The Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County consists of two buildings, the Rundel Memorial Library building, opened in 1936, and the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building, opened in 1997. Located in the heart of Downtown Rochester, NY, at 115 South Avenue, the library offers the residents of the City and County a large collection of books, (both print and electronic) magazines, music, movies and more. In addition to its collection of materials, the Central Library provides quiet study spaces, public meeting rooms, a variety of free programs and opportunities for community engagement.
Patron Services Manager: Cynthia Dana
115 South Avenue
Rochester, NY 14604
(585) 428-7300
TDD: (585) 428-8023
Bus Lines:
23, 24, 45, 51, 53, 55, 83, 101, 102, 124, 145, & 155
Occasionally Bus Lines 81 & 82
Monday | 9:00 am – 8:30 pm |
Tuesday | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm |
Wednesday | 9:00 am – 8:30 pm |
Thursday | 11:00 am – 6:00 pm |
Friday | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm |
Saturday | Closed |
Sunday | Closed |
Open to the public for browsing, borrowing materials, copying, faxing, notary services, reference and research assistance and computer services (90 minute limit). Curbside services also available: request materials through the curbside pickup form, or call (585) 428-8020.
The Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library offers a wide selection of new and used items for sale in the Library Store. Inventory includes books, CDs and DVDs, educational toys and games, and stationery and gift items. Proceeds from all sales benefit the Rochester Public Library.
Located on the first floor of the Bausch & Lomb Public Library building, the café is open Monday through Friday from 11 am until 3 pm. A variety of healthy and delicious meals are prepared by culinary apprentices launching their new careers. The café follows a “pay-it-forward” model. Please click below for more information.
Chamber music with a twist! https://www.facebook.com/AdHocMus/
Join us for an evening with New York Times Bestselling author Liz Moore as she discusses her international bestseller, Long Bright River, and her other works. The novel takes place in Philadelphia, where Moore has lived for a decade. She traces the story of two sisters estranged from each other but bonded by their choices. Mickey is a cop, and Kacey lives on the streets in the vice of addiction. When Kacey …
If you dream of being a successful innovator, get ready for the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) free, online conference, Invention-Con 2022: Inspiring and redefining the innovative mindset, coming August 10-12 from 1-5 p.m. ET daily. Register for this special event. Join us as successful inventors, accomplished entrepreneurs, and expert USPTO staff demonstrate how intellectual property protection is key to your success, share invaluable resources for innovators, offer tips on business …
Meet us in the Middle Ground on the 2nd floor in the Children’s Center each week at 3:00 p.m. to celebrate different aspects of writing with other writers! This program is best suited for 8–12-year-olds. Registration is not required. For more information, please contact the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
You’re invited to join the Teen Central Summer dance and exercise event! Register in advance to participate in-person up to 25 participants) or online via Zoom. Events are held in the Kate Gleason Auditorium at the Central Library. If you have any questions, please call or email Faezeh @ teen.central@libraryweb.org. (585) 428-8451.
Join us in the Digital Media Lab to test out the new Esports equipment!!! Every Monday and Wednesday in August we will play a different competitive game. Test out our six new Esports stations complete with Alienware Aurora PCs, 27' curved monitors, Carbonfiber desks, and S-Racer gaming chairs. Fortnite – August 1st League of Legends – August 3rd Apex Legends – August 8th Brawlhalla – August 10th Valorant – August 15th DOTA 2 – August 17th Fortnite …
Pop-Up Movies: “Dog” (2022; rated PG-13; 101 minutes) Wednesday, August 10, 2022, 6:00pm Friday, August 26, 2022, 12:00noon Kate Gleason Auditorium In honor of National Dog Month, the Reynolds Media Center presents its first Pop-Up Movie as a tribute to our best friends. In this road-trip comedy, two hard-charging former Army Rangers paired against their will—Briggs (Channing Tatum) and a Belgian Malinois named Lulu—race down the Pacific Coast trying to make it to a fellow …
Whether you’re a beginner or a computer master, you’re invited to join the GWC club at the Central Library! Girls (6th-12th grades) who sign up for this 15 week summer program will learn how to code from our fun online tutorials and activities that will help them build animations, games, apps, and more! GWC have tutorials in Scratch, Python, Swift, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This …
If you dream of being a successful innovator, get ready for the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) free, online conference, Invention-Con 2022: Inspiring and redefining the innovative mindset, coming August 10-12 from 1-5 p.m. ET daily. Register for this special event. Join us as successful inventors, accomplished entrepreneurs, and expert USPTO staff demonstrate how intellectual property protection is key to your success, share invaluable resources for innovators, offer tips on business …
Join us for open playtime in our newly renovated Secret Room each Thursday from 11:00 until 12:00 p.m. This is best for children ages 2 – 5 years of age with a caregiver. For more information, please call the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
If you dream of being a successful innovator, get ready for the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) free, online conference, Invention-Con 2022: Inspiring and redefining the innovative mindset, coming August 10-12 from 1-5 p.m. ET daily. Register for this special event. Join us as successful inventors, accomplished entrepreneurs, and expert USPTO staff demonstrate how intellectual property protection is key to your success, share invaluable resources for innovators, offer tips on business …
Come to the Children’s Center of the Central Library on Friday afternoons between 1 and 4 pm and find the maker in you. Each week we’ll explore and create with different tools, materials, and methods. For more information, please call the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
Join our bi-weekly books & more discussion sessions and flourish your love for reading and learning! Discussion topics range from YA classics, non-fiction to manga and graphic novels to poetry around the world. Registration is required. We meet in the B-hive meeting room on the 2nd floor at the Central Library. This event will be live stremmed as well. To attend via Zoom, you must …
Come to the Teen Central on Mondays betwwen 2-5 and learn how to sew, crochet/knit, or just enjoy beading crafts while socializing with other teens in a safe and inclusive environment! If you have any questions, please email or call Faezeh at: teen.central@libraryweb.org – (585) 428-8451
Mondays are for Movies! Join us at 4:00 p.m. for a family friendly movie each week in the Secret Room. This week we are showing Space Jam: A New Legacy! This movie is about a rogue artificial intelligence who kidnaps the son of famed basketball player LeBron James, who then has to work with Bugs Bunny to win a basketball game. For more information, please call the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
Join us in the Digital Media Lab to test out the new Esports equipment!!! Every Monday and Wednesday in August we will play a different competitive game. Test out our six new Esports stations complete with Alienware Aurora PCs, 27' curved monitors, Carbonfiber desks, and S-Racer gaming chairs. Fortnite – August 1st League of Legends – August 3rd Apex Legends – August 8th Brawlhalla – August 10th Valorant – August 15th DOTA 2 – August 17th Fortnite …
This is a LIVE class and all supplies will be provided.
Summer reading is loaded with fun activities this summer! Visit the Teen Central, check out a few of your favorite YA titles, drop off your reading entry logs for a chance to get rewarded with awesome books, gift cards, and much more. Registration is not required. For more information, please stop by the YA Ref. Desk, call or email us at teen.central@libraryweb.org – (585) 428-5481
Rochester based singer-songwriter, guitarist and one man band combines elements of early rock and roll, blues, Americana and psychedelic rock. https://ryansutherland.bandcamp.com/
Superheroes have lots of special powers, but how many of those powers are also found in the animal kingdom? Find out here with the Wildlife Rockstars! Join Bridges for Brain Injury on Tuesday, August 16th from 3:00 until 4:00 p.m. in the Kate Gleason Auditorium to learn how animals are superheroes and what their superpowers are! This is an all-ages event. No registration required. For more information, please call the Children’s Center at 428…
Meet us in the Middle Ground on the 2nd floor in the Children’s Center each week at 3:00 p.m. to celebrate different aspects of writing with other writers! This program is best suited for 8–12-year-olds. Registration is not required. For more information, please contact the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
Join us in the Digital Media Lab to test out the new Esports equipment!!! Every Monday and Wednesday in August we will play a different competitive game. Test out our six new Esports stations complete with Alienware Aurora PCs, 27' curved monitors, Carbonfiber desks, and S-Racer gaming chairs. Fortnite – August 1st League of Legends – August 3rd Apex Legends – August 8th Brawlhalla – August 10th Valorant – August 15th DOTA 2 – August 17th Fortnite …
Create an sea theamed lantern using tissue paper, mod podge, glass jars and tea lights. All supplies will be provided. This program is for ages 16 and older. This program requires registration. Please register at
Whether you’re a beginner or a computer master, you’re invited to join the GWC club at the Central Library! Girls (6th-12th grades) who sign up for this 15 week summer program will learn how to code from our fun online tutorials and activities that will help them build animations, games, apps, and more! GWC have tutorials in Scratch, Python, Swift, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. …
Come to the Children’s Center of the Central Library on Friday afternoons between 1 and 4 pm and find the maker in you. Each week we’ll explore and create with different tools, materials, and methods. For more information, please call the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
Become a member of the Teen Central Teen Advisory Board! Join and meet new people, discuss teen concerns, help develop library programs and services you would like to see in the library, and talk about books — all while earning volunteer credits and having fun. This is your chance to make a difference! If you are interested in joining our Teen Advisory Board, please register here and email Faezeh at: teen.central@libraryweb….
Come to the Teen Central on Mondays betwwen 2-5 and learn how to sew, crochet/knit, or just enjoy beading crafts while socializing with other teens in a safe and inclusive environment! If you have any questions, please email or call Faezeh at: teen.central@libraryweb.org – (585) 428-8451
Mondays are for Movies! Join us at 4:00 p.m. for a family friendly movie each week in the Secret Room. This week we are showing The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run! After SpongeBob’s beloved pet snail Gary is Snail-napped, he and Patrick embark on an epic adventure to The Lost City of Atlantic City to bring Gary home. For more information, please call the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
Join us in the Digital Media Lab to test out the new Esports equipment!!! Every Monday and Wednesday in August we will play a different competitive game. Test out our six new Esports stations complete with Alienware Aurora PCs, 27' curved monitors, Carbonfiber desks, and S-Racer gaming chairs. Fortnite – August 1st League of Legends – August 3rd Apex Legends – August 8th Brawlhalla – August 10th Valorant – August 15th DOTA 2 – August 17th Fortnite …
Make this colorful wall hanging with Frances Hare. All supplies provided. The image is just a representation of what your wall hanging may look like. This is a LIVE class in the Art Division.
Dr. Michele Harper is a female African American emergency room physician in an overwhelmingly male and white profession. Brought up in Washington, D.C., in a complicated family, she went to Harvard, where she met her husband. They stayed together through medical school until two months before she was scheduled to join the staff of a hospital in central Philadelphia when he told her he couldn’t move with her. Her marriage at an …
Rochester-area musicians for the enjoyment and promotion of the mandolin and other mandolin family instruments including the mandola, mandocello, and mando-bass. https://www.facebook.com/RochesterMandolinOrchestra/
Meet us in the Middle Ground on the 2nd floor in the Children’s Center each week at 3:00 p.m. to celebrate different aspects of writing with other writers! This program is best suited for 8–12-year-olds. Registration is not required. For more information, please contact the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
Join us in the Digital Media Lab to test out the new Esports equipment!!! Every Monday and Wednesday in August we will play a different competitive game. Test out our six new Esports stations complete with Alienware Aurora PCs, 27' curved monitors, Carbonfiber desks, and S-Racer gaming chairs. Fortnite – August 1st League of Legends – August 3rd Apex Legends – August 8th Brawlhalla – August 10th Valorant – August 15th DOTA 2 – August 17th Fortnite …
Create this pretty sunflower with Bumblebees. Artist Frank Wolfs will show you how to use all the linoleum blades to create your own image. This is a LIVE class, all supplies are provided and will be returned to the Art Division.
Whether you’re a beginner or a computer master, you’re invited to join the GWC club at the Central Library! Girls (6th-12th grades) who sign up for this 15 week summer program will learn how to code from our fun online tutorials and activities that will help them build animations, games, apps, and more! GWC have tutorials in Scratch, Python, Swift, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This …
Join us as we sit down in conversation with Liz Wiseman, New York Times bestselling author, researcher, and executive adviser. Liz will talk about her latest book, Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger and Multiply Your Impact, and her other work. In Impact Players, Liz asks the question, why do some people break through and make an impact while others get stuck going through the motions? In every organization, …
Pop-Up Movies: "Dog" In-Person Pop-Up Movies: “Dog” (2022; rated PG-13; 101 minutes) Wednesday, August 10, 2022, 6:00pm Friday, August 26, 2022, 12:00noon Kate Gleason Auditorium In honor of National Dog Month, the Reynolds Media Center presents its first Pop-Up Movie as a tribute to our best friends. In this road-trip comedy, two hard-charging former Army Rangers paired against their will—Briggs (Channing Tatum) and a Belgian Malinois named Lulu—race down the Pacific …
Join our bi-weekly books & more discussion sessions and flourish your love for reading and learning! Discussion topics range from YA classics, non-fiction to manga and graphic novels to poetry around the world. Registration is required. We meet in the B-hive meeting room on the 2nd floor at the Central Library. This event will be live stremmed as well. To attend via Zoom, you must …
Come to the Teen Central on Mondays betwwen 2-5 and learn how to sew, crochet/knit, or just enjoy beading crafts while socializing with other teens in a safe and inclusive environment! If you have any questions, please email or call Faezeh at: teen.central@libraryweb.org – (585) 428-8451
Mondays are for Movies! Join us at 4:00 p.m. for a family friendly movie each week in the Secret Room. This week we are showing Sonic The Hedgehog! After discovering a small, blue, fast hedgehog, a small-town police officer must help him defeat an evil genius who wants to do experiments on him. For more information, please call the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
Join us in the Digital Media Lab to test out the new Esports equipment!!! Every Monday and Wednesday in August we will play a different competitive game. Test out our six new Esports stations complete with Alienware Aurora PCs, 27' curved monitors, Carbonfiber desks, and S-Racer gaming chairs. Fortnite – August 1st League of Legends – August 3rd Apex Legends – August 8th Brawlhalla – August 10th Valorant – August 15th DOTA 2 – August 17th Fortnite …
Create 2 pieces of sunflower stalks with Deaney of Deaney Weaney Blooms. You can display these paper sunflowers in a vase or hang on the walls of your home this summer—or for the next 10 summers =) Through a number of paper crafting techniques, you will learn how to transform flat sheets of paper into a beautiful, three-dimensional paper sculpture. This is a live class in the Art Division
O and her pipa bridge the gap between traditional Chinese folk music and American folk rock. https://ospipa.bandcamp.com/
Open to All Teens, Grade 6-12 (June 20th through August 31st) Register & submit your entry by emailing your photo to: teen.central@libraryweb.org *Ask at the Teen Central if you would like to drop off a print copy of your entry. If you have any questions, please call or email Faezeh at teen.central@libraryweb.org – (585) 428-8451 ************************************************************************ Submission Rules The contest is open to all teens (grades 6-12) …
Summer reading is loaded with fun activities this summer! Visit the Teen Central, check out a few of your favorite YA titles, drop off your reading entry logs for a chance to get rewarded with awesome books, gift cards, and much more. Registration is not required. For more information, please stop by the YA Ref. Desk, call or email us at teen.central@libraryweb.org – (585) 428-5481
Meet us in the Middle Ground on the 2nd floor in the Children’s Center each week at 3:00 p.m. to celebrate different aspects of writing with other writers! This program is best suited for 8–12-year-olds. Registration is not required. For more information, please contact the Children’s Center at 428-8150.
Join us in the Digital Media Lab to test out the new Esports equipment!!! Every Monday and Wednesday in August we will play a different competitive game. Test out our six new Esports stations complete with Alienware Aurora PCs, 27' curved monitors, Carbonfiber desks, and S-Racer gaming chairs. Fortnite – August 1st League of Legends – August 3rd Apex Legends – August 8th Brawlhalla – August 10th Valorant – August 15th DOTA 2 – August 17th Fortnite …
Whether you’re a beginner or a computer master, you’re invited to join the GWC club at the Central Library! Girls (6th-12th grades) who sign up for this 15 week summer program will learn how to code from our fun online tutorials and activities that will help them build animations, games, apps, and more! GWC have tutorials in Scratch, Python, Swift, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This …
Become a member of the Teen Central Teen Advisory Board! Join and meet new people, discuss teen concerns, help develop library programs and services you would like to see in the library, and talk about books — all while earning volunteer credits and having fun. This is your chance to make a difference! If you are interested in joining our Teen Advisory Board, please register here and email Faezeh at: teen.central@libraryweb….
Come to the Teen Central on Mondays betwwen 2-5 and learn how to sew, crochet/knit, or justhave fun making beading and other crafts while socializing with other teens in a safe and inclusive environment! If you have any questions, please email or call Faezeh at: teen.central@libraryweb.org – (585) 428-8451
Did you know that you don't need to know HTML, CSS, or Java Script to make a website? Sign up for these classes and learn to make your own website with WordPress for *free! You'll learn how to set up your WordPress website and customize it for your local business website, E-Commerce site, a personal or a blog website, etc. *Please note that you'll have to pay for your annual domain cost. …
Meet a children’s librarian in Highland Park at the tunnel tree across from Lamberton Conservatory for stories, songs, and rhymes. Storytimes help promote early learning skills and are a great way to bond with your little one. Best for toddlers, but older and younger siblings are welcome. Rain location is the Children’s Center. Call 428-8150 to confirm weather-related location changes. Registration not required.
Amanda played here duing the Jazz Fest and we brought her back by popular demand! Jazzy R&B that you won't want to miss. http://www.amandaashleymusic.com/
Business First Wednesdays are for aspiring or current business owners and is brought to you by the Business Insight Center of the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County and the SUNY Brockport Small Business Development Center. To register, please call the Business Insight Center at 585.428.8106, contact business.insight@libraryweb.org or see below. This program is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Small Business Administration. Services …
According the the Journal of the American Medical Association, the health benefits of writing were so powerful that “were the authors to have provided similar outcome evidence for a new drug, it likely would be in widespread use within a short time…” Learn about the amazing research on the physical, emotional, and mental benefits of expressive writing done the right way. Studies have …
Cannabis-related businesses will be highly regulated. Join us to learn from experts and get support from other cannabis entrepreneurs so you can effectively and legally operate your business. This group is faciliated by NY HempLab and ROC NORML. This group is open to those who are in the planning or startup stages of a cannabis related business. Funding for this program was made possible by the Harold Hacker Grant for the Advancement of Libraries. …
© 2022 Rochester Public Library. All Rights Reserved.
Website designed and developed by Mason Digital.