Cincinnati Magazine
March 12, 2021
Bob Castellini called it a “mud pit” and “dust bin.” Mark Mallory called it a “bunch of nothingness” and “pile of dirt.” The Cincinnati Reds owner and the former mayor were describing what downtown Cincinnati’s riverfront was like about 15 years ago. Two expensive new stadiums had been erected, with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center situated between, but surrounding them was a lot of dirt and acres of parking lots.
In the 1990s, what we know as The Banks was mostly home to parking lots and warehouses.
Photograph courtesy of Kenton County Public Library
Today, of course, nothing less than an utter transformation of the riverfront has taken place, as the mud pit became The Banks a $2 billion-plus 200-acre playground of pro sports, restaurants, bars, green space, walking paths, a carousel, and (sometimes) a giant Ferris wheel. It’s the most ambitious civic project ever undertaken here, requiring unprecedented tea
Changes made due to pandemic at Kenton Co. libraries still available to public
Changes made due to pandemic at Kenton Co. libraries still available to public By Drew Amman | January 17, 2021 at 2:49 PM EST - Updated January 17 at 11:36 PM
KENTON COUNTY, KY (FOX19) -After reopening at 50% capacity in Dec., the executive director for Kenton County Library states that the changes that were made at libraries in Kenton County due to the pandemic are still available to the public.
“How are people using the library? They’re using it differently, a lot more electronically with E-books and E-audio books. A lot more people are using drive-through windows. We’re very fortunate that when we built our buildings and remodeled buildings, we could install drive through windows. We provided access to those windows even during the shutdown,” Schroeder said.
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Schools are also relying heavily on e-books during remote and hybrid education. Digital reading platform OverDrive reports an 80% increase worldwide in school e-book and audiobook usage.
The Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library saw dramatic increases in e-book and e-audiobook usage over the past eight years, but Holbrook Sample, chief technology and logistics officer, says usage spiked during the coronavirus pandemic. Year-over-year in November, for e-books themselves, we were up 23% and digital audiobooks were (a) 10-12% increase year-over-year, says Sample. We ve definitely seen a nice rise in usage of our digital collection.
The Kenton County Public Library is seeing a similar boom.
Kenton County Public Library reopening buildings next week The buildings will reopen on Dec. 14. (Source: Pexels) By FOX19 Digital Staff | December 11, 2020 at 8:47 AM EST - Updated December 11 at 8:59 AM
KENTON COUNTY, Ky. (FOX19) - The Kenton County Public Library will reopen its buildings beginning Monday, Dec. 14.
Currently, only the drive-thru windows are open and reference questions can be answered by calling the main number, (859) 962-4000 or contacting the library through the chat function at kentonlibrary.org.
Items can also be placed on hold by calling or online.
Hours will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.