"Public" library?

UPDATE BELOW

Just how public is the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County?

Try getting into its “public” board meeting.

An Enquirer reporter wanted to attend the 9 a.m. board meeting at the Downtown branch today – but the library doesn’t open its doors to the public until 9 a.m.

The Enquirer reporter made it to the board meeting on time today only because a board member walked by as the reporter was trying to convince library security the meeting was open to the public. That board member personally escorted the reporter inside the library.

Once at the reception area of the library director’s office, which is adjacent to the board meeting room, the reporter was asked if he needed help.

When informed the reporter was there for the public meeting, access was granted – but the library refused to provide an agenda or meeting information packet unless it was paid $6.50 and received an Ohio Open Records request for the paperwork.

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County – www.cincinnatilibrary.org -- received $48.3 million this year in public money. Previously, it received more than $50 million annually.

Once inside the public meeting, the doors were closed. Just two non-library employees attended the meeting – the reporter and an employee of the union representing some of the library employees.

The next public board meeting of the library is Sept. 12.

UPDATE -- About two hours after this blog item was posted here, the library had someone hand-deliver a copy of its agenda and paperwork from today's meeting to the Enquirer's lobby. It arrived at 1:30 p.m. It was free.