Blanchester Public Library

Blanchester Public Library An organizational meeting of concerned citizens was held on this date at the home of H.O. Craig with State Librarian Paul Noon in attendance.

History of the Blanchester Public Library

The Blanchester area has been served by libraries of one form or another dating back to the Civil War, but the official founding date of the Blanchester Public Library is May 25, 1935. The first Board of Trustees was elected and state funds were promised. The new library opened Feb. 15, 1936 in a rented room in the Gibson Building on West Main Street with

1,147 books and May Reeder as the first librarian. Alden Shawhan, a library board member who died in 1944, left money in his will to construct a new library building. The library eventually did receive the money, but due to a controversy over the will, the new building at the current location did not open until Nov. 4, 1957. The library more than doubled in space to its current size of 7,500 square feet with an addition in 1988-89. An open house to celebrate the new building was held on Sept. 10, 1989. The Blanchester Public Library, like most public libraries in Ohio, receives the majority of its funding from the state's Public Library Fund. Local voters approved a 1.0 mill operating levy for the library in 1996 and renewed it in 2001 and 2006. Funds from this levy provided about 15 percent of the library's operating budget. The library sought an increase to a 2.0-mill, continuing levy in the spring of 2010, and voters resoundingly approved it by a 63 to 37 percent margin. The library began receiving funds from this levy in 2011, and it provides nearly 40 percent of the annual operating revenue. These funds are indispensable in allowing the library to meet an increasing demand from patrons as monies from the state continue to decrease. The library is one of the nine founding members of the Consortium Of Ohio Libraries (COOL) and in March 2013 went live on the Evergreen system. The move to an open-source circulation system will help the library maintain costs in the future while also providing patrons quick access to about 400,000 items. COOL currently consists of 11 small libraries. Today, the library features more than 55,000 items and nearly 10,000 registered cardholders.

Hello, questers! 💎 Our Reading Dragons Crystal Quest begins now. Find all the hidden crystals in the library to earn a p...
08/31/2026

Hello, questers! 💎 Our Reading Dragons Crystal Quest begins now. Find all the hidden crystals in the library to earn a prize! New quests begin each day. Limit one prize per person (age 17 & under) per day.

Reading Dragons begins today! Pick up your 2026 reading log and starter cards at the front desk anytime during library h...
08/31/2026

Reading Dragons begins today! Pick up your 2026 reading log and starter cards at the front desk anytime during library hours to begin your reading adventure!

Participants will complete reading challenges each month to earn creature cards and build their collection.

08/30/2026
Reading Dragons begins this Monday, August 31! Meet this year's Reading Dragons and Friends Starter Cards: Dolphin 🐬 , L...
08/29/2026

Reading Dragons begins this Monday, August 31! Meet this year's Reading Dragons and Friends Starter Cards:

Dolphin 🐬 , Lava 🌋 , and Sunflower 🌻

Pick up your reading log and starter cards at the front desk anytime during library hours to begin your reading adventure.

Join us next Friday at our monthly program for homeschoolers: Homeschool Hangout! We will enjoy games and STEAM activiti...
08/28/2026

Join us next Friday at our monthly program for homeschoolers: Homeschool Hangout! We will enjoy games and STEAM activities with other homeschool families. Our theme this month is space! 🚀

Reading Dragons begins next week! Pick up your reading log and starter cards at the front desk starting August 31 to beg...
08/26/2026

Reading Dragons begins next week! Pick up your reading log and starter cards at the front desk starting August 31 to begin your reading adventure!

Congratulations to Hadley for finishing 1000 Books Before Kindergarten! The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is fr...
08/25/2026

Congratulations to Hadley for finishing 1000 Books Before Kindergarten! The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is free and open to children from birth until they enter Kindergarten. Pick up a registration folder at the desk to start your journey towards a free book and tote bag!

Calling all adventurers! Join us August 31-September 5 for our Reading Dragons Crystal Quest. 💎 Participants under age 1...
08/25/2026

Calling all adventurers! Join us August 31-September 5 for our Reading Dragons Crystal Quest. 💎 Participants under age 18 can search the library each day next week to uncover hidden crystals, free magical creatures from the Evil Wizard, and win a prize!

The early bird catches the bookworm! 🪱 This month, our adult book display is all about Birds & Books! Browse our collect...
08/24/2026

The early bird catches the bookworm! 🪱 This month, our adult book display is all about Birds & Books! Browse our collection for a bird-featuring book or choose one from our display.

Address

110 N Broadway Street
Blanchester, OH
45107

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 7pm
Tuesday 10am - 7pm
Wednesday 10am - 7pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

(937) 783-3585

Website

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