Written by Liz Foreman, Brand Coordinator, Downtown Main Library
We insist on being a library for all. All minds. All modes. All needs. More than 2.4 million visits are made to the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library each year from customers living in and working in our diverse, vibrant, and unique neighborhoods. Our series Meet a Library Customer, opens a new window shares the stories that minds of all kinds have each day at CHPL.
Like clockwork on Wednesdays, 94-year-old Janet and her daughter, Lynne, enter the Deer Park Branch and immediately see their friends. Senior Lunch at the Library is their time to catch up on neighborhood chatter over a hearty meal.
When the doors open to the branch’s large meeting room, the 60 seats fill quickly, and the aroma of Chinese food is in the air. Today’s entrée, selected the previous week by a vote of those in attendance, is a choice of shrimp or chicken with broccoli and rice.
"I meet with other people, get good food, and I get out of the house," Janet said. "It's just a real good experience!”
Connecting with Others at the Library
The Library helps foster Janet's sense of belonging and companionship.
“It’s really her only opportunity to get out and talk with other people,” explained Lynne, who drives in from the far east side of town to accompany her mother to Senior Lunch. “It’s been amazing for her, and it’s just very much appreciated.”
65 Years of Connecting at the Deer Park Branch
Things have changed since Janet moved to the neighborhood in 1960. The Library has grown from a small spot at Deer Park High School, to a small storefront, and now to a large, accessible space in the Dillonvale Shopping Center, where people from all backgrounds can comfortably meet.
“It's a wonderful library, and a wonderful program,” Janet emphasized before going on to share her fondness for audiobooks and reading.
Powered By Community Partners and Neighborhood Restaurants
Tsippy Gottlieb, of partner Deupree Meals on Wheels, opens a new window, orchestrates the healthy lunches three seasons a year (Senior Lunch takes a break in summer). There's no cost to the Library, as the food is provided by Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio and sourced from nearby restaurants, in turn supporting the local economy. Today’s meal is from Imperial Wok, right across the street from the Deer Park Branch.
It’s a perfect example of the Library’s role in connecting our community. Seniors in the community feel welcome while the Library provides space to connect.
"I just want to thank everybody for putting it on and giving their time and energy,” Janet said.
“We're just very, very appreciative of everything that the Library has available for us to use and to just get her out of the house and so she doesn't just sit in her chair all day. So, thank you so much for everything that the Library does. We're just very blessed to have Deer Park Library that we can come to,” Lynne added.
Connect with Other Seniors at a Library Event
Seniors are right at home at the Library; more than 5,394 people attended the Library's senior events in 2024.
While Senior Lunch is on summer pause, check out one of the hundreds of Library events for seniors throughout Hamilton County. And, check out long-running events for seniors like Memory Cafe and Golden Hour for Retired Adults.
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