MidPointe Library System
By the Numbers
101 years in operation
3,743,427 items circulated in 2013
128,365 library cardholders
41,200 square feet at Middletown branch, 125 S. Broad St.
48,350 square feet at West Chester branch, 9363 Centre Pointe Drive
2,000 square feet at Trenton branch, 21 E. State St.
Source: MidPointe Library System
The MidPointe Library System has confirmed it’s looking to Liberty Twp. for its next branch expansion in Butler County.
The 101-year-old library system operates locations in Middletown, Trenton and most recently West Chester Twp.
“MidPointe is always looking to grow,” said Cari Hillman, public relations manager for MidPointe. “Liberty Twp. is a growing area we need to accommodate.”
Hillman said over the past several years, the library system has reached out to existing and potential patrons, as well as conducted demographic studies, to determine the feasibility for a location in Liberty Twp. The township has grown from a population of 22,819 in 2000 to more than 37,250 in 2010, according to U.S. Census data.
Hillman said the West Chester location — at 48,350 square feet — is the second-busiest library in southwest Ohio, only behind the downtown Cincinnati location of The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. She said a lot of business at the West Chester location comes from Liberty Twp. residents.
“Having a branch there would fill a void,” Hillman said.
Since January of this year, MidPointe has contracted with Henkle Schueler Realtors in Lebanon for real estate services, Hillman said. She said there have been several site visits made, but no location has been selected yet or an estimated construction date.
In an April quarterly newsletter from the Schueler Group of Companies, Henkle Schueler Realtors announced it had researched five possible locations in Liberty Twp. for MidPointe, and the library system is “currently evaluating the sites and making final selections on which site will work best for them.”
The newsletter also cited the need for the site to be between three and five acres to accommodate a building of 25,000 square feet.
“This is something we can’t just jump into,” Hillman said. “It’s a really big move for us.”
The MidPointe Library System circulated more than 3.74 million items across its three branches in 2013, including books, DVDs and downloaded material. Hillman said circulation increases have been steady each year.
The West Chester location opened in 2009, but MidPointe has existed in Middletown for more than 100 years and in Trenton for 22 years.
“The MidPointe Library System continues to seek every opportunity to sensibly grow, and provide our service area with the best in library services,” said Anita Carroll, director of the library system. “The possibility of growth in the Liberty Township area is exciting for both MidPointe and our patrons.”
Caroline McKinney, economic development director for Liberty Twp., said the township has received some inquiries regarding site locations and zoning but no formal plans have been submitted yet.
“We’re very excited about the library’s interest in the community,” McKinney said. “(Residents) can have quicker access to their services and they have a children’s program in the summer. … We have a whole lot of families out here.”
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