Paula Brehm-Heeger, the director who oversees the recently renovated Mariemont Branch Library and more than 40 other Hamilton County locations, has been named Ohio's 2026 Librarian of the Year by the Ohio Library Council.

The honor, announced Wednesday, Aug. 5, is the council's highest individual award. It recognizes a librarian whose recent work has shaped library service statewide. Brehm-Heeger will be formally recognized at the OLC Convention and Expo in Sandusky in October.

Brehm-Heeger has led the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library since 2018, guiding a system that serves more than 800,000 residents. Her philosophy, as described in the library's announcement: "Every decision must strengthen the Library's ability to serve the people of Hamilton County."

That approach has direct results for Mariemont and Anderson Township patrons. The Mariemont Branch Library completed a $2 million renovation and reopened Jan. 3, replacing more than 50-year-old mechanical and electrical systems and adding a new meeting room, a dedicated teen area, a reading area with fireplace, an updated children's section and a quiet collaboration space.

The branch is also one of the original locations in the library's Telescope Lending Program, which started in 2021 with five telescopes and now spans more than 25 branches. Cincinnati astronomer Dean Regas, who helped develop the program with The Library Foundation, said in a July blog post about the expansion that the collection is likely "one of the largest groups of Library telescopes in, at least, the region."

Mariemont Branch Manager Mandi Beecroft led the branch's participation in Operation Backpack last year, when the system collected 320 backpacks and 87 boxes of school supplies through a partnership with Volunteers of America.

The renovation work is part of a 10-year Facility Master Plan that Brehm-Heeger oversees. As she told WLWT in September 2025, explaining why aging branches needed upgrades: "Technology is a huge piece of it, and some of these buildings really were not designed with that in mind."

Brehm-Heeger has worked in public libraries for more than 25 years. A University of Cincinnati graduate, she also holds a master's in library science from Indiana University and a master's in public administration from Northern Kentucky University. She previously worked at libraries in Indianapolis, Anderson, Indiana and Kansas City, Missouri.

CHPL Brand and Communications Director Angela Hursh framed the honor as a collective achievement, writing that it reflects the dedication of hundreds of library employees and what is possible when a community invests in its public library.

Coming up

• October 2026: Brehm-Heeger will be formally recognized at the Ohio Library Council Convention and Expo in Sandusky.
• Now through August: CHPL branches, including Mariemont, are collecting donations for Operation Backpack 2026 in partnership with Volunteers of America.
• Anytime: Telescope kits are available for seven-day loans at the Mariemont Branch and more than 25 other CHPL locations.