Central (downtown Buffalo)
Welcome to the downtown Central Library!
Central Library Regular/non-holiday/non-emergency hours
Monday & Tuesday: 8 am - 6 pm
Wednesday & Thursday: 8 am - 8 pm
Friday & Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm
Sunday: 12 pm - 5 pm
The fully accessible Washington Street doors to enter/exit the building are open during all library hours. The Washington St. entrance is located across from Lafayette Square, between Broadway and Clinton Streets.
Important - the Library's Ellicott Street, underpass entrance to the building is open during limited hours: Monday-Friday.
Coming Up @ Central Library & Online: May 30 - June 7, 2026
Download This Week @ Central Schedule Here
Saturday, May 30 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Mental Health Advocates of WNY Poetry Book Reading. Auditorium
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Literacy Buffalo Niagara Tutor Training. Collections Gallery Conference Room
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM "Total Effect: The Impact of Armenian Dynasty on World Civilization." Ring of Knowledge
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3D Printer Certification Class. West Room *
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Dungeons & Dragons. Central Meeting Room *
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Pint-sized Picassos. West Room
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Virtual Saturdays. Teen Space
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM UB HEALS Shop for Free Summer Clothing Event. Ring of Knowledge
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Peaceful Playtime. West Room
Sunday, May 31 Library open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Amherst School of Music Piano Recital. Auditorium
Monday, June 1 Library open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Interactive Journaling Program Group Sessions. West Room *
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Information Table: Cassadaga Job Corps. Near Computers
Tuesday, June 2 Library open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Class Visit. West Room *
10:30 AM - 1:00 PM It Takes a Village Action Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room *
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Teen Crafting. Teen Space
4:30 PM - 5:50 PM ISUPK Class. Collections Gallery Conference Room
Wednesday, June 3 Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM Class Visit. West Room *
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's Room *
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Cookbook Club. Central Meeting Room
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Walk-up Tech Help. Information Services Desk or Computer Desk
2:00 PM - 4:30 PM Information Table: Mother Knows Best Study. Outside of Children's Room
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Movie Matinee: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2023). Ring of Knowledge
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Teen Bingo Night. Teen Space
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Quarterly Book Swap: Speculative Fiction Edition. Collections Gallery Conference Room
Thursday, June 4 Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Class Visit. Children's Room *
10:30 AM - 1:00 PM It Takes a Village Action Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room *
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM CSEA Lunch for Library Members. Central Meeting Room *
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Walk-up Tech Help. Information Services Desk or Computer Desk
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's Room *
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Graphic Novel Book Club: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. Gallery Conference Room
Friday, June 5 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Class Visit. Children's Room & West Room *
10:30 AM - 4:55 PM Community Archiving Workshop. Central Meeting Room & Gallery Conference Room *
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM Teen Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting. West Room *
Saturday, June 6 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Erie County Dept. of Probation & Should Never Use Guns (SNUG) present What's Your Out? Part 2. Auditorium
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Love is Loud, Inc. Luncheon. West Room
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM University Express: "Remembering the Pan-American Exposition." Central Meeting Room *
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Pint-sized Picassos. Children's Room
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AP Gorny: Different from the Rest Curator's Tour. Meet @ Rare Book Room
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Explore Buffalo Lecture: "Italian Immigrants in Buffalo & Western New York." Ring of Knowledge
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Virtual Saturdays. Teen Space
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Peaceful Playtime. West Room
Sunday, June 7 Library open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Exhibits & Displays: Open during regular Library hours.
AP Gorny: Different from the Rest. Rare Book Room
Buffalo & the Erie Canal: An Enduring Legacy. Ring of Knowledge
Lincoln’s Funeral Train. Buffalo Presidential Center, only open Saturdays 10 AM - 4 PM
Programs denoted with an asterisk (*) are for pre-registered participants only.
Entering the Library:
Everyone must go through a weapon detection system to enter the Library.
The Washington St. entrance is open during all Library hours. The Ellicott St. open hours are varied. The Clinton St. entrance is only open for Auditorium programs.
Your Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card means you can receive discounts across Erie County. Learn more about the VIP program here.
We want to hear from you.
The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library is exploring how future interior improvements @ the downtown Central Library can better meet the needs of Erie County residents.
Imagining Buffalo Niagara in the 21st Century, after 600 programs,
IMAGINE Buffalo ran its final program in February 2026.
The Library is thankful to program host and volunteer Dennis Galucki.
IMAGINE Buffalo was sponsored by the Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature (C-SAAHN) in conjunction with the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Click here for an archive of past Zoom programs dating back to 2020: Archive of past IMAGINE Buffalo zoom programs
Click here for a full archive of all recordings dating back to 2009