Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library staff work hard every day to serve minds of all kinds. Our innovative spirit has made us an industry leader in the library field. Our organization and staff have received a wide range of recognition for their dedication to public service and expertise in the library field.
- 9 consecutive Library Journal Five-Star Library, opens a new window awards (2012-2021)
- 2025 Library Journal 2025 Movers & Shakers Change Agent Awards
- Awarded to Community and Employee Engagement Director Michelle Matthews and West End Branch Manager Keloni Parks
- 2025 Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement
- 2025 Career Achievement Award to Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director Paula Brehm-Heeger from the American Society for Public Administration - Greater Cincinnati Chapter
- 2025 AIA Ohio Design Honor Award for Forest Park Branch
- 2025 Engineering News-Record's Award of Merit in Midwest for the Downtown Main Library
- 2024 Hamilton County Commission’s 513 Relief Bus COMMITMENT Award
- 2023 Hamilton County Public Health's We THRIVE’s Community Partner Award
- 2023 Westwood Works' Sister Ann Renee Outstanding Community Partner Award
- 2022 Workforce Council of Southwest Ohio's Workforce Champion Innovation Award, opens a new window
- 2022 Cincinnati Preservation Association's Excellence in Institutional Rehabilitation Award, opens a new window
- 2022 Ohio Library Council Library Innovation Award, opens a new window
- 2022 Ohio Library Council Service Excellence Award, opens a new window
- 2022 Special Districts Top 10 Technology Innovation Award, opens a new window
- 2022 Greater Cincinnati Chinese Cultural Exchange Association's Community Leadership Award
- 2022 Southwest Ohio Region Workforce Investment Board's Super Partner Award, opens a new window
- 2022 Southwest Ohio Region Workforce Investment Board SuperAward for Outstanding Partnership, opens a new window
- 2021 Auditor of State Award with Distinction
- 2021 and 2007 John Cotton Dana Award, opens a new window
- 2021 National Customer Service Association’s Service All-Star Awards, opens a new window
- 2021 Ohio Library Council's John Phillip Outreach Award, opens a new window
- 2021 Ohio Library Council's Diana Vescelius Emerging Leader Award, opens a new window
- 2021 Association for Strategic Planning's Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award Honorable Mention, opens a new window
- Urban Libraries Council Innovation Award, opens a new window
- Top Innovator: (2016, opens a new window & 2021, opens a new window)
- Honorable Mention (2019, opens a new window & 2020, opens a new window)
- 2020 Institute for Museum and Library Services' grant, opens a new window
- 2017 Ohio Library Council's Library Innovation Award, opens a new window
- 2016 Southwest Ohio Region Workforce Investment Board's Super Outreach Partner, opens a new window
- 2015 Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District's John Van Volkenburgh Award, opens a new window
- 2013 Institute of Museum and Library Services' National Medal for Museum and Library Services
- 2013 Duke Energy's Power Partner Award, opens a new window
Updated 1/8/2026
