2024 Annual Report
See how the Library is connecting our customers through expanding our welcoming spaces and increasing access to new, innovative services and resources.
From the Library Director
2024 Year in Review
"In 2024, the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library unveiled the re-envisioned Downtown Main Library, an exciting space for Minds of All Kinds. The electrifying reopening weekend reinforced what we do every day: welcome people to meet, read, work, learn, create, and connect at our 41 locations."
Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director Paula Brehm-Heeger
Connecting to Useful Resources
Expanding Access to Government Resources
CHPL connects more than 1,000 people each month to vital government resources like free JFS faxing, public computers with WiFi, employment support, social security benefits, passport renewals, and much more. Because need is increasing in these areas, visits to library branches by Hamilton County’s 513 Relief Bus are also a welcome sight.
Encouraging Limitless Learning
Building Early Literacy Year-Round
Weekly library storytimes at CHPL’s 41 locations are filled with giggling kids, great books, and energetic, knowledgeable Youth Librarians. Beyond the surface, they’re an important way to practice counting, make new friends, and develop early literacy skills.
By including concepts from Science of Reading, CHPL storytimes also provide exposure to social skills and literacy tools and concepts. And, because the Science of Reading is part of Ohio’s school curriculum, kids get a jumpstart for success in the classroom.
Providing Reliable Information
Improving Digital Materials Availability
The Library is committed to offering digital materials, which are available to check out anytime, anywhere. To meet the needs of the 100,000+ CHPL customers who borrowed eBooks and eAudiobooks in 2024, the Library manages purchasing strategies to lower customer wait times and manage digital cost per circulation.
Fostering a Healthy Culture
Making Connections at Library Branches
Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library is committed to serving minds of all kinds during their 4 million visits to CHPL locations each year. Hamilton County residents tell us that the Library is their community living room, a welcoming a place to connect with others, access resources, and have fun.
Visits to CHPL spaces opened in 2024 have grown 16.7% (compared with the prior year), no surprise given that Ohio is one of the top 3 states in the U.S. for public library visits.
Creating Welcoming Spaces
Meet Me at Main
More than 12,000 people of all ages celebrated the reopening of the Downtown Main Library, a re-envisioned space for Hamilton County to connect with others, access resources, and have fun.
The redesigned meeting rooms, interactive areas for kids and teens, Catherine C. and Thomas E. Huenefeld Story Center, transformed North and South plazas, and the Social Stairs are part of the $43.4 million project to serve changing community needs.
Read the Annual Report
This year the Library helped community members find books and materials, build workforce development and technology skills, support small businesses and entrepreneurs, and provide life-long learning opportunities for everyone.
Read the entire report to explore how the Library empowered young Ohioans to build early literacy skills, succeed in school, and prepare for college, careers, and life.
Previous Annual Reports
