Chagrin Falls Branch Library

About Us:

The Chagrin Falls Branch is located at the end of the path of Riverside Park with a view of the Chagrin River. This gives customers and staff a lovely view of the river from inside the library as well as from the reading deck provided by the Friends of the Chagrin Falls Library.

The reading deck is just off the Fiction section of the library and is open when weather permits. It is located on the back of the library, situated away from the street and directly above the park and river. The only access to the deck is through the library.

The library also features two large meeting rooms to accommodate meetings of non-profit organizations. The main floor meeting room also features a kitchenette. The Ohio Room is a featured spot in the library, which contains a collection of materials with information about Chagrin Falls, other Ohio cities information and state information as well. The Friends have provided a microfilm and microfiche reader to enable customers to search through archives of Chagrin Falls newspapers.

In 1921 a group of citizens formed the Chagrin Falls Memorial Library Association, canvassing the town for subscriptions. Finally 44 shares were sold at $10 a piece. The group was organized with the help of Miss Linda Eastman of the Cleveland Public Library. The first "home" was a 13 x 19 foot room in the Harris Building, rented for $15 a month. The first librarian, Mrs. Alida Hutchinson, received $15 a month and the library was open only Saturday afternoons. Over the years the library grew, increasing the number of books owned and circulated, and was open more days a week. To finance the library, the ladies of the Association worked diligently, holding bake sales, bazaars, shows and other activities.

Finally, in May 1924 the library was taken over by Cuyahoga County Public Library, becoming the system's first branch. The Association remained active, providing funds to meet expenses the County Library was unable to cover. As the collection grew and the number of days open and circulation increased, the library moved to various locations around town. Newspaper articles chronicled circulation figures and numbers of registered borrowers.

The need for a building (instead of makeshift, crowded quarters) became increasingly urgent. With the support of the community, the present building at 100 East Orange Street was built and dedicated in 1958. Within five years there was a need for an addition and in 1969 the "new reference wing" was finally added. The library was again completely renovated in 1998 and a reading garden was added to the western end in 2003.

The Chagrin Falls Branch continues to grow in its role as valuable community resource.