South Lorain Branch History

1907 - South Lorain Branch is the oldest branch in the Lorain Public Library System. It opened as a station - a small collection of books in a dry goods store in South Lorain.

1911 - The South Lorain Branch was moved to the YMCA Building

1923 - The South Lorain Branch was moved temporarily to the basement of the Lowell School

1925 - Moved to the new YMCA Building

1934 - Moved to its own building at 3059 Pearl Avenue

1957 - Moved to 3008 Grove Avenue in a leased storefront building on the corner of Route 57 and East 30th Street

1968 - An addition was built that almost doubled the available floor space to 1,368 square feet

1982 - The building was enlarged and remodeled to 3,910 square feet again at the Grove Avenue site

1997 - After much review, land was purchased for a permanent library building on Homewood Drive from the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. On August 21, 1997, the board hired David Holzheimer Associate Architects of Chargrin Falls, Ohio to lead the building project. On Thursday, January 29, 1998, a purchase agreement for the land was approved by the library board.

March 21, 1999 - Groundbreaking for the new South Lorain Branch

March 13, 2000 - New 13,000 square foot building opened to the public

May 21, 2000 - Building dedicated during a grand opening celebration

September 11, 2005 - The Emery K. Smith Reading Garden was dedicated. The $25,000 donation from Elisabeth Allison of Belmont, Massachusetts and Marta Kirsch of Pepper Pike, Ohio, was given in honor of their father, Emery K. Smith and his fellow Hungarian immigrants.

May 3, 2011 - The Lorain community has been very supportive of library services. The citizens have passed operating levies to supplement received through the state's general tax revenue. The most recent operating levy was passed in 2011. The local levy helps the library provide the staff, materials and technology that support the Main and South Lorain branches both in Lorain and the Bookmobile.

December, 2017 - Celebrated new renovation. New flooring was installed around the redesigned circulation desk. The children's area moved to become a new early literacy room with educational toys. The former children's area became an adult seating area with outlets for plugging in electronic devices.

May 2019 - The Lorain Public Library System launched the Go Lorain Bike Share Program, in collaboration with Lorain County Public Health, Lorain County Metro Parks and the Lorain County Community Action Agency. The South Branch began lending adult bikes, bike helmets and bike locks.