937 and operating as a government entity governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Shaker Heights Board of Education, it runs two physical branches—the Main Library at 16500 Van Aken Blvd (headquarters, building leased from the City) and the Bertram Woods Branch at 20600 Fayette Road (owned by the library)—plus a 24/7 digital platform (shakerlibrary.org and search.shakerlibrary.org) for catalog access, digital downloads, event registration, and account management.

The library's core offerings span lending collections (physical and digital), public computing infrastructure (workstations, laptop lending, Wi-Fi, printing/copying/faxing/scanning, creative/maker spaces), community programs and events for all age segments (adults, teens, kids/families), and ancillary services including reference assistance, homebound delivery, passport acceptance, exam proctoring, voter registration, and Tech One-on-One tutoring. Technology is delivered primarily through third-party platforms: the CLEVNET consortium powers the integrated library system and shared cataloging, Springshare (LibCal) powers the events calendar, Niche Academy supports digital literacy training, PayPal processes donations and fees under PCI-DSS, and OCLC/OHIONET/OPLIN/NEO-RLS extend cataloging and resource-sharing. Annual events include Summer Reading and a Readers Challenge Summer Celebration, supported by Friends of the Shaker Library volunteer fundraising and a Cleveland Foundation-managed endowment.

Revenue is funded primarily through a recurring property tax levy on district residents plus the State of Ohio Public Library Fund, with supplemental contributions from individual donations, the Cleveland Foundation endowment, semi-annual Friends of the Library book sales, and nominal fees for printing and other ancillary services. The library maintains a free, freemium pricing model: most services are free to cardholders (free library cards, free Wi-Fi, limited free printing, free digital resources), with pay-as-you-go fees for additional prints. Its customer base is intentionally horizontal—children, teens, adults, seniors, schools/educators—served across two physical branches and a digital channel, with no commercial enterprise customers.

Name

Shaker Heights Public Library

Legal name

Shaker Heights Public Library

Website

https://shakerlibrary.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shaker Heights Public Library is a two-branch independent school district public library serving the Shaker Heights City School District in Ohio, funded primarily by a property tax levy and the State of Ohio Public Library Fund. It offers lending collections, digital resources, public computing, community programs, and government services (passports, voter registration) to district residents of all ages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending collections
• Digital library resources
• Educational programming
• Information services

Headquarters

HQ city

Broadview Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: Primary funding through property tax levied on residents of the Shaker Heights City School District, supplemented by the State of Ohio Public Library Fund
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting library programs and services, including direct donations and endowment fund contributions through the Cleveland Foundation
3. Friends of the Library Book Sales: Semi-annual book sales conducted by the Friends volunteer organization, raising funds for library programming including Summer Reading
4. Fee-Based Services: Nominal fees for photocopies, printing, and certain services. Library cardholders receive limited free printing per day

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shaker Heights Public Library operates a two-branch public library system providing free lending collections (books, media, e-books, streaming content), public computer and Wi-Fi access, meeting and study rooms, and educational/community programs for all ages. It also offers reference and information services, passport acceptance, exam proctoring, voter registration, homebound delivery, and access to a digital catalog and research databases through the CLEVNET consortium.

Product overview

Shaker Heights Public Library operates as a two-branch system (Main Library and Bertram Woods Branch) providing comprehensive public library services. The library offers a unified service portfolio centered on physical and digital collections, public computer access, technology assistance, meeting spaces, and community programs. Key services include public computers and laptop lending, free Wi-Fi, printing/scanning/faxing, Tech One-on-One assistance, reference services, passport acceptance, exam proctoring, homebound delivery, and voter registration. The Digital Library provides e-books, e-audiobooks, and streaming content. Research resources include specialized databases for genealogy, health, business, and local history. The library participates in the CLEVNET consortium for shared cataloging and resource sharing, and partners with Springshare for events management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Library
• Passport Services
• Proctoring Services
• Homebound Delivery
• Reference & Information Services
• Tech One-on-Ones
• Meeting & Study Rooms
• Library Catalog
• Research Resources & Databases
• Book Sales
• Voter Registration
• Summer Reading Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Free library cards unlock access to physical and digital materials, computer access, and free prints for all district residents
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cleveland FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cleveland Foundation manages the Shaker Heights Public Library Fund endowment, providing ongoing financial assistance to the library and its programs. The foundation holds and invests gifts, with annual percentages available for library needs and remainder reinvested for growth.
• CLEVNET ConsortiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe library provides popular circulating collections and access to library resources outside the Shaker Library system via the CLEVNET consortium, a regional library resource sharing network.
• Northeast Ohio Regional Library System (NEO-RLS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary cooperates through NEO-RLS to strengthen resources and develop effective library service through regional collaboration.
• State Library of OhiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary cooperates with the State Library of Ohio and will promote services of the Ohio Library for the Blind and Print Disabled rather than duplicating special services.
• Friends of the Shaker LibrarycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerA vibrant organization of dedicated volunteers who donate their time to fundraising and supporting library programming. They host two annual book sales and fund programs including Summer Reading, author visits, and poetry readings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Public Library: Main urban public library system serving Cleveland, Ohio, directly comparable as a CLEVNET consortium member providing physical lending, digital resources, and community programming in the same metropolitan area as Shaker Heights.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library: One of the largest public library systems in Ohio operating multi-branch physical locations plus digital services, comparable as a tax-funded Ohio public library offering lending, programming, and community services.
• Dayton Metro Library: Ohio metropolitan public library system operating across multiple branches with similar public service offerings including lending, programs, digital resources, and community engagement.
• Toledo Lucas County Public Library: Ohio regional public library system serving Toledo and Lucas County, comparable as a similarly structured multi-branch public library with tax-based funding and membership in Ohio library consortia.
• Cuyahoga County Public Library: Cuyahoga County's branch-based public library system and CLEVNET consortium member, structurally analogous as a tax-funded multi-branch library serving Ohio residents.
• Akron-Summit County Public Library: Multi-branch Ohio public library system serving Akron and Summit County, comparable as a similarly scaled CLEVNET-affiliated library providing physical lending, digital resources, and community programming.
• Heights Libraries: Suburban public library system serving Cleveland Heights, University Heights, and Shaker Heights — the closest geographic peer operating as a multi-branch district library with similar school-district-area service model in Northeast Ohio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaker-heights-public-library

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

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 Shaker Heights Public Library