The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has a survey on its website designed to gather the public’s ideas about the future of the Main Library and Price Hill Branch. The survey was designed by Group 4 Architecture, Research +Planning (Group 4), the firm out of California hired by the library to create a plan for re-envisioning the Main Library and the Price Hill Branch.
The survey is available by visiting CincinnatiLibrary.org. It’s simple and takes only five minutes to complete. Hamilton County residents without access to a computer or with special needs can come to any library location and use free WiFi and computers or receive special help from librarians. The survey closes on Thursday, Oct. 18.
Group 4 held two different listening-and-learning sessions to hear from the community regarding their needs in relation to the Main Library and the Price Hill Branch Sept. 26-27. More than 530 people attended the sessions at the Main Library and there were more than 50 people who shared their ideas at the Price Hill Branch. Group 4 also facilitated a meeting with staff at each location, and more than 100 staff members attended those meetings. These sessions and the survey are the first step towards creating a facilities master plan for the entire library system.
The Main Library construction project began in April. Carpeting and brick flooring on all three floors was replaced and the first-floor restrooms are in the process of being renovated. That work is scheduled to be completed in September.
The Price Hill Branch closed July 3 due to significant damage to the ceiling. The branch is temporarily relocated in the Price Hill Recreation Center. The Price Hill Branch was one of the branches in line for extensive renovations, including adding accessibility for people with disabilities, using funds from a 1-mill levy approved by Hamilton County voters this May. Price Hill is now the priority accessibility project due to the ceiling collapse.
Group 4 is based in San Francisco, California. Their body of work includes extensive work with the Dayton Metro (OH) Library, Multnomah County Library (OR), Johnson County (KS) Library, Jefferson County (CO) Public Library as well as libraries in Carlsbad, CA and San Francisco, CA.
For more information about the facilities project, please visit CincinnatiLibrary.org or call 513-369-6900.
