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.
Download This Week @ Central Schedule Here
Coming Up @ Central Library & Online: July 11-19, 2026
Saturday, July 11 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM "We the People": A Quilt of Belonging Pop-up Program. Grosvenor Room
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM "Uncle Sam: Symbol of Patriotism." Buffalo Presidential Center
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AP Gorny: Different from the Rest Curator's Tour. Meet at Rare Book Room
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3D Printer Certification Class. West Room*
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Love is Loud, Inc. Lunch with Neighbors. West Room
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Stitch Circle. Launch Pad MakerSpace
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Dungeons & Dragons. Central Meeting Room* (registrations fully booked)
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM "How to Write Like the Founding Fathers: Exploring the Art of Calligraphy" Workshop. Grosvenor Room*
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM "Assets in the Attic with Mark Dabney: A 3-Part Series." Ring of Knowledge
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Virtual Saturdays. Teen Space
2:00 PM - 4:45 PM Buffalo Writers' Critique Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room
Sunday, July 12 Library closed. Sunday hours resume September 13.
Monday, July 13 Library open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
9:00 AM- 12:00 PM Information Table: Pathways to Success - University at Buffalo. Near Computers
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Interactive Journaling Program Group Sessions. West Room*
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM MWBE: New York State Senator James Sanders, Jr. Upstate Tour. Auditorium
4:00 PM - 5:45 PM Art Break. West Room
Tuesday, July 14 Library open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM The Real in Business Youth Program. West Room
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Tiny Tots Storytime. Children's Room
10:30 AM - 1:00 PM It Takes a Village Action Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room*
Wednesday, July 15 Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's Room*
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Tea Blend Workshop. Collections Gallery Conference Room*
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Walk-up Tech Help. Information Services Desk or Computer Desk
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Movie Matinee: Forrest Gump (1994). Ring of Knowledge
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Teen Bingo Night. Teen Space
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities Strategic Planning Forum. Auditorium
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM City of Buffalo Housing Court Advisory Council Public Meeting. Central Meeting Room
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Speculative Fiction Book Club. Collections Gallery Conference Room
Thursday, July 16 Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Erie Institute of Law: 2026 Labor & Employment Law Update. Auditorium*
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Information Table: Pathways to Success - University at Buffalo. Near Computers
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM The Real in Business Youth Program. West Room
10:30 AM - 1:00 PM It Takes a Village Action Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room*
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Summer at Central: Petting Zoo & Musical Performance. Reading Park Ramp
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Wellness @ Central. Main Concourse & West Room
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Walk-up Tech Help. Information Services Desk or Computer Desk
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Library Board of Trustees Board Meeting. Joseph B. Rounds Board Room
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's Room*
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM AP Gorny: Different from the Rest Curator's Tour. Meet at Rare Book Room
Friday, July 17 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, July 18 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Central Library Tour. Meet at Café
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3D Printer Certification Class. West Room*
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Daughters of the American Revolution Museum Lecture. Gallery Conference Room
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Stitch Circle. Launch Pad MakerSpace
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Pint-sized Picassos. West Room
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Virtual Saturdays. Teen Space
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Peaceful Playtime. West Room
Sunday, July 19 Library closed. Sunday hours resume September 13.
Exhibits & Displays: Open during regular Library hours.
AP Gorny: Different from the Rest. Rare Book Room
We the People: Commemorating 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence. Ring of Knowledge
Council of Heritage and Arts of India, Inc. Trailblazers Exhibit. Collections Gallery
Uncle Sam, Symbol of Patriotism. Buffalo Presidential Center, open Saturdays 10 AM - 4 PM only
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