Mercantile Library of Cincinnati
The Mercantile Library of Cincinnati is a membership library located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The name of the library refers not to the type of items in its collection but to the forty-five merchants and clerks who founded it on April 18, 1835, as the Young Men's Mercantile Library Association.
Collection
Once established in 1835, the Young Men's Mercantile Library Association pooled their existing resources and began organizing their membership library. The Mercantile Library of Cincinnati collected books and other relevant works of art and hosted events which involved prominent speakers and authors, quickly coming to be regarded as “a cultural, intellectual, and literary center of its region”.Throughout the library's history, many of its books have been donated by members. It originally contained approximately seven hundred books which were housed at a location on Main Street near Pearl Street. In 1840 the collection of 1660 books was moved to the second floor of the Cincinnati College building on the present site. The collection now numbers more than 200,000 volumes, including an especially large number pertaining to Cincinnati and Ohio. Most of the items circulate. While there was originally a ban on novels, the ban has since been lifted. Currently the collection is more general.
After opening its doors nearly 185 years ago, The Mercantile Library has several thousand volumes in their catalog that aim to display and reflect upon decades of changing interests, beliefs, and influences. Despite still operating as a membership library, The Mercantile Library of Cincinnati is open year round to members of the public who wish to explore the institution.