The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Hello from Chicago!
The ALA 2009 Annual Conference begins tomorrow in this fine city. It is going to be a blast, and we’ve got a whole crew of bloggers bringing you the action here on the PLA Blog, so pay attention!
But…
Before I get all caught up in conference mayhem tomorrow, I’d like to share a few pictures from another wonderful library I visited today as part of the cross-country road trip. After a long hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we headed north toward Chicago and along the way we stopped at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Ohio libraries are in a bind; it has been in the news recently that Governor Strickland wants to reduce library funding by as much as 50%. Read more. It only took a few minutes walking around this magnificent urban library to see what a bad idea those budget cuts would be.
After identifying myself as a blogger for PLA, the PR folks from this public library were kind enough to lead me around and give me a small tour of the facility. Of course the tour had to be brief, our dog was patiently waiting outside. Have a look at a few photos from the library.
Check out the entrance with the book fountain. Classic. I must admit I found it a little funny- I’m pretty sure the library prefers if you don’t pour water all over their books 
I love this drive up window. Because I’m in the middle of a road trip myself, I’m finding drive-through customer interactions particularly interesting. Serving a drive-through patron is totally different from a reference or circulation desk transaction. How can you do it best at your library?
The Teen Spot is new, bright, and lively and the librarians were excited to talk about their space, materials, and programs.
I think these lockers in the Teen Spot are a good idea. Teens gotta put their stuff somewhere, right?
This is just one view of the great looking space.
The Tech Loft must offer 100 computers terminals (I didn’t count), all of which were occupied by 1 or more people. It was absolutely slammed with people and it may have been the busiest place in the building. What does that say about the future direction of library services?
Thanks again to the kind folks at the library in Cincinnati! Stay strong saveohiolibraries advocates! Readers, look forward to more stories from Chicago!
