Programs
More than a depository for books and information, the Library plays an important role in shaping the community’s narrative. The Library encourages all to learn, grow and share through essential programs and services and engaging events. Tax dollars fund the Library’s primary operations including Library staffing, collection materials, and facility and technology maintenance. The majority of the Library’s programs are possible because of support from Friends of the Library, corporate sponsors and philanthropic partners. Read on for more about Foundation-funded programs that encourage lifelong learning.
Children’s Fund
Summer Reading Program
The Library’s annual eight-week Summer Reading Program motivates thousands of children to increase the time they spend reading. It is offered free of charge at all branches, Central Library and over 100 youth-serving agencies through bookmobile service. Themed programming, such as live animal shows, art workshops and science activities, provide further opportunities for learning, discovery and community engagement.
Young Adult Author Visits
Authors of books for teens are brought in to speak at Library locations to help draw teens and their families to the Library.
Early Learning
Early childhood literacy is a special focus for the Library. Ensuring children know how to read helps to set them up for future success.
On the Road to Reading
The Library makes monthly visits to over 160 childcare classrooms in low- to moderate-income areas, sharing story programs, delivering bags full of age-appropriate books and providing themed kindergarten-readiness kits and resources to parents and providers.
Preschool Programs
The Library offers a series of fun, educational workshops covering topics like music, art, wellness, science and math throughout Central Library and the branches.
Día del Niño at Be My Neighbor Day
Día del Niño at Be My Neighbor Day is an event filled with activities and opportunities for families to engage with their children and encourage reading aloud. To make the event as inclusive as possible, all publicity and programming is bilingual.
Collections/Technology
Marion County Internet Library
Through funding from The Indianapolis Foundation Library Fund, the Library makes a collection of commercial databases available to academic, public and school libraries in Marion County and provides database training for librarians.
Digital Collections
The Library preserves and shares local history through the digitization of records of local organizations. Digital projects include the Lawrence J. Downey Library History Collection, the records of local art organizations, the Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association, the Library’s African-American History Committee and more. Digital collections can be found at DigitalIndy.org.
Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
The digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, or dEOI, is a web-based knowledge platform built as a legacy project of the 2021 Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission. This dynamic reimagining and expansion of The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis by David Bodenhamer and Robert G. Barrows (1994) covers many topics, including business, philanthropy, built and natural environment, health and life sciences, arts and culture, education, religion, sports and more. It spotlights a vibrant, prosperous and innovative city and region. When it launched in fall 2021, it included:
- 1,600 updated articles from the 1994 print edition
- 300 new entries for the period since 1994
- Interactive timelines, maps and atlases
- Topical or subject-focused features
- Neighborhood profiles and histories
If you are interested in supporting the dEOI project, please click here.
Cultural & Community Fund
The Center for Black Literature & Culture
The Center for Black Literature & Culture, housed in Central Library, is dedicated to celebrating the vibrancy of Black heritage and history. It offers a space for events and community gatherings and offers a special collection featuring works by and about Black figures. The creation of the Center for Black Literature & Culture is made possible thanks to a generous grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture
The Library hosts an annual free lecture by an accomplished, high-profile author, open to the greater community. Past McFadden speakers have included Junot Díaz, Eric Carle, Khaled Hosseini, Neil Gaiman, David McCullough, Ann Patchett and Jeff Kinney. Approximately 1,000 people attend each year.
Meet the Artists Exhibit
The annual Meet the Artists exhibit is a two-month-long showing of works by local African-American artists at Central Library. The exhibit is kicked off by a gala featuring live musical entertainment, a fashion show, poetry readings and more. The exhibit typically runs from late January through March every year.
Concert Series
IndyPL brings in musicians of all kinds to perform music in the Clowes Auditorium at Central Library as well as at various branch locations.
Fall Fest
Held every November at Central Library, Fall Fest features a lecture by a celebrity speaker and other performances by local African-American musicians, poets, dancers and more. In addition, winners of the teen Slammin’ Rhymes Poetry contest perform their works.
Lifelong Learning Fund
World Language Computer Classes
The Library presents a series of digital literacy classes taught in Spanish and other non-English languages.
Nonprofit Workshops
These seminars provide affordable information for nonprofits to survive and thrive. The seminars give information to those wanting to start new nonprofit organizations and are a unique educational experience to students of the nonprofit sector.
Adult Summer Reading Program
To encourage adults’ love of recreational reading, the Library established an Adult Summer Reading Program (SRP) in 2014. The program gives adults fun prizes for recording their reading time and completing Library activities.
Seed Library & Gardening Workshops
The Seed Library allows patrons to "check out" seeds to grow in their home gardens. In addition to distributing free seeds, the Library hosts workshops about various home gardening topics.