Cincinnati:
The Klau Library
Open Today 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Cincinnati:
Learn More About Us
The Klau Library, Cincinnati, in quantity and quality of holdings, stands at or near the top of all American collections of Hebraica and among the strongest in the world.
The collection includes: 530,000 printed books, 1,200 current periodical subscriptions, 2,500 manuscript codices and many thousands of manuscript pages, 19,000 microfiche & 19,000 reels of microfilm, 100,000 digital images from manuscripts and early printed books, 3,300 sound recordings, 14,000 books in the Rare Book Room, and numerous non-book collections: Maps, Slides, Filmstrips, Bookplates, Stamps, Computer Programs, Games, and Kits.
Particular strengths of the collection include Ancient Near East Studies, Archives (non-American), Bible, Cabala, Calendars, Early Christianity, History, Jewish Americana, Maimonides, Philosophy, Rabbinics, Responsa, Spinozana, Wit and Humor, and Yiddish.
The Library is available to any resident of the Greater Cincinnati area, and also lends thousands of items yearly via interlibrary loan. Hundreds of reference questions are answered by the Library staff each year. Rare and important manuscripts, books, and special collections are lent by the Library to other institutions around the world in support of their exhibits and scholarly research. Treasures from the Rare Book Collection, as well as topical exhibits, are displayed in the Rabbi David Ellenson Rare Book Room and in the first floor exhibit case.
Public Access Hours
Monday: 1 pm – 4 pm
Tuesday: 9 am – 12 pm
Wednesday: 1 pm – 4 pm
Thursday: 9 am – 12 pm
Holidays and Closures
Monday, February 16
CLOSED for President’s Day
Wednesday, April 1- Thursday, April 2
Wednesday, April 8- Thursday, April 9
CLOSED for Passover
Monday, May 25
CLOSED for Memorial Day
All times are in ET
HUC students, faculty, and staff, students and faculty at other Cincinnati institutions of higher learning, and Cincinnati area residents (those living within the loop of Interstate 275). Please fill out to get started.
The Klau Library, Cincinnati
91¶¶Òõ
3101 Clifton Avenue,
Cincinnati, OH 45220
Where to Park
From 1-71 Northbound: Take 1-71 northbound to 1-75 northbound then follow directions below from 1-75 N.
From 1-71 Southbound: Exit 1-71 at Taft. When you leave the ramp you will be on Calhoun. Follow Calhoun west to its endpoint at Clifton Ave. Turn right (north) on Clifton. Go north on Clifton past the University of Cincinnati and past the traffic light at Martin Luther King Dr. The College’s campus is on the left about one block north of Martin Luther King Dr.
From 1-75 Northbound: Exit 1-75 N at the Hopple St. exit (exits from the left lane of 1-75). At the end of the ramp, turn left (east). You will go over 1-75. Continue on this street which becomes Martin Luther King Dr. after crossing Central Parkway (the first light after the exit ramp). Follow Martin Luther King to the top of the hill where there is a traffic light for Clifton Ave. Turn left (north) onto Clifton Ave. The College’s campus is on the left about one block north of Martin Luther King Dr.
From 1-75 Southbound: Exit 1-75 S at the Hopple St. exit. At the end of the ramp, turn left (east). You will go over 1-75. Continue on this street which becomes Martin Luther King Dr. after crossing Central Parkway (the first light after the exit ramp). Follow Martin Luther King to the top of the hill where there is a traffic light for Clifton Ave. Turn left (north) onto Clifton Ave. The College’s campus is on the left about one block north of Martin Luther King Dr.
From Cincinnati Metro: The College has a stop on the Cincinnati Metro’s bus system. The stop, Clifton Ave & 91¶¶Òõ, is accessible on the 17, 24, 38, and 51 bus routes. From the bus stop, follow the yellow and red lines on the above map through the campus to the library.
Mission
The Klau Library in Cincinnati functions both as a campus library and as the main research library within the 91¶¶Òõ Library system. Guided by the Mission Statement of the 91¶¶Òõ Library system, the Cincinnati Library acquires, preserves, and provides access to materials in printed, manuscript, and other formats, supporting the teaching functions of the rabbinical and graduate programs and meeting the research needs of its various users: the faculty, students, and staff of 91¶¶Òõ Cincinnati; the residents of the Cincinnati metropolitan area; and the broader Judaic academic and general community both in the United States and abroad. As the main research library in the system, the Cincinnati Library provides both its depth of resources and various library services to the other 91¶¶Òõ libraries.
Library System
The mission of the 91¶¶Òõ Library system is to collect, preserve, and provide access to the record of Jewish thought and experience throughout the ages and to related fields and disciplines. The Library system has a responsibility to support the teaching and research functions of the College and a special goal to document Reform (Progressive/Liberal) Judaism. Operating through the four campus libraries, the aim is to optimize total resources with a minimum of unnecessary duplication.
Inside the Klau Library
