Susan, the reason I find myself here is because I'm considering a library ladder in my small kitchen. I'm a tad under 5 feet tall sao I feel your pain, and my ceilings are "only" 8 feet tall! Did you find a solution? Mine can just stay out as far as I'm concerned, but the first thing that came to mind in terms of designing it to be hidden was that guy from Tiny House Nation who does the inside designs for the tiny houses. The guys that design the insides of those miniature homes are geniuses at making things fit into small places and also making them disappear!

If you have an “L” kitchen couldn’t you just continue the ladder into the cabinet? You could even have a door that hinges on the opposite side with a cutout for the rail.