Staff

Executive Director John Faherty still cannot believe his good fortune in getting a job at The Mercantile Library. His nightstand is filled with books because he is a slow reader, but he doggedly marches on with his pattern of one challenging book followed by one fun book. John thinks few people are actually worth biography and fewer yet of autobiography. John loves historical fiction and confesses a weakness for well-written crime procedurals. He has a particular affection for everything written by Kate Atkinson. He received a History degree from the University of Chicago in 1987. John lives with his particularly adorable family in Hyde Park.

Cedric Rose has managed the Mercantile Library's collections since 2005. He earned his Masters in Library and Information Science through Kent State University and studied English and creative writing at the University of Cincinnati's College of Arts and Sciences.

Amy B. Hunter is a lifelong reader whose favorite place is “in a book.” Her background is in public relations, marketing, and event planning–primarily for Cincinnati’s wonderful food community. As Director of Community & Experience she is responsible for membership and making everyone feel welcome. She loves talking about the Merc and its incredible history to just about anyone. A resident of Greater Cincinnati since the early 1990s, she and her husband Bruce live in Wyoming. Their sons Sam and Beck occasionally return to the nest.

Director of Operations, Chris Messick is has worked at the Mercantile since 2005. He has a bachelor’s degree in English from Salisbury University and a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky. He lives with his wife and two children in Northside, and enjoys reading history, slightly odd fiction, and books about New York City in the late 1970s.

Hillary Copsey is a reading enthusiast whose favorite question is: What are you reading? At the Mercantile, Hillary leads and helps to organize book discussions, crafts personalized book recommendations for members, and tries really hard to resist the temptation to spend a day reading in the stacks. She lives with her husband and two sons in Norwood.

Al joined the Mercantile staff as a part-timer after 30 years as a librarian with the Public Library, both at the Main Library and the Hyde Park Branch. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, a Master’s in Education from the University of North Carolina and a Master’s of Library Science from the University of Kentucky. He lives with his wife, Carol, in Pleasant Ridge. He has two grown sons and a growing too quickly grandson.

Kara Willis is the Marketing Director at the Mercantile Library, where she shapes communications, outreach, and programming to engage Cincinnati’s literary and cultural community. She is the founder and leader of the Black Experience Book Club, a space for thoughtful discussions on literature that explores the Black experience. Kara has also been an active member of the Peregrine Haiku Society since 2017. Beyond the library, she serves on local boards, co-founded Down With The Clique, and works to foster dialogue, connection, and cultural preservation in Cincinnati.

Michael has spent the better part of the last 25 years organizing and hosting literary events, selling books, & working with literary non-profits. He is thrilled to be part of The Mercantile Library, planning events and building community in one of the most beautiful places in the city.