The original Cincinnati public library, constructed in 1874 at a location initially designated for an opera house that went bankrupt before completion, boasted an initial collection of 60,000 volumes and a potential capacity for 300,000 books.

The original Cincinnati public library, constructed in 1874 at a location initially designated for an opera house that went bankrupt before completion, boasted an initial collection of 60,000 volumes and a potential capacity for 300,000 books.