New Latonia library branch officially opens

After nearly 100 years in the making, the new Latonia branch of the Kenton County Public Library is officially open.

The branch held its grand opening Tuesday morning as a massive crowd waited to get inside.

“We’ve been talking about bringing expanding library services into Latonia for over 100 years now,” Branch Manager Paul Duryea told the Latonia Business Association just before an exclusive tour Monday morning, the day before the grand opening. “So, once they started the Covington library in 1904, within the first decade, they were talking about, ‘How do we get books out to Latonia?’ It took us a little while, but it’s here.”

This new branch will be the fourth in the library system, joining the others located on Scott Street in Covington, as well as in Erlanger and Independence. Library Director Dave Schroeder told the crowd on Tuesday that there were roughly 18,000 items available to the public at the library, and that’s just the beginning.

Located on Winston Avenue in Latonia near the Enzweiler Building Institute, the roughly $3 million project spans 11,500 square feet and features – aside from the books, of course – computers and laptops for public use, two study rooms, art-deco inspired decor and architecture, two study rooms, a meeting space, a fire place where people can sit and read, a virtual board game machine and a full children’s library with rotating interactive exhibits.

Library staff were especially proud of the children’s section, which emphasized the importance of active learning and literacy for kids’ development.

Children’s Librarian Samuel Greenhill said the area was “inspired by kids themselves.”

“I wanted to have a rotating museum, where parents don’t have to worry about their kids just grabbing everything…,” Greenhill said. “I want kids to be able to interact with things that way.”

Some of the interactive items available on opening day included a rotary phone, some typewriters, an analog slide projector, a palm pilot, an oscilloscope and some old cameras. Kids can handle the items freely when they visit the library.

Some possible future exhibits could feature topics like the human body, insects and trains, all of which, Greenhill said, “will incorporate things the kids can play with.”

Wellness will also feature in the library’s services. Health & Wellness Librarian Erin DeSantis will be leading yoga and meditation classes, including the system’s first wheelchair-accessible yoga class. She hopes to eventually expand the number of wellness programs in the future.

“We got a ton of ideas, but simple for the moment in time until we see who’s walking in and what we need to have happen here,” DeSantis told the business association on Monday.

“We want to be a part of Latonia,” Schroeder said on Tuesday. “We want to be part of our community, and that’s what libraries are all about.”

The Latonia branch will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. You can learn more about the branch at kentonlibrary.org.