Browse Our Collections:

The St. Vincent Collection of over 75 images captures over 100 years of the history of St. Vincent Church and St. Vincent – St. Mary’s High School. Founded by Irish immigrants in 1837, the history of St. Vincent is closely intertwined with the development of Akron and Summit County. This collection is contributed by St. Vincent Church which celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2012.

The Opie Evans Collection contains 125 photographs selected from the Opie Evans Papers held by Archival Services, University Libraries, University of Akron. The images were taken or collected by Evans and provide a rich visual history of the African-American community in Akron, Ohio and surrounding areas during the middle of the twentieth century. They also capture the 1964 and 1967 elections and the civil rights movement in Akron, Ohio. This collection is contributed by Archival Services, University Libraries, University of Akron.

The Edwin Bell Howe Glass Plate Negative Photograph Collection contains 19 images created from glass plate negatives created in the 1880s. Edwin Bell Howe, a descendent of the well known canal engineer Richard Howe, created these images of the canals and railroads in Summit County in the late 19th century. This collection is contributed by the Portage Lakes Historical Society.

The Building Summit County collection contains 500 images selected from the Summit County Historical Society's photograph holdings. These images show the homes and businesses of our growing communities, as well as the distructive power of fires and floods on those communities. This collection is contributed by the Summit County Historical Society.

The Lighter-Than-Air Flight in Summit County collection contains images from the 1927 National Balloon Race which started at the Akron-Cleveland Speedway and images of two iconic airships built in Akron, Ohio.  These twenty images are the first of many documenting Akron, Ohio as “The Lighter-Than-Air Center of the World.”  This collection is contributed by the Lighter-Than-Air Society.

The Images from Munroe Falls Historical Society Collection contains photographs documenting the development of this riverside community from its birth in 1835 through the early 20th Century. The Cuyahoga River continues to play an important role in this small but growing city. This collection is contributed by the Munroe Falls Historical Society.

The Houses of Hudson Collection contains 585 images of historic houses in Hudson, Ohio. These images were created by William Moos (1919-1984) who was a painter, architect and founding member of the Hudson Heritage Association. This collection is contributed by the Hudson Library & Historical Society.

These 26 postcards depicting Summit County landmarks were selected from the Paul Gramlich Collection. Mr. Gramlich was a teacher in the Cuyahoga Falls Schools and a librarian at Taylor Memorial Library. The entire collection is available from the Special Collections Division.

In 1872, the Ohio Legislature authorized P. H. Dudley, an Ohio Public Works Special Commissioner, to inspect the Ohio Canal. Mr. Dudley interviewed many millers, boatman, and lock keepers about the Ohio Canal system. The complete report is available online but Selected Depositions related to the Summit County portion of the Ohio Canal can be browsed here. This collection was contributed by the Special Collections Divsion of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

In 1790 the US began issuing patents to encourage innovation by making it profitable for the inventor.  Thousands of Summit County inventors were granted patents and the Inventors of Summit County Collection contains more than 100 of the earliest patents issued to these inventors.  The collection was contributed by the Science & Technology Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library. 

The Wingfoot Clan Newsletters were published by the Goodyear Company in Akron for their employees. They contain information about scientific and manufacturing advances as well as the social news of the day. The Wingfoot Clan - Aircraft Edition (1941-1945) and the Wingfoot Clan - Akron Edition (1939-1946) can be browsed or searched. These collections are contributed by Archival Services, University Libraries, University of Akron.

The Sports and Leisure from Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Collection includes 125 images of the Seiberling family and friends. Mr. Seiberling, son of F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling, was a successful businessman whose lifelong interest and skill in photography produced a visual history of the Seiberling family, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens and the world during the early 20th century. This collection was contributed by Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.

The Rubber Division, ACS Oral History Series includes segments of interviews with scientists, engineers, publishers, and executives from industry and academia who have made significant contributions to rubber science and technology. This collection was contributed by the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society. To download the complete interviews or see a list of the people interviewed, visit the Rubber Division's Oral History Page in Summit Memory.

The Online Map Room contains historic maps and atlases of Akron and Summit County. This collection was created through a collaboration between the University of Akron Libraries and the Special Collections Division.

The Barberton Churches Collection contains images of historic churches in Barberton, Ohio. This collection was contributed by the Barberton Public Library.

The Alumni Association of Akron City Hospital, School of Nursing Collection, contains images from the school's beginnings and City Hospital's origins in the late 19th century. This collection was contributed by the Alumni Association of Akron City Hospital School of Nursing.

The Early Akron from Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Collection contains 23 images captured by Willard Penfield Seiberling (1892-1981). Mr. Seiberling, son of F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling, was a successful businessman whose lifelong interest and skill in photography produced a visual history of the Seiberling family, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens and the world during the early 20th century. This collection was contributed by Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.

The David P. Campbell Postcard Collection contains more than 500 postcards from around Ohio. Dr. Campbell, a retired psychologist, became fascinated by the content of the postcards, material used to create them and what they might say about us. This collection was contributed by the Archives of the History of American Psychology at the University of Akron.

The Times They Were A-Changin': Akron Remembers 1968 contains images and audio excerpts recalling this pivotal year.  The excerpts were taken from oral history interviews collected as part of a collaborative project of the Akron-Summit County Public Library and Dr. Gregory Wilson and students enrolled in his Fall 2008 course on public history at the University of Akron.  This collection was contributed by the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library and the Akron Beacon Journal.

The Trucking History Collection contains more than 100 images from a larger collection donated to the Library by the Pioneer Motor Traffic Club. These images celebrate the trucking industry and Akron's role as the birth place of the motor carrier industry.

The Anna Dean Farm Collection contains more than 30 images of the 3,500-acre scientific farm in Barberton, Ohio, established by wealthy industrialist and founder of Barberton, Ohio C. Barber. The farm was named for Barber's daughter, Anna, and her husband, Dr. Arthur Dean Bevan. This collection was contributed by the Barberton Public Library.

The Jewish Community Board of Akron Collection contains more than 70 images selected from the collection donated to the Library by the Jewish Community Board in 2007. These images capture the history of a vibrant Jewish community in Akron.

The Artwork of Joseph Jesensky contains nearly 150 images created by naturalist Joseph Jesensky. This collection was donated to the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library by Maureen McGinty.

The O.C. Barber Mansion Collection contains more than 40 images of the opulent mansion built by wealthy industrialist Ohio Columbus Barber. This collection was contributed by the Barberton Public Library.

The Civil War Collection contains documents and images for the Civil War era related to Summit County residents such as General Alvin Coe Voris and John Brown. This collection was contributed by the Summit County Historical Society.

The Art Work of Akron is a book of iconic Akron-Summit County images published in 1898 by the W.H. Parish Publishing Company of Akron, Ohio. This collection of more than 50 images from the book was contributed by the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The High Bridge Glens Collection contains images relating to the 1880s resort in Cuyahoga Falls. In 2007, the City of Cuyahoga Falls received a grant to clean up and redevelop this historic area. This collection was contributed by the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society.

The Doodlebug Disaster Collection contains more than 40 images and text about the 1940 trainwreck in Cuyahoga Falls and the 2005 Memorial Ceremony commemorating the disaster. This collection was contributed by the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society.

The Akron Banknotes Collection contains more than 50 images of currency created during the "Main Street Banking" era; when local banks issued money emblazoned with the names of their institutions. This private collection was loaned to the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The Ruth Wright Clinefelter Postcard Collection contains hundreds of postcards from the Akron and Summit County areas. This private collection was loaned to the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The Akron Metro RTA Collection contains nearly 130 images documenting the public and mass transportation history of Summit County. This collection was contributed by the Akron Metro RTA.

The Cascade Locks Park Collection contains images and documents relating to the historical development of Locks 10 through 16 of the Ohio and Erie Canal and the Mustill Family and store. This collection was contributed by the Cascade Locks Park Association.

The Samuel Shepard Collection contains images of the publisher of The Informer, an African American newspaper in Akron during the 1950s as well as many issues of The Informer. This collection was contributed by the Summit County Historical Society.

The Ott Gangl Collection contains 180 contemporary photographs of the Akron and Summit County area. It was contributed by the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The Shorty Fulton Collection, containing images and historic documents relating to the Akron-Fulton Airport, the Rubber Bowl, and the Soap Box Derby, was contributed by the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The Tallmadge History Collection is drawn from the Frank E. Lawrence Collection housed at the Tallmadge Branch Library. It contains more than 90 images of the hundreds of items in the Lawrence Collection documenting the history of Tallmadge, Ohio.

The General Photograph Collection of the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library contains hundreds of images of Summit County.

The Naval Air Station Collection, containing images and documents of the US Naval Air Station based at the Akron- Fulton Airport during the cold war, was contributed by the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The Samuel Lane Collection contains many original 19 th century photographs created for Mr. Lane’s Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County history book. This collection was contributed by the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The Firestone Tire & Rubber Collection, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Collection, B. F. Goodrich Collection and the Local Rubber Companies Collection contain newspaper clippings from the 1930s through the 1970s and were contributed by the Business & Government Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library. These collections are only available for use inside any Akron-Summit County Public Library.