Branch History
When it opened in 1913, the Cleveland Public Library Annual Report described Sterling Branch’s architecture as a modification of the Dutch style. The building is red brick with stone trimmings. Sterling Branch has a flat front with decorative brickwork that gives the 6,500-square-foot building a contrast of light and shade. The front entrance has decorative door surround. The windows are outlined and paneled in brick. The diaperwork pattern is repeated in panels of brick on all sides.
The building was designed to be as fireproof as possible with concrete walls, floors and stairways. Two club rooms were located on the second floor. A large club room that seated 150 people was designated for committee or neighborhood meetings and for the children’s story hour. This branch received updates in 1985.
Special Features
Our Sterling branch is known as the “convenient walking spot” for the medical center and many Asia Plaza users. Many patrons who work near this area pick up their reserves at this location. Sterling Branch serves a diverse population of business professionals, local artists, Asian immigrants, and lots of children. Its collection reflects this mix of patrons.
The collection contains many materials on best business practices, art techniques and history, adult and children’s books, many books and audiovisual materials for children of all ages, and a large Black World section of both fiction and non-fiction.
Learn more about the Sterling Branch >
Community Vision Plan
In 2014, CPL initiated the Community Vision Plan to gather the necessary input from library patrons to ensure that Sterling and all branches will offer appropriate services by 2019.
Engagement Process
The Sterling Branch visioning process includes three levels of engagement:
- Advisory Committee
- Stakeholder Focus Groups
- The Community At-Large
Advisory Committee
The Sterling Branch Advisory Committee includes the following members, representing local residents, neighborhood organizations, CPL staff, and library patrons:
- Celeste Bajorek | William Patrick Day School
- Erika Bell | Cuyahoga Community College
- Nia Campbell | Central Neighborhood Resident
- Adrianna Chestnut | Marion Sterling School Principal
- Donovan Duncan | Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
- Dolores Gray | Central Neighborhood Resident
- Trevor Hunt | Cleveland City Planning
- Sonya Pryor-Jones | Promise Neighborhood Initiative
- Cathy Kopinsky | St. Vincent Charity Medical Center
- Jason Minter | Burten Bell Carr Development Corp.
- Bobbi Reichtell | Campus District Inc.
- Monica Rudzinski | Sterling Library Branch Manager
Stakeholder Focus Groups
The focus group sessions will serve to complement the larger public meetings and online survey. By directly targeting key stakeholders underrepresented during public meetings, the focus group sessions can ensure a diversity of voices are heard and documented.
The Community At-Large
In order to engage a broad spectrum of the Sterling Branch community, the project includes public meetings and an online survey.
- Sterling Branch Public Meetings:
Public Meeting 1 | February 28, 2015 > - Online Survey: Take the Online Survey >