Over 100 members agree to fund a book collection. The association limits circulation of its materials to members and paid subscribers.
Edson, the pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, argues that a public library will provide culture and values for residents and commercial growth for the city. His sermon triggers a public library campaign.
Abraham C. Shortridge and seven others draft the bill that provides for the establishment of public libraries in Indiana under the administration of school boards.
The Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners employs William F. Poole to prepare lists and orders for 8,000 volumes as the initial collection for the Indianapolis Public Library.
The association gives its entire collection of around 4,000 volumes to form the core collection of the new public library.
Upon the recommendation of William Poole, the school board and library committee hires Evans, a 22-year-old from Boston, as the head librarian
Located in one room of the high school building at the northeast corner of Pennsylvania and Michigan streets, the library begins with 12,790 volumes ready for 500 registered borrowers.
Over the course of its first year, the library’s collection generates 101,281 circulations. Most borrowers are children and members of the middle and upper classes.
The School Board leases space on the second floor of the Sentinel Building on the Circle to house the library. It remains there for the next three years.
A book retailer by trade, Yohn adds a browsing shelf and buys new library books upon request.
During his tenure, Tyler updates the library’s catalog and begins to work more closely with the public school system.
The new location at the corner of Pennsylvania and Ohio streets provides increased space for the library as well as office space for the School Board.
An insurance agent, Hooper relies on his staff to run the library while he focuses on social demands.
The School Board fires Hooper for poor leadership and puts Browning in charge until a new head librarian is appointed.
The School Board brings Evans back in hopes of revitalizing both the collection and the library’s reputation, which lagged under his successors.
The bonds allow the School Board to fund a new $100,000 facility to house the library.
The city’s first woman head librarian, Browning focuses her 25-year tenure on making the library a communitywide institution.
Located at 150 North Meridian Street, the library opens with a collection of about 52,000 books.
The branches–Branch No. 1 (Riverside), Branch No. 2 (Brookside Ave/10th St), Branch No. 3 (Prospect), and Branch No. 4 (Madison Ave) provide greater community access to the library’s collection.
Located in the newly annexed city of West Indianapolis, the branch becomes the 5th added to the library system.
After the Haughville community petitions for a neighborhood branch, the library moves Branch No. 2 to the grounds of IPS School No. 52.
Using donations from area physicians and hospitals, the library develops a collection of 4,545 medical texts.
Decorated with pictures and plants, the special alcove begins with 7,500 children’s books.
The library’s 6th branch is located at 2435 Station Street.
Located in the Bona Thompson Library of Butler College, the branch makes the library more accessible to Irvington residents and Butler students.
A gift from the Union Mission Sunday School, the branch is located at 415 West McCarty Street. It closes in 1930.
Patrons begin browsing shelves to make their own book selections rather than relying on staff to retrieve them.
The library branch occupies a new building at 3101 Clifton Street. It closes in 1971.
Library assistants visit both public and private schools to provide reference services to grades 7 through 10.
The library’s 10th branch is located at Pennsylvania and 33rd Streets.
The board chooses the site as a potential home for a new Central Library building.
Between 1909 and 1914, the library system builds five Carnegie branches: West Indianapolis, Madison Avenue, Spades Park, East Washington, and Hawthorne. Land for a sixth is never secured.
The Hoosier poet gives land at the northwest corner of St. Clair and Pennsylvania streets, next to the land the School Board bought three years earlier.
The branch is the first constructed in Indianapolis using the Carnegie grant. It is located at 2822 East Washington Street.
Located at 70 North Mount Street, the branch is the second constructed using Carnegie funds. It closes in 1955.
The third Indianapolis Carnegie branch is located at 1926 West Morris Street.
The library builds its fourth Carnegie branch on park land donated to the city by Indianapolis businessman Michael H. Spades.
New York City architect H. Van Buren Magonigle and three jurors select Philadelphia architects Paul P. Cret and Clarence Zantzinger’s design for the new library building in April 1914.
The building, located at Madison Avenue and Colburn Streets, is the last branch constructed with Carnegie funds.
After many delays, construction finally begins on the new Central Library at St. Clair and Pennsylvania Streets.
Indianapolis author Meredith Nicholson delivers the keynote speech at the ceremony held for the event.
Rush, who comes to the position with over a decade of library administration experience, replaces Elizabeth Gordon Browning, who after 25 years steps down to the position of assistant librarian.
Over 1,000 guests attend the event. The ceremony includes a reception for Indianapolis teachers and an open house for the public.
Library staff begin the long process of reclassifying the library’s entire book collection and card catalog to the Dewey Decimal classification system.
Located in the old Central Library building at 150 North Meridian Street, its collection covers a range of business-related topics and, in addition to books, includes directories and chamber of commerce and corporate publications.
The new branch at 2359 Shelby Street also serves as a social center for the neighborhood.
Under the direction of Carrie Scott, 20 students enroll in the six-month training program to learn essential library skills. The classes stop in 1941.
The children’s program rolls out in seven branches. Three more branches add story hour to their programming by 1920.
The high school’s library reorganizes as a branch of the Indianapolis Public Library.
Later known as the Business, Science & Technology Division, the department aims to provide “efficient reference and book service to the manufacturers, chemists, engineers, and other scientific and industrial workers of the city.”
The library offers books to the hospital via wagon service three times per week. It extends the service to Indiana University School of Medicine’s Long Hospital three months later.
Partnering with the IPS Board of School Commissioners, the new library provides teachers with educational resources in the old Central Library building. It transfers to IPS in 1967, when the Indianapolis Library reorganizes to serve the entire county.
The new branch is located at 2003 Sugar Grove Avenue. It closes in 1955.
The monthly newsletter continues the earlier Book Bulletin of the Indianapolis Public Library in a new format. It ceases publication in 1933.
Located at 1301 East 16th Street, the branch, the first in a predominately Black neighborhood, features books about Black history and culture. It closes in 1967, but the space remains in use as a media center for IPS School No. 26.
The Indianapolis Public Library celebrates the 50th anniversary of its opening in 1873 with a costume party just for staff and a formal gathering for stakeholders.
This self-directed program fosters adult education and assists high school and college dropouts.
The branch is located in a house at 615 East 42nd Street.
During the Central Library’s first 10 years of operation, circulation increases nearly 189 percent, and the number of registered borrowers grows 161 percent.
The branch, located in the new IPS segregated high school at 1140 North West Street, is open for use by both students and the public. The school system takes over managing the library for the high school in 1959.
Dickerson, who previously worked for the American Library Association, brings expertise that guides the library through the financial struggles of the Great Depression.
The branch, located at 3024 N. Meridian in the former home of Samuel and Emma Rauh, who gave it as a gift to the library, replaces the Illinois Street Branch. It closes in 1973.
The pilot project at the Broad Ripple branch reduces staff time spent on checking out borrowers. Central Library adopts the system in December 1932.
Located at 910-912 East 63rd Street, it becomes the 20th library branch in the Indianapolis Public Library system.
Circulation increases, likely in response to rises in unemployment as workers seek new skills and fill time.
The economic pressures of the Great Depression force the library to cut salaries by 5 percent. Another cut of 6 percent follows in 1933.
The new branch is located at 2411 Indianapolis Avenue. Renamed the George Washington Carver Branch on November 9, 1944, it closes in 1950.
The association promotes professional and educational development of the library staff.
The Staff Association produces the weekly newsletter, which provides library staff with a mix of personal and professional news.
McFadden, a 10-year veteran of the library, fills the role after serving as acting librarian for five months after Dickerson retires.
Established by the Indiana General Assembly in 1945, the library begins offering its staff the option to participate in the government-run retirement fund.
The table-top phonograph, with two sets of headphones, becomes a popular piece of technology to use within the library. Two years later, the phonorecord loan service begins.
The Technical Processes Department combines the three departments under the direction of the supervisor of technical processes, a new position.
The Business Library creates the periodical that features a combination of essays and booklists. It ceases publication in 1972.
The branch moves from its east 63rd address to a new building at 6219 Guilford Avenue.
The branch opens in a home at 5549 College Ave. that was willed to the library in 1946 by Clara Eleanor Holladay, a retired teacher. The branch closes in 1958, and it’s collection is moved to Central Library.
The collection of 80 16-millimeter films includes primarily educational subjects.
The entire library system closes so all employees can gather at the Central Library for lectures, discussions, and a mutual sharing of experiences.
With 2,000 books on its shelves, the bookmobile marks the beginning of mobile library service with its first stop at 10th Street and Bosart Avenue.
Following renovation, the former Daughters of the American Revolution building at 824 North Pennsylvania Street becomes the new administrative offices for the library system.
The branch moves to a newly constructed building on the original site at 5427 East Washington Street. It is renamed the Hilton U. Brown Library after the newspaper executive. It closes in 2001.
Sander, the former head of the library’s Business Branch, steps into the role when McFadden resigns to focus on personal pursuits.
The new branch is located in a house at 3642 North Emerson Avenue.
The library constructs a new branch building at 4186 North Broadway, the same site as the house in which it operated since 1925. It closes in 2000.
Held at the Indiana World War Memorial, the five-day event highlights 3,500 books, along with displays on microfilm, Braille, maps, and more.
The general adult department moves to the social services division, and literature and fiction combine with art and music to form the arts division. The reference department holdings are distributed to various subject divisions.
The new branch is located in a storefront in the Safeway Shopping Center at 2707 North Tibbs Avenue.
The basement and first floor of the annex replace the DAR house at 824 North Pennsylvania Street. The design of the new structure accommodates plans for future expansion.
A new 7,500-square-foot building is constructed on the same site as the previous building at 3642 North Emerson Avenue. The branch closes in 2003.
The library moves the division to the Board of Trade Building at 143 North Meridian Street.
The bill allows the school board to extend library service to all of Marion County. To follow the Indiana Library Law of 1947, a library board must be formed for the expanded entity before services can be extended. This board does not organize until 1967.
The library uses the Indianapolis Public School’s IBM equipment to keep track of patron transactions.
The award recognizes a staff member for outstanding ability and leadership. It is renamed “The Helen L. Norris Distinguished Service Award” in 1979 after the staff member that established it.
The new branch is located in the Northeastwood Shopping Center at 8939 East 38th Street. It closes in 1982.
The publication provides a central source of statistical information about Indianapolis.
Several Marion County residents form the group to work with the library and local legislators to make the county library system a reality.
The library moves the branch to a new 6,500-square-foot building at 2502 Shelby Street after spending 47 years in an old frame school building at 2359 Shelby Street.
After receiving a petition bearing 20,000 signatures calling for a county-wide library system, the commissioners pass a resolution to create it and a Marion County Public Library Board to govern it.
The new county branch, Marwood Branch Library, is located in the Marwood Shopping Center at 3373 Kentucky Avenue. It is replaced by the Decatur Branch in 1990.
The branch is located in the Westlane Shopping Center at 7141 North Michigan Road.
The branch is located in the old Lawrence Post Office building at 4419 North Franklin Road.
The new branch is located in the Madison Square Shopping Center at 6840 South Madison Avenue.
The School Board’s Library District representatives divest the board of its control of the library to merge the city and county library districts. The Marion County Library Board resigns to make way for a new joint city-county library board.
As a result of the establishment of individual school libraries, the division absorbs into the Indianapolis Public Schools system.
After the Madison Avenue Branch closes in 1968 to make way for Interstate 70, it combines with the Prospect Branch and moves to a leased building at 1831 Prospect Street.
The foundation forms to help raise additional funding for the rapidly growing library and to promote its continued development.
The branch is located in a leased building at 8822 Southeastern Avenue. It closes in 2000.
The branch is located in a shopping center at 7341 Rockville Road.
The library moves the branch to a new 12,000-square-foot building constructed at 3325 Lowry Road.
The library moves the branch to the Brightwood Plaza Shopping Center at 2435 North Sherman Drive.
The program funds library outreach programs including the Go-Go Library Van and the creation of a library inside the Marion County Jail. When federal funding ends in 1973, the library continues the programs as part of its extension services.
The new branch is located in a 15,000-square-foot building constructed at 8625 Guilford Avenue on a site that businessman Harrison Eiteljorg donated to IMCPL in 1968.
The sale of books and periodicals weeded from the library’s collection raises money for library projects.
Volunteers deliver books requested by patrons who are homebound or unable to visit a library branch.
The IMCPL Board unanimously chooses Gnat, who had worked nearly a decade as assistant librarian, to become library director after Harold Sander steps down.
The newsletter provides library users with a mix of library news and events, and library staff contribute essays on books, film, records, current events, etc.
The branch relocates to the Michigan Plaza Shopping Center at 3815 W. Michigan Street, leaving the old Haughville Town Hall building at 519 North Belleview Place, which it had occupied since 1901.
The library purchases the Riddick Warehouse building at 1435 N. Illinois Street in 1972 and renovates it to serve as the new Library Services Center.
“Library Centennial Day” kicks off the year-long 100th-anniversary celebration of the opening of the Indianapolis Public Library on April 9, 1873.
The branch is located in a 15,000-square-foot building constructed at 9701 East 21st Street.
The library moves the branch to a new 15,000-square-foot building constructed at 2630 East Stop 11 Road, replacing the shopping center branch opened in 1967.
The library succeeds at getting the 1917 Central Library building listed on the National Register.
The Business Library collection is absorbed into the Science and Technology Division at Central Library as a cost-saving measure. The combined operation is renamed the Business, Science, and Technology Division.
Built on top of the one-story annex, a 40,000-square-foot, 5-story wing is added to Central Library. The new addition includes space for administrative offices, reading rooms, and more space for reading and audio-visual materials.
The 1917 building undergoes massive restoration at the cost of $984,000. In addition to making improvements to restrooms, reading rooms, and hallways, renovations address accessibility issues including ramps and elevators.
The Indianapolis Public Library receives $121,000 in state funds when the Indiana Library Association and the Indiana Library Trustees lobby successfully for state funding for libraries in the Indiana General Assembly.
A fire causes damage to the building, and it is closed for repairs until February 6, 1978.
Building updates bring the 1911 Carnegie building up to current library standards and fire and building codes. It reopens with a gala celebration on July 30, 1978.
Yarger and Associates, a management consulting firm for local and state governments, conducts the survey, which is evaluated and updated in 1982 and again in 1986.
The library establishes the lecture series in McFadden’s name using a bequest of $150,000 from her estate.
The art lending gallery opens with about 400 prints of works by well-known artists. Library card holders can borrow 2 prints at a time for 60 days.
A new computer terminal allows staff to use the Indiana Informational Retrieval System (INDIRS), which gives access to statistical data for Indiana’s 92 counties.
The library connects to OCLC that provides the library with access to a nationwide bibliographic database.
The branch is closed for repairs until January 2, 1980.
The branch is located in the multiservice center at 2424 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. It closes in 2018.
The film division of the library adds nearly 1,000 videotapes to its collection.
The library installs hardware and software that begins its on-line book acquisition, circulation, and public access catalog system. In April 1983, the Broadway Branch becomes the first agency to go on-line for circulation control.
The library moves the branch to a 13,500-square-foot building constructed at 198 South Girls School Road, replacing the storefront facility that opened in December 1969.
The library moves the branch to a 13,500-square-foot building constructed at 7898 North Hague Road, replacing the leased facility opened in September 1967.
The Checkpoint, Inc. book-theft security system is installed at Central Library and six branch libraries.
In conjunction with the Greater Indianapolis Literacy League, the library provides literacy tutoring as well as a resume clinic and income tax assistance program.
The Central Library shortly thereafter adds audio cassette tapes to its music room.
The library moves the branch to an 11,100-square-foot building constructed in Broad Ripple Park at 1550 Broad Ripple Avenue, replacing the facility at 6219 Guilford Avenue built in 1949.
The library moves the branch to a new 13,000-square-foot building constructed at 6525 Zionsville Road, replacing the storefront facility in the Westlane Shopping Center. It is renamed Pike Branch.
The 1912 Carnegie building undergoes renovations and reopens on October 24, 1987.
The library moves the branch to a new 5,000-square-foot building constructed at 1216 Kappes Street, replacing the 1912 Carnegie building.
The renovation project, kicked off in 1984 with a Library Foundation fundraising campaign, includes the restoration of the ceiling mural, light fixtures, oak wainscoting, and the palm-leaf relief ceiling. New flooring and custom desks are also installed.
The library publishes a resource guide for the international sports competition, titled “The Americas–1987.” It also presents a film series called “Perspectives on Pan American Culture Through Cinema.”
The library sends the survey out as a tool to help plan for the development of its sites and services. It also conducts several open forums and an internal employee survey.
Indianapolis Public Library artist-in-residence Anthony Radford organizes the showcase that highlights the works of the city’s top African American visual artists. It becomes an annual event.
The Library Fund supplies grants to benefit information services at high schools in Marion County, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library System, and libraries at IUPUI, Marian College, and the University of Indianapolis.
The funds go towards building the new Decatur Township Library and the Library Services Center as well as the renovation and enlargement of the Nora Branch Library and several other older branch libraries.
The Public Relations office and Print Shop and seven other offices receive the computers. Within a year, the library has 324 desktop computers in the system for both public and staff use.
The project expands the Nora Branch to 17,500 square feet, making it the largest branch library in the system.
The new branch is located in an 11,300-square-foot building constructed at 5301 Kentucky Avenue.
The new, 80,000-square-foot facility, at 24th and Meridian Streets, becomes home to the library’s technical services department, centralized registration, computer center, shipping and receiving, and administration offices.
Children can call a 24-hour phone line to hear stories read by a member of the Pacer basketball team.
To appease concerned parents, a new policy makes it possible to limit children’s access to adult videos by stamping their cards with “JV.”
The branch is located at 1066 Virginia Avenue in a 5,145-square-foot space and replaces the Prospect Branch. It closes in 2020.
After Raymond Gnat retires, Szynaka becomes library director.
Starting with Cathedral High School, the new program, through the Hi-Net shared system, allows students to access their school and the Indianapolis Public Library catalog. Within two years, 11 more schools join the shared system.
Designated to pay for several expansion and renovation projects, the bonds are issued at two separate times—$12.2 million in 1998 and $34.9 million in 2000.
The library celebrates with events throughout the year, including an amnesty week during which patrons could return overdue materials and have their fines forgiven.
The library replaces the current CL Systems Inc. database with Horizon for its catalog. Commercial television station WXIN hosts a special live broadcast at the West Indianapolis Branch to demonstrate the new program.
The branch is located at 4180 North College Avenue and replaces the old Broadway Branch.
The library moves branch to a larger space in the Glendale Mall. It is renamed the Glendale Branch Library.
The new 18,000-square-foot branch is located at 5550 South Franklin Road. It replaces the Wanamaker Branch, which opened in 1969 on Southeastern Avenue.
The 7,000-square-foot expansion project includes an increased collection of materials, more public seating, more personal computer workstations, an additional public meeting room, and more parking spaces.
InfoZone is the first library branch in the world to be located in a children’s museum.
The pilot project makes a set of 10 Rocket eReaders available for patrons to check out from the Irvington Branch Library. They come loaded with five books.
Patrons can now check out DVDs through the library’s shared system. They became available directly through the library in 2003.
The Library Board votes in favor of issuing $35 million in bonds to fund the expansion of the Central Library Branch.
Located at 5625 E. Washington Street, the new 16,000-square-foot space replaces the old Brown Branch, which closed on October 3.
The Old City Hall building, at 202 N. Alabama Street, becomes the temporary home for Central Library during its expansion and renovation.
Located at 5420 E. 38th Street, the new 15,000-square-foot space expands collections, seating, public computer terminals, and outside parking.
Working with city officials, the library encourages Indianapolis residents to read the same book and selects The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamy West for the project.
The expansion of Central Library begins with the demolition of the five-story 1970s addition to the library.
The board votes 4-2 to remove Szynaka from his position, citing leadership issues. Laura Johnson takes over as interim CEO.
The new 12,000-square-foot building at 2121 West Michigan Street replaces the storefront location in the Michigan Plaza Shopping Center.
The Digitization Archive, later renamed Digital Indy, collaborates with community organizations to scan and create digital images of Indianapolis’ history, people, events, organizations, and places. The first collection to be published is for The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Previously the director of the Carroll County Public Library system in Maryland, Mielke quickly implements cost-cutting measures and service changes.
The new self-check stations installed at 10 branches allow patrons to check out or renew items on their own, freeing branch staff to help patrons with other library needs.
Focusing on early childhood literacy, the library establishes a fine-free library card for five-year-olds and under.
Book bags include a tote bag with 12 books appropriate for preschoolers. They can be checked out with a regular library card or a My First Library card.
Due to increasing demand, the library makes over 550 audiobooks available for checkout via download to a computer or listening device.
Unpopular with both staff and local media, Mielke resigns. Laura Bramble becomes interim CEO on January 18, 2007.
Part of the major renovations to Central Library, the room houses and displays the library’s archive of materials related to the people and history of Indianapolis.
Library staff adopt the AFSCME Local 335-Indy Library Workers charter to have more input in Library decisions.
The Library Board considers 3 potential candidates, all of whom are Indianapolis Public Library veterans, for the CEO position and selects Laura Bramble.
Demolition of the mid-1970s annex and stacks makes way for the steel and glass tower that surrounds the historic 1917 building. The renovations double the size of the library.
Following the success of the Bunny Book Bag program, the baby version includes 10 board books geared toward infants.
The library begins offering eBooks through OverDrive. eBooks can be checked out and read on a computer or other devices such as smartphones.
The library wins the award for “The Learning Curve” at Central Library–a programming space that combines high- and low-tech hands-on information for children to explore.
Reduced property tax revenues force the library to reduce public service hours systemwide to save money. The shortfall also results in the layoff of 37 staff members.
The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation commissions the book, written by S. L. Berry with contributions from Mary Ellen Gadski. It tells the story of the library from its origins in 1873 to 2011.
Patrons can now download the library’s eBook collection to a Kindle device or any mobile device running the free Kindle app.
The Shelby Branch undergoes a four-month renovation to modernize services and improve energy efficiency. It is also renamed the Garfield Park Branch.
Nytes, who previously worked for the library as associate director of Management Services and then as chief financial officer (1998-2001), becomes CEO following Laura Bramble’s retirement.
The service allows Library patrons to send questions to librarians through the text message feature of their cell phones.
The program makes seeds available to patrons for free pickup at several branch locations from mid-March through September.
Through a partnership with Hoopla Digital, the Library makes movies, TV shows, and music albums available to patrons for free streaming to a computer or mobile device.
The merger makes Beech Grove the Library’s 24th branch. It provides greater access to Library resources for south side patrons.
The association recognizes the library for its eBook Tinker Stations that show patrons how to use their personal devices to download items from the library’s growing digital collections, which include eBooks, eAudiobooks, and free streaming of videos and music.
The $1.1 million renovation includes additional public seating, dedicated study and activity areas, and computers and power outlets for patron use.
The renovations include a new entrance closer to the parking lot, a public computer area, two group study rooms, updated and fully accessible restrooms, and a new community room.
The program helps to prepare children for academic success and to instill a lifelong love of reading. To participate, caregivers track and log their child’s progress on a form provided by the library. Prizes are awarded for levels of 100, 500, and 1,000 books read.
The library unveils a time capsule sealed into Central Library during its construction to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its opening day. The library hosts several other special programs throughout September and October to celebrate the event.
The $2.4 million renovation project includes a 2,200-square-foot expansion, a 16-unit computer lab, and a new children’s program space.
The time capsule from March 24, 1916 is opened as part of the Centennial Celebration of Central Library. Among the items in the time capsule are original works by Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley, coins, postcard photos, documents relating to Library operations, and many other historic artifacts.
The center, located in the library’s West Reading Room, features a collection of books, interactive displays, and research tools to aid in exploring the Black experience in Indianapolis.
The Library and Indy Pride, Inc. partner to integrate the over 7,000-piece collection specific to the LGBTQ+ community into Central Library and to create a permanent LGBTQ+ exhibit.
Located at 6201 Michigan Road, the new 20,000-square-foot branch includes spaces for children, teens, and adults as well as a large community room for large groups.
The $151,000 renovation includes a larger children’s area, increased patron seating, and the creation of a single entrance point.
The Lowry Road facility is replaced by a new 20,000-square-foot building at 3905 Moller Road.
The branch receives LEED v4 certification for its energy efficiency and environmental design to become the first public building in Indiana to meet the new higher standards implemented by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2013.
The library switches its database provider from Horizon (shut down January 18) to Polaris.
The library expands access to digital resources, and in May, curbside service begins.
Branches reopen slowly over a two-week period. Curbside delivery continues and several safety measures are implemented including requiring masks, limiting capacity, social distancing of six feet, and a one-hour time limit on public computers.
The brand-new branch building, across the street from the previous Brightwood Branch building, is completed and re-named as the Martindale-Brightwood Branch.
The 13,500-square-foot facility, located at 198 S. Girl School Road, undergoes its first renovation since its opening in 1983.
The Murals for Racial Justice Project, an initiative of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, commissions 22 Black artists to create 24 temporary murals on boarded-up storefronts in downtown Indianapolis. The works are later recreated on banners displayed at the Central Library and available for educational use by the community.
The Lawrence Branch reopens after 10 months of extensive renovations costing $1.5 million. New features include an updated entrance; more windows, new public restrooms; added outlets and charging stations; and new spaces for kids, teens, and adults.
A group of Indianapolis Public Library workers call for action, including the resignation of the CEO, after years of incidents of racism and discrimination in the library system continue to go unaddressed.
The Library Board hires the Racial Equity Solutions Team of Ice Miller, LLP to lead a climate study to evaluate the experiences of staff in regard to equity and inclusion in the workplace.
The library implements its new fine-free policy to erase barriers to library use and to support citywide efforts to build equity in Indianapolis.
Yanna McGraw becomes the library’s first full-time social worker. She helps patrons with such issues as housing insecurity and identifying available mental health services.
The new branch at 6650 South Harding St. replaces the Fountain Square branch.
The branch achieves LEED Silver Certification, joining the East Washington Branch, the Michigan Road Branch (Silver), and the Eagle Branch (Gold) as LEED-certified buildings.
After staff protests about racism within the Library, Nytes and the Library Board determine the best course of action is for Nytes to leave her role as CEO.
Helling, the library’s chief public services officer, takes on the role of interim CEO after Nytes steps down.
In this role, Keesha Hughes works to assess, design, develop, implement, research, and evaluate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
A legacy project of the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission, the digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis updates and expands upon the original 1994 Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, adding new content to reflect developments in the culture and landscape of Indianapolis since 1994.
The inclusion of 10 Black authors’ names whose works span pre-Civil War to the civil rights movement and beyond are added to the walls of Central Library. The library aims to add additional names of authors of color in the years to come.
The board votes unanimously to appoint Nichelle Hayes, the manager of the Center for Black Literature & Culture, as the next interim CEO.
After a candidate declines the offer following public protests, the library board appoints interim Chief Public Services Officer Gregory Hill as acting CEO.
The library board selects Hill, who started working at the library in 2011 as a clerk, as the new CEO.
The new 22,000-square-foot branch is constructed to fill a service gap between the Lawrence Branch on the northeast side and the Warren Branch on the far east side.
