Join the Grand Reopening of the Expanded and Renovated Walnut Hills Branch

Written by Joe Armstrong, Content Specialist, Marketing, Downtown Main Library

Work on CHPL's latest Next Generation Library is complete and after years of planning and construction, you’re invited to join us for the Walnut Hills Branch Grand Reopening on Thursday, October 20 at 10 a.m.

Come to the Grand Reopening!

After closing for construction on October 29, 2020, we are so excited to welcome customers back to the Walnut Hills Branch Library! Stop by the Grand Reopening today until 8:45 p.m. Our location is 2533 Kemper Ln.

Featuring an expansion that seamlessly blends into the original Carnegie building, there are plenty of new and old spaces to explore!

Your New Next Generation Big Library

From floor to ceiling, you’ll find something new to discover everywhere you look in the new Walnut Hills Branch Library:

• The branch has doubled in size and is CHPL’s second largest branch at nearly 20,000 square feet
• The branch is fully accessible, including all entrances, meeting rooms, and restrooms
• Seven small- and medium-sized meeting and study rooms and one large community room
• A community meeting space on the lower level with a 99-person capacity
• CHPL's first tablet kiosk with 12 iPads to use within the branch
• Two, 24-bay laptop kiosks for in-library use
• Multiple wireless and plug-in charging stations
• One-of-a-kind historic elements preserved from the original Carnegie Library building
• 40 additional parking spots for customers

Blending Old and New

The Walnut Hills Branch Library opened in April 7, 1906, and was the first of nine branch libraries in Cincinnati built through the generosity of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Over 100 years since its opening, the branch began to not meet our customers' needs. The building wasn’t accessible, the basement faced major repairs for water infiltration, and there were no adequate meeting and study spaces, among many other features our customers expect from their Library.

As a result of 1 mill levy that was passed in May 2018, the building received its first major improvements since its construction over a century ago. Based on multiple engagement sessions with the Walnut Hills, East Walnut Hills, and Evanston communities, construction broke ground in January 2021.

Today the Walnut Hills Branch keeps many historic elements of the original building, including uncovering a mosaic of the City of Cincinnati seal, and opens as an anchor for the community with services, materials, and gathering spaces for generations to come.

Join us at the Walnut Hills Branch Library Grand Opening, opens a new window from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Thursday, October 20. What are you looking forward to exploring first at the new expanded and renovated Walnut Hills Branch? Let us know in the comments below!