It took me way too long to get back to the Mercantile Library downtown. But I finally made it today, and wow. It’s still one of the best-kept secrets in Cincinnati—though maybe not for long. And I guess I’m OK with that.
I’ve technically been a member for more than 20 years, ever since my friend and mentor, the late Dr. Emil Dansker, took me there one afternoon. I was blown away by the place and joined on the spot. Since then, I’ve told a few people about it, but I also used to joke that I’d never share too much, because I loved how quiet, quirky and relatively unknown it was. Like a secret clubhouse for the curious-minded Cincinnatian. But with its recent renovation and expansion, I think it’s finally time to let the cat out of the bag.
The Mercantile just completed a significant more-than-$5 million upgrade, taking over the entire 12th floor of its historic downtown building and nearly doubling its footprint. There’s now a gorgeous custom-built staircase connecting the two floors (it weighs 10 tons), along with cozy reading nooks, modern meeting rooms, quiet booths, a poetry room and lots of natural light. The blend of old-school charm and updated design is pitch-perfect.
Founded in 1835 by a group of young merchants and clerks looking for an intellectual community, the library is still going strong and more welcoming than ever. It’s open to visitors, but you can become a member for $65 a year and get access to everything. It’s totally worth it.
I took many photos during my visit today, and I’ll post a few in this post. If you’ve never been, make time. If you have, go again. And if you were one of the Mercantile people I once told, and I think specifically of the late director Albert Pyle, “Nah, I’m not sharing this on Facebook,” well… turns out it was time. My deepest apologies.