Special Interest Libraries

Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum’s primary mission is to develop a comprehensive research collection documenting American printed cartoon art, to organize the materials, and to provide access to these resources. The scope of the collection includes: editorial cartoons, comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, sports cartoons and magazine cartoons. Administratively, it is part of Ohio State University Libraries.

National First Ladies’ Library. As the first and only facility of its kind, the National First Ladies’ Library serves as a unique national resource for patrons from school children to serious scholars. As a national archive devoted to educating people about the contributions of First Ladies and other notable women in history, the Library’s holdings fill an informational void that has long frustrated academicians and armchair history buffs alike. The Library is located in Canton, Ohio.

Ohio Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled. The Ohio Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled (OLBPD) is part of the Cleveland Public Library. In partnership with the State Library of Ohio Talking Book Program, OLBPD serves as the Regional Library for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress, and administers a free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the State of Ohio by postage-free mail.

Ohioana Library. The Ohioana Library is dedicated to “collecting, preserving, and celebrating” the written work of Ohio’s writers, artists, and musicians. They administer the Ohioana Library Collection, Ohioana Quarterly, and Ohioana Awards Program, each of which depends on the others for its success. Books donated become a part of their permanent collection. Though not a circulating library, materials are available for use in the reading room, and often, people come to the collection for books that can be found in no other library.

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. Honoring the memory of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president, the Hayes family established a presidential library, the first in the United States. Opened in 1916, this library preserves President Hayes’ 12,000-volume personal library along with archival material from his military and political career, particularly his presidency (1877-1881). Over the years, the staff has expanded the collection to over 70,000 books which reflect Hayes’ special interests, including genealogy and local history, and the Gilded Age period in which he lived.

State Library of Ohio. The State Library of Ohio is a state agency that serves state government and all types of libraries. The State Library of Ohio will lead in ensuring the delivery of all information and library services to all Ohio residents, anywhere, anytime. The Library strives to lead and partner in the development of library services throughout Ohio; promote and enable resource sharing among libraries and library networks; provide access to information for Ohio’s state government; provide specialized services to Ohio’s residents.

Western Reserve Historical Society. The Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society is the largest American history research center in northern Ohio. The Library is the principal repository for histories, records, and papers relating to the growth and development of Cleveland and that portion of northeastern Ohio once known as the Connecticut Western Reserve.

William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum. The Stark County Historical Society is dedicated to collecting and preserving the significant materials and records related to the history of Stark County and the presidential history of William McKinley. Through the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, the Society serves as an educational center of history and science and offers interpretive exhibitions and educational programs for the local community and its expanding global audience.