Central Library (downtown Buffalo)

Enter the downtown Central Library from any of these accessible entrances:

• Washington Street entrance, across from Lafayette Square between Clinton and William Streets.
• Auditorium entrance on Clinton Street, only open when there is an event taking place in the Library Auditorium.

Directions to Central Library

1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo NY 14203, 716-858-8900

All roads lead to the Central Library! The Central Library of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System is conveniently located on Lafayette Square in the heart of downtown Buffalo.

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

The Central Library is one block north of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Bus Terminal. Several bus routes intersect at or near the Library, including the #1 William, #2 Clinton, #4 Broadway, #6 Sycamore and #8 Main routes. In addition, the Evans Bank Station @ Lafayette Square of the NFTA Metro Rail line is one block west of the Washington Street entrance to the Library. Fees for public transit may apply.

For more information, visit the NFTA Metro website or call 716-855-7211.

BY AUTOMOBILE

From the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport or points east, take the Kensington Expressway (Route 33) west into Buffalo. The Expressway empties onto Oak Street. Proceed south to William Street and turn right.

From the New York State Thruway (Route 90), take Route I-190 to Downtown Buffalo. Exit at Elm Street. Proceed north to William Street and turn left.

PARKING

Premium Parking (previously AllPro Parking) located directly next to the library, bordered by Broadway, Washington and Ellicott streets. Lot entrance is on Washington Street. You can enter the library from Washington or Ellicott streets. Their rates are as follows: 

Daily Rates
Up to 90 Minutes: (M-F)$6.84
Up to 12 Hours (Daily Max): (M-F)$14.14
Weekdays 24 Hr: (M-F)$20.53

Street parking behind the library (Oak Street), as well as Clinton and Williams Streets between Oak and Ellicott, can be accessed only by the Buffalo Roam app.  

Street parking on Washington Street, as well as Clinton Street between Ellicott and Washington streets can be accessed by parking kiosks as well as the Buffalo Roam app.

Both the Buffalo Roam app and the kiosks charge $2/hour for a maximum of 2 hours. Monday-Saturday after 5:00p, Sundays, and legal holidays are free. Legal holidays include New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

The Adam Parking Ramp (managed by Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps) is 2 blocks south of the library along Washington Street. Their rates are as follows: 

1 Hour: $2.00, Additional Hour: $2.00, 24 Hours: $9.00 - (Mon-Sun - All day)
Evening: $4.00 - (Mon-Fri In after 5pm Out by 6am)
Flat Rate: $4.00 - (Sat-Sun)

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

There are three accessible parking meters located around the Central Library building:

• Oak Street behind the library (between Broadway and Clinton streets) 
• William Street (between Ellicott and Oak streets) 
• Clinton Street (between Ellicott & Oak streets).

Rates are currently $2.00 per hour, with a maximum of two hours as set by the City of Buffalo. Parking meter rates and parking restrictions are determined by the City of Buffalo and are subject to change. Street parking is enforced from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend parking and evening parking after 5 p.m. is free at meters near the Central Library.

Meters take quarters, or you can use the pay station on Washington Street, which takes cash or credit cards.

Parking is enforced around the Central Library building by the Buffalo Police Department.

For more information on City of Buffalo Parking you can access their Frequently Asked Questions

PARKING APP

Buffalo Roam is a mobile app that allows drivers to pay for their parking using their smart phones. The app allows you to pay via credit card, receive alerts when your time is about to expire and extend your parking without running back to feed the meter, among other features. A 10-cent fee applies. This app is not owned or managed by the Library. For more information on their mobile app .

BIKE RACKS

The Library has bike racks located at the Washington Street entrance and at the Ellicott Street entrance. Bikes should always be securely locked. The Library is not responsible for lost or stolen bikes or biking equipment such as helmets.

BARRIER FREE ACCESS

All library entrances are barrier free.  The Washington Street entrance is open during all regular library hours.  The Ellicott Street entrance closes at 3:00 p.m. Monday – Friday.  Each offers cut-away curbs for wheelchair access. Automatic doors feature controls less than 48" high. Call 716-858-7185 for accessible parking information.

The Ellicott Street entrance (between William and Clinton Streets) is easiest to enter for vehicle drop-off. This entrance closes at 3:00 p.m. on weekdays. 

The Auditorium entrance on Clinton Street is also barrier-free. This entrance is only open when there are events in the Auditorium.

For general information, call 716-858-8900. TDD:  716-842-0051.

Map of the Central Library(pdf)
Book a Library Tour
Accessibility at Central Library

About the Central Library

Extending two city blocks in length and encompassing more than 400,000 square feet of floor space (and more than 58 miles of shelving), the Central Library at Lafayette Square is located in the heart of downtown Buffalo and is headquarters of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System.

Completed in 1964, this facility houses approximately two million volumes; special exhibition rooms for rare and valuable materials including the Mark Twain Room, the Collections Gallery and the Rare Book Room; a computer training lab; and the Launch Pad MakerSpace; plus a host of centralized administrative and support operations for the entire 37-site Library System. 

The downtown Central Library has a newly renovated 301-seat fully accessible auditorium, as well as three meeting rooms and other indoor and outdoor spaces that may be reserved for meetings/public programs by non-profit organizations and businesses.  Onsite author visits, children's programming, book clubs, movies and technology classes and demonstrations are regular happenings at the Central Library. For more information visit our calendar page or call 716-858-8900.

The Central Library offers three private study rooms for individual or small group use. Each study room provides a computer with Microsoft suite software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), internet access and printing capabilities. Study rooms are free to use and will be available during the Central Library’s open hours. Walk-ins are welcome and will be accommodated if a study room is not in use or reserved for use. 

Reservations can be made in-person at the Computer Reference Desk or by contacting Central Library staff at (716) 858-8900 (option 2 - speak to reference staff).

For more information, and guidelines regarding study room use please visit the Central Library Study Rooms: Use and Reservation (pdf) page.

Black and white copies from a copy machine are available for 15 cents each. Color copies are available for 50 cents each. Public access computers are available. Printing from public access computers  and Mobile Printing is available for 10 cents per black and white page and 25 cents per color page.

The Library has a fax machine located near Borrower Services by the Washington Street entrance.  Faxing is $1.75 for the first page and $1 for each additional page. 

New Feature at the Reading Park: What Is This?

“Spirit of Inspiration,” a public art sculpture designed as a new feature of Buffalo’s Reading Park in front of the Central Library near the Washington Street/Broadway corner, is inspired by the life and poetry of Buffalo poet Lucille Clifton.

The striking sculpture was designed by internationally acclaimed artist Olalekan Jeyifous. It was installed in the Reading Park on October 29, 2022; an official ceremony will take place in Spring 2023. 

"What can I do at a Public Access Computer?"

Wireless access is also available throughout the Library on all floors.

Now on Display at the Central Library
Meeting Rooms at the Central Library
Special Collections: Grosvenor Room (Genealogy, Music, Rare Books)
Mark Twain Room