The Mercantile Library

This is a library you can bring you lunch to, and eat it in the best space in downtown Cincinnati.
Don’t understand why Unilocal rates it as «expensive». Anyone can go there for free, and enjoy being surrounded by art and old books.

I went here for a Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concert recently and was TOTALLY blown away by how the space was here! I have heard it was lovely and they weren’t lying — this is definitely the «old school» kind of library we don’t see these days. Lots of comfy chairs, beautiful lighting from the giant windows and tons of old books (without the musty smell!) Though it is a members only place that you can’t just drop in to, they have folks who come thru and do book talks here periodically that you can get in to, you just have to pay a «non members» rate for them.
The only downer I have on this place is the fact that their hours are TERRIBLE. If you are freelancing/​retired, then its super awesome but for those of us who aren’t, its a tough sell to pay the (reasonable) membership fee. If they had better weekend hours or even a few night hours during the week, I’d definitely consider going here on the regular! Also, maybe if they’d consider doing a happy hour thing once a month, that would be super cool too!

It’s the best $ 55 I spent this year, for sure! Great atmosphere, free wifi, good books, good views, and you can bring in your coffee or lunch while you work!

Another hidden gem in the ‘nati, The Mercantile Library.
I recently attended an event on a Friday night at the library and was mesmerized by the space.
As previous reviews mentioned, its a membership only library with a variety of lectures throughout the year as well as a place to escape and discover in downtown Cincinnati and I’ve had co-​workers and friends tell me its well worth the $ 55 individual membership.
They have a cool ironwork spiral staircase up to a board room and the library can be rented out for special events. The head librarian told me they have book clubs for their members depending on members interest and the newest books are located right inside the front door. They also have the latest magazines of local, national an international interest laid out one by one in the middle of the library just to the left of the new books.
I’m looking forward to signing up for a membership, returning for a future lecture and further exploring this hidden gem in Cincinnati.

The Mercantile Library brought out my inner geek … not that it takes a lot of coaxing, mind you, but this made it explode into the daylight with fits of happiness surrounded by bubbles of joy.
This private library is the definition of a hidden gem. You would have absolutely zero idea it existed unless someone told you. And guess what — I’m telling you now. So you got that going for you.
Tucked away on the top floor of the Mercantile Building, this ancient library is just one giant room filled with books and books and more books. They are an amazing collection too, some dating back for hundreds of years (I loved looking at the check-​out dates and seeing like 1902.) It’s fascinating to just go through the shelves of titles.
It’s also got a nice selection of new books in as well as a table full of the new edition of tons of interesting magazines — Bön Appetite and Cincinnati and what have you. There are also special exhibits, like when I went, there was a history of the U.S.S. Cincinnati Battleship.
You have to be a member to check anything out, but it’s not much — I think something like $ 50 per year. Still, it’s such an exclusive and unknown spot, that you gain badass cred just by joining. Yes, badass and libraries, not often, but sometimes, they go hand in hand.

On a recommendation, I went over to the Mercantile Library a couple of weeks ago. Located on the 11^th floor of the Mercantile Building at 414 Walnut Street, this place is literally a fortress of solitude. I fell in love with it immediately and signed up for a annual membership ($ 55 for individuals; $ 90 family).
Walking in, the feeling you get is first ‘class’ and then ‘scholarly’. They cram a great deal of very beautiful, ornate decoration into a relatively small space. I spent a few hours here last Saturday reading and the word of the day was ‘silence’. With the librarian, a few other patrons, and myself in the library, you could literally have heard a pin drop. You would never, ever guess that you were a stone’s throw from Fountain Square. In fact, you would probably never guess that you were in the city. The library is not stuffy, however. They encourage eating your lunch there and on Saturday, I did. I also did a bit of exploring and poked around a bit.
The Mercantile library also has a full-​service collection which is quite large for the square footage it takes up. Let’s just say they use their space quite efficiently. They have multi level stacks where you can find pretty much any good book that you’re looking for.
Overall, this place is awesome. I can see myself spending a great deal of time here in the future. The atmosphere is amazing for reading and it can be a nice reprieve from what is happening eleven floors below. I would recommend everyone to go at least give it a look, even if you aren’t interested in a membership. It is one of the truly unique places in Cincinnati and I am so happy I was led that direction.

You could walk by the Mercantile Library for years and never know it was there. It’s in the Mercantile building (oddly enough) all the way up on the top two floors.
Stepping into the library is kind of like walking into Hogwarts. I don’t mean the paintings on the wall will start shouting at you — it just has this quiet charm about it. It’s an urban oasis.
You can become a paying member of the library and start checking out books — they have a nice selection of current fiction and nonfiction, and plenty of books on tape/​disc. I really don’t go to the Mercantile to check out books though. If I have some time to kill downtown during business hours, it’s the first place I want to go and flop into a big leather chair.
They have daily newspapers and a nice crop of current magazines out in the reading room. There are several big wooden tables, and patrons are encouraged to bring their lunch with them. What kind of library actually encourages you to bring food in?
If you haven’t been to the Mercantile, you have to check it out. It’s a Cincinnati gem.

The Mercantile Library was established in 1835 by a group of young merchants and clerks. Which is why it is called the Mercantile Library. It opened before there was any public library at all and houses books that date back to the 18^th century. One interesting fact is that the library has a 10,000 year lease in it’s current location in the Mercantile Library Building. Crazy, I know!
You need a membership to attend this library and check-​out books, but it will only run you $ 45 dollars a year. The library doesn’t get any support from the government or taxes, it runs on subscriptions, gifts, and income from it’s endowment. The building houses an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures. There is this great statue of a woman in Grecian robes bending over with a finger to her lips saying, «Shhh» and a bust of Abraham Lincoln.
The events that are held at the Library are something that non-​subscribers can attend. The cost around $ 25 for non members and $ 20 for members. Some events are free for members as well. Coming up is a lecture on Harriet Beecher Stowe that looks fascinating. The Mercantile will also mail you books you want to read if you are a subscriber and you can mail them back!
My mother has been a member of this library for years and has enjoyed every minute of it. She often spends her lunch break at the library and browses books or has lunch.

This place is misnamed. Yes, there are books, and yes you can check them out (if you’re a member), but its real feature is its programming. Whether you want to join a poetry society, attend book readings, hear lectures from local luminaries (e.g Nancy Zimpher, Jim Tarbell, Paul Daugherty), teaching from top professors, or just hang out in a historic setting, the Mercantile Library has something for you.
Yearly membership is $ 45, which gets you into some events for free and others for a discount. You’ll need to attend many events to make the membership pay for itself, but it also offers access to the collection and reading room, which is quite an elegant setting.
OK, so there’s something intrinsically elitist about charging for access to information, but it’s not prohibitively priced, so why not buy into the aristocracy?