The Special Collections Division houses the genealogy and local history materials of the Akron-Summit County Public Library and the document and photograph collections of the Summit County Historical Society.

All archival materials must be used in Special Collections. To search the collections, please see below.

  • Archives Catalog
    Search archival materials from Library and Summit County Historical Society collections. (Note: The Archives Catalog serves as an index to our collections and does not include images.)
  • Summit Memory
    Search our digital collections of historic photographs, documents, newspapers, artifacts and audiovisual resources from the Library, as well as our partner organizations throughout the county.

Finding Aids

Our archival holdings include many individual collections. Finding aids for each are listed below. To view a PDF on the web, your computer must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader application installed.

A

Collection TitlePDF
Akron's 175th Anniversary
Akron Art Time Capsule
Akron Beacon Journal Spelling Bee News Clippings
Akron Beacon Journal Veterans Projects
Akron Crime Clinic Collection
Akron Digital Media Center Collection
Akron Jaycees Collection
Akron Mineral Society
Akron Motorcycle Dealers and People
Akron OASIS Collection
Akron PTA Collection
Arbeiter Saengerbund Freiheit Club Collection

B

Collection TitlePDF
Bain E. “Shorty” Fulton Collection
Berrodin Collection
Beth El Congregation
Bloetscher Collection

C

Collection TitlePDF
Castel di Sangro Club
Cauffield Collection
Charles Cook Bronson’s History of Tallmadge and the Western Reserve
Coach House Theatre Collection
Coming Together Project
Coss Collection
Cunningham/Cunningham-McCafferty Funeral Home Records, 1906 – 1966
Taylor Memorial and Cuyahoga Falls Collection

D

Collection TitlePDF
D. Bruce Mansfield Collection
Daniel and Anna K. Bender Family Collection
David McCann Collection

E

Collection TitlePDF
Eastman Collection: Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends
Edwin Shaw Hospital - Briar Hill Cemetery Collection

F

Collection TitlePDF
Fairlawn Garden Club Collection
Fairlawn West United Church of Christ
Fortnightly Study Club Collection
Frank-Klein Collection
Frank E. Lawrence Collection
Fred W. Albrecht Grocery Acme Man Radio Scripts
Frederick J. Ilse Collection
Furnace Street Mission/ Victim Assistance Program

G

Collection TitlePDF
Garden Forum of Greater Akron Collection
German American Club Collection
Glendale Cemetery 175th Collection
Greater Akron Legal Secretaries Collection
Greater Akron Touchdown Club

H

Collection TitlePDF
H. L. Ginaven Collection
Hal Fry Collection
Harriet Leaf Collection
High Street Christian Church

I

Collection TitlePDF
Imagine Akron 2025
Inventure Place/Inventor's Hall of Fame

J

Collection TitlePDF
Jewish Community Board of Akron Collection
John R. Dixon Collection
John Morgan Collection
John F. Seiberling Collection
Joseph D. Jesensky Collection
Junior League of Akron Radio Scripts

K

Collection TitlePDF
Kepler Coss Collection of materials about Green Township
Krumroy Senior Citizens Center Collection

L

Collection TitlePDF
Lewis Tobias Collection
Lighter-Than-Air Collection
Louise Sumner Board Collection
Lutz Collection of Veterans’ Burial Cards

M

Collection TitlePDF
Mary Near Frashuer
Memories of Downtown
Miller Horns Collection

N

Neighborhood History Project
Noble Elderkin Collection
Northern Ohio Golf Charities Collection

O

Collection TitlePDF
Old-Time Athletes Association
Ott Gangl Collection
Ott Gangl Kenley Players Collection
Ott Gangl Ohio Ballet Collection
Our Lady of the Elms Family History Collection

P

Collection TitlePDF
Pfahl Collection
Phi Chapter Delta Kappa Gamma Collection
Pi Beta Phi Akron Alumnae Club
Pierson Collection
Polly Paffilas Collection

R

Collection TitlePDF
Ralph Holaday Collection
Ralph E. (Koehn) Kane Collection
Richard Gardner Collection
Roadway Express Collection
Robert Orr Collection
Robert W. Little Collection
Roderic B. Dibbert Collection
Rubber City Retreads Collection
Rubber History Collection

S

Collection TitlePDF
Saalfield and Werner Publishing Companies Collection
Saint Paul's Catholic Church
Samuel Lane Collection
Sherwood Kessell Collection
Six-Hour Day Collection
Smith-Clouse Collection
Sounds of the City
Stone Letters Collection
Summit County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
Summit County Medical Society Collection
Summit Metro Parks
Summit Regional Council of Catholic Women

T

Collection TitlePDF
Thomas Knowles Collection
“The Times They Were A-Changin’: Akron Remembers 1968” Oral History Project Collection
Trucking History Collection
Turkeyfoot Island Collection

U

Collection TitlePDF
U.S. Naval Air Station, Akron Collection

V

Collection TitlePDF
Van Dusen and Marquardt Family Collection
Veterans’ Grave Registration Cards
Veterans' Burial Reports

W

Collection TitlePDF
Wallpaper Project
William W. Cox – Mohawk Rubber Company Collection
WITAN (Women in Touch with Akron’s Needs)
Women’s Art League Collection

Our Mission: The Akron-Summit County Public Library provides resources for learning and leisure, information services, meeting spaces, and programs for all ages that support, improve, and enrich individual, family, and community life.