Skip to main content

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 3-12, 2026
                                

Friday, July 3                                   Library closed. Visit us 24/7 at www.BuffaloLib.org.

                                

Saturday, July 4                             Library closed. Visit us 24/7 at www.BuffaloLib.org.

                                

Sunday, July 5                                Library closed.

 

Monday, July 6                              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*

4:00 PM - 5:45 PM                        Art Break. West Room

                                

Tuesday, July 7                              Library open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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*

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM                        Teen Crafting. Teen Space

4:30 PM - 5:50 PM                        ISUPK Meeting. Collections Gallery Conference Room

                                

Wednesday, July 8                      Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM                    Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's 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: National Treasure (2004). Ring of Knowledge

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM                        Teen Bingo Night. Teen Space

4:00 PM - 5:15 PM                        Library Foundation Meeting. Joseph B. Rounds Board Room

                                

Thursday, July 9                            Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM                    Information Table: Pathways to Success - University at Buffalo. Near Computers

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: Checkers the Inventor and the Great Dinosaur Discovery. Auditorium

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 Executive Committee Meeting. Joseph B. Rounds Board Room

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM                       Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's Room*

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM                        Game Night. Central Meeting Room

                                

Friday, July 10                                Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM                    Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Walk-in Legal Clinic. Study Rooms

3:30 PM - 4:45 PM                        Teen Advisory Group Meeting. West Room

                                

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. Luncheon. 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.

 

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.

Check out the VIP Pass

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. 

Central Library Space Utilization Study

photo of Central Library 1964

 

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