[11] Among CHPL's collections are books, audiobooks, downloadable digital audio and e-books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs, sheet music, slides, microfilm, microfiche, and Braille.

The system collectively offered over 17,000 free programs in 2019, including classes, lectures, book clubs, performances, storytimes, and much more.

In 2019, its staff answered 1.6 million reference questions by phone, online chat, fax, e-mail, post, and in person.

Online postings include Cincinnati and Norwood, Ohio city directories, Sanborn maps, and yearbooks as well as books relating to local history.

However, it outgrew that location, so in 1868 library officials purchased a four-story building under construction on 629 Vine Street that was going to be an opera house until that project went bankrupt.

The main hall featured checkered marble flooring, cast iron book alcoves, skylights and spiral staircases stretching four stories high.

Built at a cost of $383,594.53, about $7.7 million in 2014, the facility was considered modern at its time, with central heating, an elevator, and a capacity of about 300,000 books.

The paint was peeling, ventilation and light were poor, volumes stored in the basement and subcellar were prone to ruin from flooding, and the building itself was considered a fire hazard.

Many other structural elements and contents from the old building, including doors, shelving, furniture, and bricks were also salvaged and sold.

As a result of Cincinnati's experiment, the public libraries in New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis adopted Sunday hours as well.

In July 2002, the board of trustees voted to close branch locations in Deer Park, Elmwood Place, Greenhills and Mount Healthy.

The budget prompted the library to distribute flyers and hold rallies in Downtown Cincinnati, calling on the state to repeal the proposed cuts.

[22] The cuts resulted in a periodic hiring freeze, reductions in hours, branch and department closings, and the layoff of approximately forty librarians.

The plan also called for the disbanding of subject departments in Art and Music, Literature and Languages, History and Genealogy, Rare Books and Special Collections, Science and Technology, Government and Business, Education and Religion, Fiction and Young Adults, and Films and Recordings.

Approximately 24 professional positions (those holding a Master of Library and Information Science) were slated for elimination through attrition and reassignment.

Listening sessions were held for community members at each branch throughout 2019, and the Facility Master Plan documents outlined the recommended work to be done over the next 10 years.