Free admittance to WRHS Library

If you have been putting off researching at the Western Reserve Historical Society because of the admission fee, put it off no longer. As of June 15, the admission fee has been waived--and this continues throughout the summer until September 15. Also, in case you missed the reduction in parking fees in the Society's guarded lot a few months ago, they now are only $5.00 for the day. Otherwise, you have to park on the street and remember to feed the parking meter.
If you haven't been to the Society, you need to know that it was one of the first institutions in America to collect genealogical materials and is, today, one of the larger family history research centers in the country. Although the focus of the collections is on source materials for the region east of the Mississippi River, major sources for other states are collected.
The Society's Library is the largest American history research center in northern Ohio. Its holdings consist of 235,000 books; 25,000 volumes of newspapers; 30,500 rolls of microfilm, 1,000,000 prints and photographs; and more than 3,000 collections of manuscripts and archives that comprise more than six million items. 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.
The Library's holdings can be searching on line at www.wrhs.org. Click on "Search the Collections" in the left-hand menu panel on the home page.
The Society Library is at 10825 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106. The telephone number is (216) 721-5722. Be aware that the Library is closed on Sunday and Monday, but it is open 9 to 5 on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, it is open from 9 to 9.
By the way, the Society is now featuring a a new café, where you can choose from a variety of sandwiches and salads in a deli-style café. It is located in the Reinberger lobby.