100 Years of West Toledo Branch
You may have heard West Toledo Branch is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Read this to drop some historical knowledge at the event (and check out some staff book recommendations too).
3 Books About How Art Tatum Became a Legendary Jazz Musician
Toledo born jazz virtuoso, master solo pianist and improvisational provocateur Art Tatum was a renowned 20th century musician. Discover these 3 books to learn more about him for Disability Pride Month!
On International Museum Day, Visit One of the Toledo Area’s Fine Museums
Some of the world's finest museums are closer than you think!
Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month with Digital Library Resources
Celebrating women of the Jewish community in Toledo for Jewish American Heritage Month.
Toledo’s Black History in Scrapbooks
Two scrapbooks in the Local History and Genealogy Department tell the story of Toledo’s Black community.
Honoring the Toledo Troopers – The Winningest Team In Pro Football History
Thanks to a generous donation from retired Bowling Green professor and photographer Ronald J. Jacomini, our Toledo Troopers Collection is growing again!
Celebrating 150 Years of Paul Laurence Dunbar
Happy Birthday, Dunbar!
Local History Resources at Main Library and a Prominent Toledo Dog
The Toledo Library proudly displays three paintings featuring the customary topic of renowned Toledoan artist, Edmund Henry Osthaus. Get the inside story of the painting of “Laddie,” displayed in the Local History Department.
Waite’s yearbooks The Purple and Gold (1915-1974) and The Warrior (1975-2020) Join TLCPL’s Online Yearbook Collection
Morrison R. Waite High School Yearbooks join TLCPL's TPS collection of online editions. High Schools already included are Toledo Central (1899-1914), Scott (1914-2000), Libbey (1924-2010) and Bowsher (1963-017).
Immigrant Heritage Month Story: Andrea De la Roca
We are celebrating #ImmigrantHeritageMonth by sharing Welcome Toledo Lucas County’s letter series that brings to life stories from our local immigrant, refugee, and diverse community members. Hear from Andrea, who came to the United States from Guatemala City in 2001, settling in Napoleon, Ohio.
The Negro Leagues and Fairplay: 100 Years of Moving the Ball Forward
Ever pick up a bat or a mitt. Toledo’s most famous connection to the Negro Leagues was Moses Fleetwood Walker. A catcher who was known to play bare-handed, he made his mark 36 years before the NNL debuted.
Immigrant Heritage Month Story: Houng Dhar
Immigrant Heritage Month gives people across the United States an opportunity to annually explore our country's heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America. The letter below is a part of a series that brings to life stories from our immigrant, refugee, and diverse community members who call Toledo and Lucas County, home.
What is Juneteenth?
Are you wondering, “What is Juneteenth?” Juneteenth is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics, and family gatherings all recognizing the 19th of June as the day of emancipation of enslaved people in Texas.
Immigrant Heritage Month Story: Terwase Ngur
Immigrant Heritage Month gives people across the United States an opportunity to annually explore our country's heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America. The letter below is a part of a series that brings to life stories from our immigrant, refugee, and diverse community members who call Toledo and Lucas County, home.
Ohio Biographies resources for High School: (9-12)
Biographies on famous people from Ohio for your next report.
Toledo Loves Its Library!
Joe Boyle, Toledo Public School Educator and soon to be published author, shares his experience finding this 1940s era photograph of a Toledo family outside our own Main Library.
Locals Who Served: Five Unique Stories of Toledo Women Who Served in WWII
Among the hundreds-of-thousands of women that acted in the military during World War II, our very own Toledo had veterans of its own. Read further to learn about five local women who made a difference in the war effort.
Helping You Meet Those Reading Goals
Have you started a reading challenge yet this year? Maybe you need a little inspiration to log a few more books for TLCPL’s Winter Read. Maybe you want to challenge yourself to “read harder” this year. No matter what, the team at Kent Branch has you covered! We have curated a list of challenges to diversify your reads this year, and our staff has provided suggestions of some of their faves to match!
Cards of Yesteryear
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice or any combination of the winter holidays, it's a great time to reach out to family and friends with warm wishes. Please enjoy this small sample of cards created by a group of Toledo area residents of yesteryear.
Volunteering for All Ages: How 14 Toledo Girls Found a Way to Help Do Their Part During WWII
The Girls' Activity Friendship Society, a club created by fourteen young girls from Glenwood School in 1943, is not only emblematic of the perseverance by all during the wartime effort, but it also can serve as inspiration to help the Toledo community during current and future hard times. Read more to learn about the GAFS as well as reading suggestions and local volunteer opportunities.
Repeating History: How the Presidential Election of 1876 May Inform the Outcome of the Current Presidential Race
As with any political conversation, it is important to consider the ways in which the past informs the present. Read further to explore how the disputed 1876 election of 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes may provide insight into our current moment and take a look into the voting resources available to you at our library and in our community.
The Digital Public Library of America
Learn more about a wonderful free resource for finding more ebooks, helpful school resources, improving your genealogy ability, and just exploring what libraries across America have to offer for free.
Locke Library Life in the 1940’s
What was life like eight decades ago at the Locke Branch? Surprisingly similar to what it's like today!
Women’s Suffrage and Baseball in 1911 Toledo
Edwin J. Tippett, a 1911 graduate of Toledo Central High School, put forth his proposal to determine the fate of Women's Suffrage once and for all in the Almanac's Class Novel.
Using Ancestry.com to Find the Good Stuff in Your Family Tree
Now available for use at home with your Toledo Library card, Ancestry.com is a great tool to use when researching your family tree.
Taking in History at Home
Online exhibits document Toledo Women Lawyers History Project and Willow Beach Amusement Park.
Then-and-Now Photography Challenge, Week 3 of Social Distancing
Safely explore the natural splendor of our community, while enjoying a break from your home.
Online Learning for Adults & Teens
We are all officially tasked with social distancing in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. While our 20 locations might be temporarily closed, we’re still open in many ways to our customers –
Then-and-Now Photography Challenge, Week 2 of Social Distancing
Safely explore the natural splendor of our community, while taking the opportunity to take a break from your home.
Then-and-Now Photography Challenge, Week 1 of Social Distancing
Safely explore the natural splendor of our community, while taking the opportunity to take a break from your home.
Bowsher’s Apogee Joins Library Online Yearbook Collection
Another Toledo Public Schools yearbook collection, Bowsher’s Apogee, is now available online at Ohio Memory.
50 Years Later, Library Merger Strengthens Lucas County Service
How a merger unified three area library systems.
Connect Your Family Roots This Holiday Season
Toledo Library provides materials for building a family tree.
TPS Students Use Library Research to Honor Fallen Heroes
Students of teacher Joe Boyle recognize area soldiers in special ceremony.
November Then-and-Now Photography Challenge
Learn how Toledo has changed over the years and show off your photography skills!
New Tools Available for Exploring Our History
Enhancements to the Library's website allow for searching across digital collections, browsing by time period and exploring a map full of rich content.
Library Customer Finds, Returns to Family a 101-Year-Old WWI Registration Card
Toledo Library customer recovered the 101-year-old document in a Friends of the Library book purchase.
Exploring Toledo Through Its Architecture
"Architecture of Northwest Ohio," a digital library devoted to sharing and preserving Toledo's rich architectural heritage, hit a milestone of uploading its 100th unique commission.
October Then-and-Now Photography Challenge
Learn how Toledo has changed over the years and show off your photography skills!
“Self-Government is a Natural Right…
The National Citizen and Ballot Box, a suffragette newspaper founded in Toledo in 1876, has been digitized and made available online. This is in continuing celebration of the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.
Renovations Preserve Main Library History
Extensive project blends architectural updates with Main Library highlights.
September Then-and-Now Photography Challenge
Learn about the ways Toledo has changed over time and show off your photography skills!
10 Things to Do When You’re New to Toledo
Moving to a new place can be intimidating! Let the Library help you get acclimated to Northwest Ohio.
Postcards from Frogtown: Exploring the Ken Levin Postcard Collection Online
A massive collection of colorful vintage postcards were recently donated to the Library. Continue reading to learn more about this unique collection documenting Toledo history all the way back to the 1890s.
Samuel Milton “Golden Rule” Jones, Toledo Mayor and Progressive Businessman
Samuel M. Jones is still remembered 100 years later for his tenure as a prominent businessman and mayor in Toledo, Ohio.
Join Us In Celebrating The 419!
Join the Library, WGTE, Friends of Sidecut Metropark, the Maumee Valley Historical Society and others in celebrating 419 History Day for 2019.
Locke Library Life in the 1920’s
What was life like in the nineteen twenties at the Locke Library? Surprisingly similar to today!
Toledo Library Launches Two New Story Sharing Initiatives
The Toledo Lucas County Public Library is launching two new initiatives aimed at capturing the stories of its community through storytelling and photography.
New Options for Interacting With Our Digital Content
The Local History and Genealogy department of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library has loaded a number of digitized books onto Internet Archive as an alternative means of accessing them. We also shared all the metadata about our digital collections as open data, which is now accessible through GitHub.
Northwest Ohio Wartime Correspondence Digital Exhibit
A new digital exhibit showcasing letters written by Civil War and World War I soldiers to their friends and family back home.
Digital Exhibit Showcasing Teenage Views on Literature From the 1960s
A new digital exhibit showcasing book reviews done by students in the 1960s with links to revisit these classics is now available on the Library website.
Historical Images, Right in Your Twitter Feed
Get a fresh historical image of Toledo, Ohio delivered to your Twitter feed every day by subscribing to @tlcpldc.
Become a Part of Toledo’s History!
The Toledo Lucas County Public Library has launched a program to collect photos from the public to be preserved as part of our local history collections. Contribute your photos (physical or digital) to become a part of Toledo history.
Preserve and Share Precious Family Memories
Find out how the Library can help you make and preserve memories to share with loved ones.
Toledo Streets Newspaper Archive Now Available
The Local History and Genealogy department of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library has partnered with Toledo Streets, the local nonprofit news organization that helps those experiencing poverty with the opportunity to economically empower themselves. The first 74 issues of the newspaper are now available online through the Library.
The Night Before Christmas: Public Works of Art With Local Ties
The vault of the Blade Rare Book Room houses a variety of historical objects, including a set of Christmas paintings commissioned by the Public Works Administration Art Project in 1934.
Playwright Dr. John S. Scott Inducted into Toledoana Collection
Renowned playwright Dr. John S. Scott and his collective works were recently inducted into the Library’s Toledoana Collection, which features works by prominent Toledo and Northwest Ohio authors.
Knowledge Wins: Highlighting TLCPL’s World War I Poster Collection
Exploring the stories behind notable World War I posters in our digital collection.
Our Online Toledo Troopers Exhibit is Growing!
Check out the newest additions to our Toledo Troopers online exhibit, thanks to a donation of several unique items from former Toledo Troopers player Beverly Severance.
Haunted House Histories
If you'd like to put together your house's history, put on your detective hat and visit us in the Local History and Genealogy Department at Main Library!
Tracing Your Irish Ancestors
Ever wonder about your ancestors from Ireland, when they came here, if they came here and what they did when they got here?
New Digital Photos and How to Decorate With Them for Cheap
The Local History and Genealogy department of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library works to make our materials available as widely as possible by scanning books, maps, architectural drawings and photographs. They are made available through our partnership with Ohio Memory - here are some photo collections added in August.
Ohio Wetlands
Learn about the plants, animals and habitats found in local wetlands.
Making Memories That Last: Low Cost Gift Giving with the Library
Looking for a low cost, yet heartfelt gift for that someone special? Look no further than your Toledo Lucas County Public Library. The tech tools available at King Road, Oregon and West Toledo Branches will help you convert VHS, Super8, Slides and Negatives to a truly memorable gift.
National Day of Listening
The National Day of Listening is an opportunity to sit down to have a face to face conversation - and really listen.
Haunted Midwest Travel for Those Who Dare!
Love to be spooked? Here's a list of Midwest locations to visit this October (and some book recommendations as well)!
Hot Glass, Cool Characters: Vitrolite Visions
The Toledo Lucas County Public Library is celebrating everything Vitrolite!
Civic Literacy and Your Library
How do you know whether or not the information you have is credible, accurate, or true? We're here to help you make educated and informed decisions before casting your ballot.
Getting Started With Genealogy Research
Learn important steps to take when conducting Genealogy research.
Gridiron and Grace: A Look Back at the Toledo Troopers
Explore the history of the Toledo Troopers.
Using Archival Content to Affordably Decorate Your Home
Explore ways to use DPLA to affordably decorate your home.
Historic West Toledo
Our second Preserve Your Personal Story event at the West Toledo Branch, in collaboration with the Eleanor Kahle Senior Center, was a success. We hoped that this program would result in historical information about West Toledo, that we could share, and… it did!
A Tree for You, A Tree for Me – At the Library!
We're talking genealogical research and family trees in this edition of "At the Library!"
How the Library Helped Me Find My Family
For most of my life, I've know little about my "Grandma Bootsie," whom I lost too soon. I'd always wanted to learn more about this woman so many said I reminded them of, and her Irish family. The Library finally helped me find what I'd been searching for!
Get to Know Glass City
Ever heard of the Toledo War? Find out how a border dispute between Ohio and Michigan gave the buckeye state its fourth largest city and spawned the fiercest rivalry in college sports. Want to know how the Glass City got its name?
