Although the Mercantile Library in Cincinnati, OH seems to be small in appearance, it is very well stocked with books and literature, which is why it's considered the literacy center in Cincinnati. Founded in 1835 and one of the oldest cultural organizations in the Midwest, the library got its name from the individuals that founded the library, most of whom were merchants and clerks. It's located on Walnut Street on the 11th floor of the Mercantile Library Building in Cincinnati, and will be there quite awhile since they hold a 10,000 year lease from the Cincinnati College. They originally paid $10,000 to get the group of rooms in a new building when their original building was destroyed in 1845 by a fire.
The library presently is divided into bi-level stacks and a reading room. The Thomas Emery firm developed and designed the library now and the one in 1903. They managed to preserve most of the furnishings and bookshelves from their previous location.
The Mercantile Library is a non-profit organization which is kept going by the member's gifts, annual subscriptions in addition to income from an endowment fund. There is a very reasonable annual membership fee to join the Mercantile Library. The individual membership fee is $45, $75 for a household, $100 for Patron Membership, $250 for a sustaining membership, etc. The Mercantile Library will be happy to give you information on any of their membership (donation) fees.
The library is available for anyone to join, with no residency requirements. Nor does anyone need to be nominated. Although women have been members for many years, the historic name for this organization is Young Men's Mercantile Library Association. Although the library is open to the public, only subscribing members can go in and use the collection and reading room.
