BY LEW MOORES
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DELHI TOWNSHIP -- Work has begun to expand the Delhi branch library by 50 percent, as well as add desperately needed parking for one of the busiest branches in the public library's system.
Work at Delhi Hills branch library, 5095 Foley Road, is expected to be finished in late winter or early spring, said Amy Banister, spokeswoman for the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County. The construction will increase the 10,350-square-foot library by about 5,000 square feet and almost triple parking from 23 spaces to 66 spaces.
Book capacity should increase from more than 76,000 volumes to 85,000 volumes.
Concrete footers have been poured and a partition has been put up for access between construction and the existing building. Work on the steel structure was scheduled to begin this week.
The expansion is intended to accommodate the increased use of the branch, which opened 30 years ago. The branch has consistently ranked among the branch leaders in circulation, with 376,802 items circulated in 1997.
"It is frequently the busiest non-regional-size library in the system," said Ms. Banister.
The public library system has 35 neighborhood and six regional branch libraries.
"It should greatly enhance services in the community in that area," said Ms. Banister.
"The collection will be more accessible," said Susan Hamrick, branch librarian at Delhi Hills. "The public will really get a lot of use out of the expanded facility and the expanded collection we'll have."
The project is expected to cost between $1.5 million to $2 million.
Public library officials decided on the expansion after a one-acre piece property next door to the library became available It was purchased in March 1997.
"Parking was so limited," said Ms. Banister. "We initially thought of expanding only the parking, but this allowed them the perfect opportunity to address all of those issues at the same time."
