Welcome

The Mercantile Library has temporarily relocated its staff and some books to the Mini-Merc in the Fifth Third Center on Fountain Square. The move is part of a planned renovation and expansion of the Library’s current space. We can't wait for you to visit when construction is complete. 

As our friend, the author David Giffels has said, “It’s like a steampunk fantasy of what a library should be.”

After you explore the Reading Room, take the spiral staircase to the 12th Story to see the Cincinnati collection, find the secret door, or marvel in the books from our very first catalog from 1835. At least the ones that survived the fires of 1845 and 1868.

In case you were wondering if the Mercantile Library is haunted, no one has ever reported witnessing any paranormal activity in the Library. However, in 1897 Mercantile Librarian John M. Newton died at his desk, so we’ll go with “probably.”