The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County closed today on the purchase of a building that is becoming the home of the library’s new distribution center. The building, located at 1130 Findlay Street, is a five-minute drive from the Main Library and near I-75, which allows library trucks easy highway access to make their deliveries.
There is no date set yet for the official move. Library staff is working to identify improvements that need to be made to the building before the move can take place.
One of the main reasons the library decided to move distribution from the Main Library to this new location is to improve efficiency and safety. Last year, the library circulated more than 19 million items, and the vast majority of those items were handled by the Shipping & Receiving Department. The team needs a bigger loading dock area, with a higher clearance and more room to safely maneuver vehicles.
The West End distribution center has multiple loading bays and plenty of space to move vehicles around. “The new distribution center will speed up the process of getting materials through a production line and sorting machine,” said Matthew Todd, manager of Shipping & Receiving. “We will be able to unload and load of trucks at the same time and get everyone back on the road promptly. It will help get the customers’ holds out to them in a timely manner.”
Additional staff also are making the move but the library is still determining which specific departments will relocate. In addition, the new location is going to be home to a new large capacity sorter. The library currently owns a 20-bin sorter purchased in 2011. The machine is at the end of its useful life. The new sorter will be able to keep up with increased demand for library materials.
The Library is paying $1,735,000 for the facility and $500,000 for the sorter. The library providing updates on renovation of the building and moving schedules on CincinnatiLibrary.org as new information becomes available.
