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 16 - May 25, 2026
Download This Week @ Central Schedule Here
Saturday, May 16 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Craft & Create: Painted Wine Glasses. West Room*
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Western New York Genealogical Society Meeting & Programming. Ring of Knowledge*
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM No New Jail Campaign Participatory Budgeting Session. Central Meeting Room
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3D Printer Certification Class. West Room* (registrations fully booked)
12:00 PM - 2:15 PM Information Table: Queen City Workers Center. Outside of Children's Room
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Dungeons & Dragons. Collections Gallery Conference Room* (registrations fully booked)
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
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM ShahJaan's Phlebotomy Graduation & Oath Ceremony. Auditorium (enter @ Clinton St.)
Sunday, May 17 Library open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Piano Recital with Ana Vafai. Auditorium
Monday, May 18 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, May 19 Library open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District Town Hall. Auditorium
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*
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Tarot Tuesday. Grosvenor Room
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Amazing Women's Shelter, Inc. Clothing Giveaway. Ring of Knowledge
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Information Table: Prom Fashion & Safety Week. Teen Space
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Teen Crafting. Teen Space
4:30 PM - 5:55 PM ISUPK Class. Collections Gallery Conference Room
Wednesday, May 20 Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Class Visit. Children's Room & West Room*
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Tea Blend Workshop. Collections Gallery Conference Room*
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Roots & Relax. (virtual)*
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Movie Matinee: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). Ring of Knowledge
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Teen Bingo Night. Teen Space
4:15 PM - 6:00 PM NYCLU Teen Activist Project. Collections Gallery Conference Room*
5:00 PM - 7:30 PM Liberation for One, Liberation for All (LOLA) Meeting. West Room
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Speculative Fiction Book Club. Collections Gallery Conference Room
Thursday, May 21 Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority Board Meeting. Auditorium
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*
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Wellness @ Central. Main Concourse & West Room
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Information Table: Prom Fashion & Safety Week. Teen Space
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Library Board of Trustees Meeting. Joseph B. Rounds Board Room
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's Room*
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM The Grant Lady Grant Writing Workshop. Central Meeting Room
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM AP Gorny: Different from the Rest Curator's Tour. Meet @ Rare Book Room
Friday, May 22 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Job Fair. Throughout Main Floor
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Walk-in Legal Clinic. Study Rooms
Saturday, May 23 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3D Printer Certification Class. West Room*
12:00 PM - 2:15 PM Information Table: Queen City Workers' Center. Outside of Children's 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 Community Curation 2026: Black Veterans & Memorial Day Discussion. Auditorium*
2:00 PM - 4:45 PM Buffalo Writers' Critique Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Peaceful Playtime. West Room
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Special Collections Tour. Meet @ Grosvenor Room* (registrations fully booked)
Sunday, May 24 Library closed for Memorial Day. Visit us 24/7 at www.BuffaloLib.org.
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM I PROMise Suit Fitting & Fashion Show. Auditorium
Monday, May 25 Library closed for Memorial Day. Visit us 24/7 at www.BuffaloLib.org.
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