east cleveland public library

What east cleveland public library does

East Cleveland Public Library (ECPL) is a single-facility public school district library established in 1916 as an original Carnegie Library, operating at 14101 Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland, Ohio. Governed by a seven-member volunteer Board of Trustees, the library serves the East Cleveland School District and any Ohio resident who resides, owns property, works, or attends school in the state with a free library card. Its service portfolio spans lending collections, digital downloads (Hoopla, Kanopy, Libby/Overdrive), research databases via the CLEVNET consortium and OPLIN, a makerspace offering 3D printing and media conversion, a Creative Print Center, and the 243-seat Greg L. Reese Performing Arts Center that hosts free monthly concerts.

ECPL operates as a multi-service community hub beyond traditional library functions. It provides government-adjacent services including designated U.S. Department of State passport processing and free notary services, free computer and Wi-Fi access, wireless hotspot lending, and accessible technology for blind and visually impaired patrons. Youth programming includes a summer reading program and a free summer lunch program sponsored by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Adult programming includes book clubs, wellness activities, and civic services. Special collections include the Icabod Flewellen Collection on African-American history and digitized Shaw High School yearbooks.

ECPL is funded primarily through public library funding mechanisms (local taxes and government allocations) supplemented by grants and donations from institutional partners including the Cleveland Foundation, KeyBank, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, and the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. The Friends of the East Cleveland Public Library, a separate 501(c)(3) established in 1965, supports programming. Earned revenue is nominal, consisting of fee-for-service printing and federal pass-through passport fees. The library markets through its website, six social media platforms, email newsletters via Constant Contact, and a LibCal event calendar, with community events and free concerts functioning as primary patron acquisition channels. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

east cleveland public library

Legal name

East Cleveland Public Library

Website

https://eastclevelandpubliclibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

East Cleveland Public Library is a 1916 Carnegie Library serving the East Cleveland School District and Ohio residents with lending collections, digital resources, a makerspace, a 243-seat performing arts center, and government services including passport processing.

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)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending collections
• Digital media access
• Cultural programming
• Educational workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

East Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Library Funding: As a school district library, ECPL is funded through public funding mechanisms including local tax revenues and government allocations
2. Grants and Donations: The library receives funding from organizations such as Cleveland Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, and individual donors. Friends of the Library organization supports programming.
3. Printing and Creative Services: Creative Print Center offers printing services for business cards, photos, posters, booklets, and other materials at competitive prices. First 10 copies free.
4. Passport Services: Designated Passport Acceptance Facility for U.S. Department of State offering passport processing and photo services (fees go to federal government)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

East Cleveland Public Library operates as a single-facility Carnegie library providing free lending of physical and digital collections, research databases, computer/internet access, makerspace fabrication services, passport and notary processing, and a wide range of educational and cultural programming for children, teens, adults, and seniors in the East Cleveland community.

Product overview

East Cleveland Public Library is a single-facility public library system serving the East Cleveland community with a diverse portfolio of services. Core offerings include physical and digital library collections accessible via CLEVNET consortium, research databases, digital downloads through platforms like Hoopla, Kanopy, and Libby/Overdrive. The library provides community services including a Makerspace (3D printing, media conversion), Creative Print Center, passport and notary services, meeting room reservations, and the Greg L. Reese Performing Arts Center. Digital equity programs include computer classes, wireless hotspot lending, and Library Digital Navigator one-on-one tech assistance. Youth services encompass summer reading programs, summer lunch program, and Makerspace activities. Special collections include the Icabod Flewellen Collection and digitized Shaw High School yearbooks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Downloads / eMedia Digital content platform providing eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies, music, newspapers, online learning, and television through Hoopla, Kanopy, Libby/Overdrive, and TumbleBooks for Ohio library card holders.
• Research Databases Subscription research databases covering academic research, genealogy, business, health, literature, language learning, and student resources through CLEVNET and OPLIN.
• ECPL Makerspace Fabrication and media conversion services including 3D printing, Super8 film to digital conversion, vinyl record to MP3 conversion, cassette to MP3 conversion, button making, Cricut creations, and sewing machine access by appointment.
• Meeting Room Reservations Three reservable spaces including Lower Auditorium with stage and AV setup, Judge Una Keenon Local History Room, and Icabod Flewellen Room for community use.
• Passport Services Designated Passport Acceptance Facility offering passport processing, photo services, and renewal forms. Available by appointment Monday through Thursday.
• Notary Services Free notary services available walk-in Monday through Thursday and Saturday from 10 am until 5 pm.
• ECPL Creative Print Center Printing services including copies, business cards, photos, posters, booklets, and door hangers. First 10 copies free as of November 2025.
• Internet Access & Technology Free computer access, computer classes, and wireless hotspot lending. Includes Mac and Windows computers, Wi-Fi, and software applications.
• Greg L. Reese Performing Arts Center 243-seat performing arts venue offering free monthly musical performances spotlighting local artists. Recipient of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 2026 Service in the Arts Award.
• Youth Summer Lunch Program Free lunches for youth 18 and under, provided Monday through Thursday 12:30-1:30pm, sponsored by Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
• Library Card & Borrowing Services Free library cards for Ohio residents with borrowing privileges across CLEVNET consortium libraries. Includes adult, educator, juvenile, and Three for Me cards.
• Icabod Flewellen Collection Special collection documenting African-American history, originally assembled by Icabod Flewellen for a planned Afro-American museum.
• Shaw High School Yearbooks Archive Digitized yearbooks from 1917-1992 for alumni research and community history.

Quantifiable outcome

• Leads Ohio in public computer session use
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, historical and supporting.

• Cleveland Food Bank (Greater Cleveland Food Bank)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors the Youth Summer Lunch Program (Kids Cafe) providing free snack lunches for children 18 and under during summer months, Monday through Thursday at 12:30 pm.
• CLEVNETcoreTechnology or IntegrationConsortium of public libraries in Greater Cleveland sharing catalog, materials, and databases. ECPL issues CLEVNET cards allowing patrons to borrow from any member library.
• Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)coreTechnology or IntegrationIndependent agency within the State Library of Ohio providing databases and resources to Ohio public libraries including Academic Search Premier, Mango Languages, and other research tools.
• Tri-C JazzFest ClevelandhistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland since 1985 before the Performing Arts Center was built, featuring local jazz artists.
• INFOhiosupportingTechnology or IntegrationOhio's PreK-12 Digital Library providing databases and resources for students in Ohio schools, accessible through ECPL.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library: Immediately adjacent CLEVNET-member public library serving a neighboring inner-ring suburb with similar demographic and programmatic mix, including maker/digital services and free community programming.
• Cleveland Public Library: The flagship CLEVNET-member urban public library system based in Cleveland, sharing the same consortium catalog, technology stack, and government-service partnerships as ECPL.
• Shaker Heights Public Library: Nearby CLEVNET-member school-district public library in Shaker Heights with comparable Carnegie-era roots and similar program breadth at a similar size tier.
• Lakewood Public Library: CLEVNET-member public library serving a similar inner-ring Cleveland suburb with comparable footprint and a strong performing-arts/cultural programming tradition.

Broad incumbents

• Cuyahoga County Public Library: The largest public library system in the CLEVNET consortium and the broader Greater Cleveland region; operates 27 branches with overlapping digital, makerspace, and educational services at much greater scale.
• Brooklyn Public Library: A large U.S. urban public library system comparable to ECPL in providing free library service plus passport acceptance, notary, and free cultural programming; useful benchmark for service breadth at urban-library scale.

Regional players

• Akron-Summit County Public Library: Northeast Ohio regional public library system of comparable-but-larger scale, sharing state-level OPLIN/INFOhio infrastructure and operating similar digital-divide programs.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library: Large Ohio public library system serving Franklin County with comparable program categories (makerspaces, digital navigators, cultural programming) and shared OPLIN/INFOhio affiliations.
• Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library: Major Ohio public library system with a comparable mix of physical collections, makerspace-style services, and digital navigator programs at significantly larger scale.
• Toledo Lucas County Public Library: Another large Ohio public library system sharing the same state-level OPLIN infrastructure and offering similar free computer/digital services and community programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ECPLtweets
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecplib
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-cleveland-public-library
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecplibrary
• TikToktiktok.com/@ecplibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 east cleveland public library