Mercantile Library

The Mercantile Library is a membership library. It is a non-profit institution supported by members' annual subscriptions, gifts, and income from an endowment fund. The Library receives no tax support. The name refers not to the collection but to the Library's founders who were young merchants and clerks. Organized in 1835, it is the city's senior library and one of the oldest cultural institutions in the midwest. To fulfill its mission as the literary center of the region, the Library maintains and expands its historic collection of books and presents a rich schedule of events of interest to anyone who enjoys books and reading.  Throughout the year there are visits by authors and writers, book discussions, workshops, and forums.  Additionally, the Library is home to a collection of artworks including portrait busts, paintings, and the sketchbooks of the Cincinnati-trained artist Elizabeth Nourse.  The Library also presents musical events.