State Library of Ohio
Every resident of Ohio has free access to a statewide library system run by State Library of Ohio. With a local library card, students, parents, and teachers can use research databases, ebooks and audiobooks, and learning programs at no cost. Here is what is available and how to get it.
Ohio public libraries at a glance
Research databases: Ohio Web Library (OPLIN / Libraries Connect Ohio)
Ohio Web Library (OPLIN / Libraries Connect Ohio) is Ohio's free statewide research service.
Resources students can use inside Ohio Web Library (OPLIN / Libraries Connect Ohio) include:
- EBSCO Explora (PreK-5, 6-8, 9-12)
- Academic & Business Source Premier
- World Book (Kids, Student, Advanced, Early Learning)
- Oxford Research Encyclopedias
- ProQuest CultureGrams & Ancestry Library Edition
- Gale Chilton Library
Ebooks & audiobooks: Ohio Digital Library (Libby/OverDrive), free with a library card.
Accessible reading & talking books
Students and family members who cannot read standard print (because of a visual, physical, or reading disability such as dyslexia) can get free audiobooks and braille through the state talking-book library, part of the national NLS network and its BARD download service. The Ohio Library for the Blind & Physically Disabled (OLBPD), operated by Cleveland Public Library, is Ohio's NLS regional library; Ohioans unable to read standard print apply with a certified application.
Find a library & get a card
Use the official locator to find your nearest Ohio public library, hours, and how to get a card. Find a library →