Westlake Porter Public Library Celebrates 140 Years!

Westlake Porter Public Library will celebrate its 140th anniversary on Sunday, December 15. The library will host celebratory events including a holiday cookie bake-off judged by a panel including local professional bakers, a prize drawing which patrons can enter by finding one of 140 paper Leonard Porters, and a WPPL trivia worksheet challenge for a chance to win prizes.

Westlake Porter Public Library was founded in 1884 when Leonard Porter bequeathed $1,000 and his personal book collection to form a library in Dover Township (now Westlake). Over the decades the library has grown alongside the community, relocating in the 1950s and 1970s before moving to its current location in 1986. In 1999-2002 the library expanded its building to about 70,000 square feet to accommodate continued growth. In 2023 the addition of a Makerspace and the Friends Programming Pavilion opened further enhanced the library’s services and offerings.

In 2023 nearly 794,000 items were checked out and over 267,000 individuals visited the library, and staff answered over 91,000 reference questions. Leonard Porter’s original book donation can still be viewed today under protective glass in the local history section of the library.

“I believe Leonard Porter would be proud of what the library he founded has become,” said Library Director Andrew Mangels. “It’s a community hub, a center of learning, a meeting place, a place to find entertainment, and much more. We look forward to celebrating all of that with our community.”

To learn more about Westlake Porter Public Library’s history and the planned events, please visit westlakelibrary.org.