Columbus Metropolitan Library

Kids deserve access to healthy meals all summer long, and we're grateful to Children's Hunger Alliance for making that possible with free, healthy meals for kids at 19 library locations.

Service continues until school starts in each district – then, we'll pick up right where we left off with free Afterschool Snacks ❤️

And the number keeps rising! 😎 This is the FINAL WEEK to log your summer reading to earn prizes. Backlogging is allowed!

Join before Friday at columbuslibrary.org/summerreading.

In less than 40 minutes, the city of Xenia was forever changed by one of the worst tornadoes in American history ➡️

On April 3, 1974, an F5 tornado tore through the city with winds estimated at 300 miles per hour.

The tornado flattened entire subdivisions and damaged more than 3,400 homes, schools, churches, and businesses.

The hospital was spared by just one block's distance from the tornado's path. Still, more than 1,000 people were injured, and 34 lost their lives.

The storm was part of a “super outbreak” of tornadoes – where in just two days, 148 tornadoes struck 13 states, with the Ohio Valley suffering some of the worst damage. This F5 tornado was the deadliest of the outbreak.

About an hour after the Xenia tornado, another F5 struck near Cincinnati, killing five and injuring hundreds more.

📸 Images courtesy Grandview Heights Public Library

Friday is here! What are you reading this weekend? 😎

When Chimara and her mom came to the library, you could tell they were proud. Her mom was telling everyone in the room: she passed her driving test! 🎉

They stopped by the Driving Park Branch to print the paperwork for Chimara’s first driver’s license.

Before they left, they found out they could also have the document notarized – for free!

Congratulations on your license, Chimara 🌟

It’s home to the Ohio Supreme Court – and you can step inside on Friday 🧑‍⚖️

In 1930, construction began on this iconic Art Deco building at 65 S. Front St. in downtown Columbus.

Just as it was about to be finished, a natural gas explosion killed 11 workers and injured 50 more. The building was repaired and was finally completed in 1933.

It was originally known as the “Ohio Departments Building”, and for good reason – it housed the Departments of Health, Education, Taxation, Agriculture, Highways, Public Works, Aeronautics, Commerce, and Industrial Relations; in addition to the State Library and the Industrial Commission.

In 2004, after many renovations, The Supreme Court of Ohio moved into the building.

Today, it remains a nationally recognized example of Art Deco style in a public space, featuring an elaborate interior, and an extensive collection of paintings, murals, and mosaics.

Join us on a tour of the building with David Binkovitz of the Ohio Supreme Court on Friday, July 24 at 1:30 p.m.

🔗 RSVP: https://events.columbuslibrary.org/event/16312957

OK – who's next in line for this one? This book was due in 1996!

Good thing we got rid of overdue fines 😅

Columbus has closed the door on the 100-year-old Fairwood School 🍎➡️

It opened in 1924, serving the Driving Park neighborhood on Columbus’ east side for more than a century.

When it opened, it was considered an architectural gem. Designed by Howard Dwight Smith – who also designed Ohio Stadium – the building featured 18 classrooms, a kindergarten room, and a gym.

During World War II, it served as a ration station while students planted victory gardens on the school grounds. In the ‘50s, it grew to include basketball courts as well as facilities to play badminton and volleyball.

In the ‘60s, it was one of the first schools to implement the “Project CARE” program to boost reading skills among elementary-aged children (to wild success).

In the ‘80s, the school was the center of controversy around disciplinary protocol, which resulted in the district-wide establishment of in-school suspension centers in all middle and high schools.

In 2025, Columbus City Schools voted to close Fairwood along with four other schools.

Its last day of school was May 28, 2026.

The Columbus Landmarks Foundation now lists the building as one of the city’s most endangered historical sites.

📍 726 Fairwood Ave.
📸 Image courtesy Columbus City Schools

Happy Friday! Are you reading anything good this weekend? 😎