When you think of a library, do you picture a room full of dusty tomes and ladder-lined bookshelves stacked to the brim? Or overstuffed armchairs in front of roaring fireplaces, the perfect place to curl up with a good book? How about a bustling community hub, with plenty of natural light, dozens of bookshelves filled with the latest, hottest reads or the most in-demand DVDs, and plenty of meeting rooms or study pods for a more private atmosphere … if this last vision is your dream library, you’re in luck, because the new Symmes Township Branch of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Libraries fulfills all this and more.
In October of 2024, the Symmes Township Library, located on Enyart Road, closed its doors to the public, relocated to a temporary space, and got ready for a bigger and better upgrade — turning a new page, literally. As part of its Facility Master Plan, a grand 10-year upgrade project put in place by the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, the Symmes Township’s library was getting … something of a facelift.
“We’ve had that Symmes Township branch since it opened in 1991, so this was a teardown and rebuild,” explains Paula Brehm-Heeger, the director of CHPL. “That site on Enyart is the largest library-owned plot of land we have, and the original building was positioned on it in a way that had some drawbacks. It served us well, of course, but when we went to expand it, we wanted to make the traffic flow better. We weren’t going to utilize the whole site, so we moved the building forward.”
As soon as you make that turn onto Enyart Road, it’s impossible to miss the new library and its lovely modern brick exterior. Floor-to-ceiling windows occupy one corner, looking into a reimagined play area, and the front entrance features automatic sliding doors, making it fully accessible. There’s more, including plenty of sidewalks from the parking lot to the main doors.
“Before, this branch didn’t have sidewalks from the overflow parking lots, and as a library that attracts lots of kids and seniors, getting here was difficult. When it came to having a welcoming and acceptable space, we really tried to design it with those things in mind,” Paula states of the parking lot and traffic flow around the new building.
So what else is new at the Symmes Library? Well, a lot, it turns out. Not only is there a large, glorious community room that can accommodate 100 people (plus multiple smaller meeting rooms available to the public), the space is also packed with quiet study pods, a maker’s space with button-making, large-format scanners, a vinyl printer, and a quiet area complete with – you guessed it – a fireplace.
“We have this quiet reading area with a fireplace … it’s electric, but it’s really cool!” Paula smiles. “People are bringing their laptops, sitting, staying. It’s a space where I can see people coming with their work so they can be separate … but together.”
But Symmes isn’t just all about the cool new features, they’re rich with what their community is clamoring for – books. “We have a number of seniors who are engaged and care deeply about the branch, and want access to a library that carries a lot of books,” Paula explains. “In some of the engagement sessions, they said ‘I was here when you opened the original library, and we love that you have books!’ … they check them out like crazy.”
The proof is in the pudding – the last year it was open, Symmes Township Library had 370,000 items checked out, which was almost 70,000 more than the next busiest branch, Anderson Township. This new branch now boasts stacks of bookshelves loaded for perusal, and many displays showing off what’s hot and in demand.
The other major group consistently visiting this library are families with children, and now there are plenty of cool features for the kiddos as well. From interactive tablets with educational games to a whole new playset with multiple levels and a slide, this branch is designed to keep your young ones entertained.
“Families with kids are a big driving factor at Symmes. We host some of the biggest story times in our system here, and when we talked to the community about expanding this location, that was right at the top of their list,” Paula explains. “We have a lot of families that visit, so we made sure we had a space that allowed for that programming. The new play area has a designated playscape, and it’s connected to the meeting room, too … that way families can stick around the branch after storytime and have a way to interact beyond just the program.”
Find a quiet nook to devour the latest bestseller or revisit a classic, join a local book club with like-minded readers, bring your kids in on a gloomy day to blow off some steam in the play room … it’s all under one roof at Symmes Township’s gorgeous new library.
CHPL.org/locations/SM/ | 11850 Enyart Rd, Loveland | 513.369.6001
“Our grand opening was big … over 3,200 visits on that day alone. Over 3,700 check-outs. And 650 people in just one hour that morning. People love this branch.”
“People love to read, and they love to come out and support this library. The fact that we had so many people come celebrate the opening with us was really a demonstration of how much they want to be engaged and active with the library here.”