You don’t have to be a jet-setting billionaire to live with original works of art in your own house. In Summit County, all you need is a library card.
The Akron Art Library is a collection of original artworks ranging from paintings, prints, photographs and mixed-media works created by local, regional and international artists. Any Ohio resident with a library card is eligible to check-out artworks for up to four weeks at a time from the Akron-Summit County Public Library Main Library, and the Odom Boulevard, North Hill, and Ellet branches. The Akron Art Library add new works so check back and find something new to check out.
To view and reserve artworks in the Akron Art Library collection, visit the ASCPL online catalog at akronlibrary.org.
The Akron Art Library is displayed at the Akron-Summit County Public Library Main Library, across from the reference desk in the Culture and AV department on the second floor. Artwork is available for four-week check out periods with up to five renewals if the work has not been reserved by another library patron.
The Akron Art Library aims to enrich lives through contemporary art and encourage participants to collect art and engage with local artists and programs as they curate their own lives. As part of this lending program the museum will offer programs about collecting, displaying and caring for art.
Artists whose work has been included in the first iteration of the art library include Butch Anthony, Max Markwald, Micah Kraus, Natalie Lanese, Angelo Merendino, Kadir Nelson, Jenny Schmid, John Sokol, Shane Wynn and many others.
The Akron Art Library is a project of the Akron Art Museum in partnership with the Akron-Summit County Public Library.