Main Library throws party to show off renovations

Contributed

The reopening of the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Public Library’s Main Library’s $43.4 million refresh on July 12-14 was a celebration weekend that provided guests with events, programs, and musical guests, as the Main Library hosted a party. The renovations are part of the Library’s Facility Master Plan.   

Friday, Saturday and Sunday included events, programs, and performances throughout the South Building including the redesigned meeting rooms and interactive areas for kids and teens. Multiple new features including the Social Stairs and Phronesis light sculpture was also a large part of the event that provided free guided tours to visitors.

Library officials reported the festivities resulted in more than 12,000 attended throughout the weekend, over 5,000 item check-out transactions and, 898 new library cards created on Saturday alone, beating the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library’s previous record of 584 library card sign ups in one day (August 20, 2023).  

At 540,000 square feet in downtown Cincinnati, the Main Library is the Library’s flagship location, accounting for about half of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library’s public space. In December 2017, the Library Board of Trustees confirmed the desire to retain the Main Library’s North Building, and to have both buildings of the Downtown Main Library re-envisioned to better meet customer needs.

The project included the Main Library Plaza redesign and interior refresh designed by Group 4 Architecture + Champlin Architecture. The Main Library renovation injects the cultural and geographic landscapes of Cincinnati and Hamilton County into the existing mid-century modern buildings.

The project included:

• The plaza walls in both the South and North Plazas were removed and the South Plaza was lowered to street level to create a safer and more welcoming Vine St. entrance.
• Portions of the interior of the library received a light renovation.
• The new, at-grade South Plaza and large glass curtain wall now welcomes library users to the revitalized atrium. The design expresses the wonderful range of library spaces within. Upon entering the atrium, an inviting and warm social stair knits together the Walnut Street and Vine Street entrances while providing a range of seating opportunities for individuals, small groups and large events. Inspired by the hills of Cincinnati, this welcoming design provides new amenities and gathering spaces, as well as an intuitive connection to the upper floors of the library, accessed through a new stair extending from the second floor upwards.

Journey through three floors and 540,000 square feet of books, movies, music and more at the Main Library with new spaces and services for you to enjoy, including:

• Redesigned spaces like meeting rooms and interactive areas for kids and teens
• The new Catherine C. and Thomas E. Huenefeld Story Center to record and share history with future generations
• Outdoor plazas with new public art and spaces to gather
• Return of the beloved book sculpture 
• Phronesis, a new large-scale light sculpture
• Skylight and elevator replacement

The heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) and electrical systems in the South Building – built in the 1950s – were updated in 2020.  The South Building roof was replaced recently, providing a completely updated roofing system for the entire 540,000 square foot building.

The Social Stairs begins in the atrium of the Downtown Main Library and starts off with the Country Boogie and Jump Blues hits of the late 1940’s that made King Records the sixth largest record company in America by 1949.

Lots of new music was emerging in 1945 – like Bluegrass, Jump Blues, and Country Boogie – much of which was recorded right here in Cincinnati. These genres are shown with yellow and orange tints on the staircase.

The Library also began its musical history at this time, with CHPL’s collection expanding to sound recordings. The Library’s first record in its collection was a Cincinnati Opera album, acquired in 1946, through a donation by the Cincinnati Opera. That record has a place on the staircase as a tribute to that occasion.

As you climb the stairs into the 1950’s, you’ll reach the second floor of the Downtown Main Library and see the emergence of then-new genres like Doo Wop and Rockabilly – shown on the staircase in darker green colors.

All 40 branches and the downtown Main Library will receive improvements over the next 10 years. This is a generational moment for our Library and our county. We have a rich tradition of truly outstanding public library service and a community that supports and appreciates the many benefits a strong and healthy public library offers the community.