Paula Brehm-Heeger, the director who oversees the Hyde Park and Oakley branch libraries, has been named Ohio's 2026 Librarian of the Year by the Ohio Library Council.

The award, announced Aug. 4 on the CHPL blog, is the council's highest individual honor. It recognizes a librarian whose recent work has shaped library service or the profession 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, holding the formal title of Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director. Under her watch, the 41-branch system launched a 10-year Facility Master Plan that is reshaping the buildings Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout residents walk into every week.

The Hyde Park branch, a 7,480-square-foot neighborhood library, closed in August 2022 for a major accessibility renovation and reopened in April 2024 with larger accessible entrances, a new elevator, new flooring and new meeting spaces. The Oakley branch, at 6,310 square feet, is designated for a "Strategic Investment" under the same plan. Both sit in the South East Planning Zone, which serves roughly 110,000 residents across the east side.

Beyond bricks and mortar, the award cites programs Brehm-Heeger championed: a Telescope Lending Program expanded to 14 new library locations, literacy initiatives for children and adults, senior social-isolation reduction efforts and job-seeker services.

"Every decision must strengthen the Library's ability to serve the people of Hamilton County," Brehm-Heeger said in the announcement.

Angela Hursh, CHPL's brand and communications director, wrote that libraries don't earn awards — people do. The honor, Hursh wrote, reflects the work of hundreds of library employees and a system built to earn community trust while helping libraries across Ohio grow stronger.

Brehm-Heeger has also advocated at the Ohio Statehouse for library funding. Hamilton County voters last approved a 10-year, 1.5-mill library levy in November 2023, generating an estimated $30.8 million annually for the system at a cost of about $43 per year on a $100,000 home.

The Ohio Library Council's Librarian of the Year criteria require OLC membership, a master's degree in library science and evidence of significant professional achievement in Ohio libraries within the past two years.

Residents can check upcoming programming at the Hyde Park and Oakley branches at chpl.org/events or by calling 513-369-6900.