What a wonderful place! After following their on-line events (due to Covid), I was finally able to…read morego in person and see it with my own eyes. And, well, now I'm a member! It's as gorgeous in person as I had hoped and I can easily see myself going on rainy afternoons to browse, read, or work...they have WIFI and allow people to bring in food. And, of course, I'll continue to partake in the zoom lectures until live music and readings can resume. The most magical part? Listening to the sounds of the city waft in through the open windows, like the bell from the trolley, and imagining what it was like to live in Cincinnati when the Mercacntile Library got its start. Also, fun fact: The library has a 10,000 year lease and they pay $1 a year for the space thanks to Alfonso Taft, President W.H. Taft's father.

Finally got a membership here in my 3rd year of working downtown and it's the best $65 I've spent…read morein 2025. There's so many cool events for both members and non-members. I've found books both popular and obscure. And it's free to come in, look around, and soak in the Hogwarts-esque energy. Which is even better after the recent extensive renovations.

The Library has been working throughout the pandemic, making every effort to stay safe and…read moreavailable. I am so very grateful that their Maker Space is back and running. The precautions are very reasonable, it is per appointment only (reservations are made on-line), with reduced time slots. There is a check-in desk where they verify your appointment. The stations are far apart and there is a lot of signage reminding to keep safe distance. Masks are compulsory at all times. The keyboards on shared spaces are covered with cellophane, and the chairs are now new and plastic, no cloth. All stations are sanitized by the Staff after each use. Some chairs were removed to allow for physical distancing. I feel very safe there. The Staff is amazing, always helpful and nice, despite the furloughs they suffered. Their book check outs are also working, the books are in quarantine for 4 days after drop, just to make sure the potentially contaminated paper is free if virus. They do an amazing job, serving us all with the highest safety standards. Thank you!

I love the library! Especially the main branch. My branch is the Clifton one, but that's for…read moreanother review. The main library downtown is more than a library. It's an event venue, it's a maker's space, it's a community resource, and it's central to Cincinnati's history. My personal favorite thing is that the Main library is starting to host after hours event. There was a Booked for the Night event where we got to do behind-the-scenes tours, snack at numerous food stations, and our ticket even included drinks. I hope they continue to have more evening events. It's the biggest library in the system, of course, so it's one of the best places to wander around and find a book that you never would have known otherwise. The maker space is next level. I always love a drive-thru for when I don't feel like getting out of my car. There is always something for everyone at the library, but especially at this branch. Check it out! (Get it??)

The Cincinnati public library system is really great for the size of city that we live in. I'm…read moreconstantly impressed by how much they have to offer! The Oakley branch is very nice. It's well taken care of, and there's always a good selection of books, DVD's, and even CD's. Their selection of new books is good, but not laid out the best...I think it takes some getting used to to know where everything is. But overall a very cute, small library that is conveniently located off of Oakley Square! Oh, and free wi-fi!

It's the library, what's not to love?! The Oakley branch is pretty small, so browsing is limited,…read morebut I usually request whatever I want online and pick it up here. And I do mean whatever I want. It's rare for the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County to disappoint. Probably the best bargain for my tax dollars ever! I love it!

I've been here twice now and am so grateful for this little library! It's much smaller than I…read moreexpected, but I with so many libraries within the Cincinnati region, I'm sure you can find just about any book and get it via placing it on hold. -- So do plan ahead if you're trying to find a specific book, you may want to check out the online catalog first to track it down. The reason I first went in was to print some papers and I forget how many copies you can get for free, but you can get a good amount of not just black and white but also color! So helpful for this gal that does not own a printer. The staff has also been super friendly! To get a library card you'll have to first apply online for a temporary card and then make your way in to receive the physical copy. Again, staff is so helpful. The top level is the main (adult) section. I enjoyed the fun feature: "What your Neighbors are Reading". Downstairs there's a little fish pond and children's section. Parking lot is in the back and is again smaller, but fits for the size of the building.

Free parking is available behind the library. The rear entrance is handicap accessible. It enters…read moreinto the children's section of the library. If using that entrance for the handicap accessibility, proceed all the way forward, that is where the elevators will be to take you to the regular library. There is also a night/after hours drop slot back there. The children's section is one of the cutest ones I have seen. There is a whimsical mural that wraps around the area. Various small chairs are peppered about, as are a selection of toys. Computers are available for children to play learning games. At the far end, (if standing at the rear entrance,) is a water feature. The small pond includes Koi fish. I am not fond of the fact that this branch is on multiple floors. We usually visit multiple sections of the library. Sometimes my older children will vist one area while my younger one and I visit another. When they are only an aisle or two away, I am comfortable with this arrangement. Having them be on separate floors I am not comfortable with. On the flip side, I can understand people who are visiting the library for a quiet place to work seeing this arrangement as preferable.

The Play Library is such an incredible place to visit for both kids and adults alike. I have taken…read morethe kids I babysit on multiple occasions and we always have such a great time. I was so excited to check out their new space on Main Street and it is absolutely beautiful. The main room when you walk in has some tables and practically every board game you can think of is available to play. The next room is more kid focused with TONS of board/games, blocks and manipulatives, cars, dress up and more! My favorite aspect of the room is the table that has swings instead of chairs! It is just so fun and whimsical. There is also a chair made entirely out of stuffed animals! You can become a member of the Play Library, and they have different levels of cost to check out different numbers of items at a time. I think this would be so great for families to have fresh toys and games to play with. Even if you don't want to become a member you can stop in their storefront just to play! This is a wonderful part of our community, and we are lucky to have it!

Great place to play. Board games just games. You can also give away Games books to. I highly…read morerecommend it for anyone grown-ups two

I remember just being able to go read and check out books. Now libraries provide a full experience…read moreof being able to explore and discover. Whether it's via a book, the internet, a movie or a small group meeting, the Hamilton County Walnut Hills Library is worth the visit. The staff immediately greets you with a friendly "Hello, how can we assist you?" I've utilized the library in many ways such as: sending faxes, checking out a laptop to use while visiting, finding that one book I haven't read since high school and checking out my favorite movie to watch. They have comfy seating areas and small, private rooms for reservations. The library provides a quiet, clean place to relax and read and a place for the family to come together for quiet activities. They even provide fun chess game competitions. Maybe its time to give this library another "look" and explore everything it has to offer!

This is a great library. It's in a beautiful Carnegie building. The staff is always helpful and…read morerespectful. If you live close and drive to another library, check this place out.

My three children grew up going to this location. The staff are GREAT! Still know all three of my…read morekids names and it's been almost 10 years since the kids were in the reading group and other activities that the staff do for the children of Cleves and any child who comes to their location and I personally go out my way to go to this location where I ALWAYS feel welcomed. John DeMoss

Fantastic library! Staff is very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Always something special…read morefor the kids. Summer programs are amazing. Easy to access building itself and one level once inside. A great place to browse, sit and read, or grab your books and go.

I've lived in Covington for a couple years now and I am ashamed to admit that I just got my Kenton…read moreCounty Library card this weekend. This has been on my list to do FOREVER so finally, I made the trip (a 5 minute bike ride on a beautiful sunny day). There's also free parking available as well, if you're driving. I went in to grab a specific book. It was listed as available on the computer but was nowhere to be found on the shelves. An employee assisted me and asked me if it would be okay if they ordered the book from another branch. They said it would take a day or two and that I would receive a call when it came in. I agreed- it's super cool that they're able to do this so that I don't have to make a trip to another branch when I live so close to this one. There's something about the library that just makes you excited to check out a book, so I scoured the shelves because I just couldn't leave without taking something home to read. The library has a simple layout and it was super easy to find everything I was looking for. There were lots of computers available as well. All of the staff was super helpful and friendly and the library have me a renewed desired to always have a book to read on-hand.

I am a local teacher, graduate student at NKU and have lived closely and visited this location for…read moreover a year now. Overall, I highly recommend this library. Here are my pros and cons: PROS -- fairly nice on the inside -- plenty of windows -- great study rooms -- lots of seating and tables around the building -- upstairs quiet area in the local history/genealogy for studying -- plenty of parking -- kind staff -- has security/local police on-site -- offers lots of resources and events for kids and families -- the staff has been doing a better job with ensuring that sketchy people stay out of the teen and kid areas CONS -- not the greatest location -- usually busy with quite a few sketchy people (my female friends don't like being alone here and I would not ever leave a child unsupervised here) -- cleaning needs to be increased a bit. This is probably because of how busy it is, but many times when I have been there have been quite a few dirty and/or sticky. -- I have had difficulty signing up for study rooms on Sunday at this particular location (but have been able to sign up fine for the Erlanger location) I hope this review helps someone (:

Everything went well. Where else can you get an old book…read morerebound? They're just many places anymore It was a perfect job and exactly what I wanted.

This bookstore has a heavy library vibe, but everything is actually for sale. They have historical…read moreand older books, rare books, collectibles, maps, and more unique finds. It was fun to browse, and the building itself is really interesting to walk through.

Notice that all of the good reviews are a decade old. This is not a library by any traditional…read moresense other than some books on the walls. It is constantly filled with loud teenagers playing videos games while cursing, having conversations, and walking around while on their phones. The study rooms don't meet the ceiling so you hear every conversation going on in them. Now several times there have been crying babies in there for hours. No longer can this be considered a quiet and peaceful place to read or study. It is loud and distracting even with headphones.

So during college I wrote my honor's thesis on Cincinnati's Carnegie libraries, and have spent…read moreextensive time studying all of them. Corryville is way up on my favorite of the surviving group of branches. Corryville was renovated fairly late compared to the other local Carnegies, and as a result they didn't destroy many of the architectural features, but rather enhanced them (compared to a place like Hyde Park, which is barely recognizable as a surviving Carnegie). The building is small, but quite cozy. It's pretty wild to see such an old building juxtaposed against all the new development, but I'm so glad it's still there and hasn't been razed for rental properties the way so many other Corryville buildings have been recently...