ABOUT THE LIBRARY
2007 Library News Archive
Other Archives
December 13, 2007
Identifying service and programming priorities as well as funding capabilities for the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library over the next five years will be the focus of a strategic planning process to begin in the first quarter of 2008.
Former Purdue University President Martin C. Jischke and Patty Jischke will co-chair a Strategic Planning Committee that will solicit community input and develop plans to meet the learning needs of a broad range of constituencies, including children, teens, adults, senior citizens, immigrants and the disenfranchised.
Central Library Grand Opening Set for December 9!
October 5, 2007
The public is invited to celebrate a milestone event in the city's rich cultural history when the newly-transformed Central Library opens its doors for service at 1 p.m. on Sunday, December 9, 2007.
IMCPL Trustees Announce Final Candidates for Chief Executive Officer
October 1, 2007
The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Board of Trustees has announced the names of three finalists for the position of IMCPL Chief Executive Officer.
The Mane Event - Indianapolis Colts and IMCPL Team Up for a Family Reading Initiative!
September 27, 2007
The Indianapolis Colts and the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library have announced a special partnership through which the organizations will work together to promote reading.
The collaboration kicked off with "The Mane Event," a family reading celebration, on Wednesday, September 26 at the Pike Branch. It featured a storytime, games, Colts face-painting, opportunities to sign up for an IMCPL Library Card and special appearances by Colts players Matt Giordano and Josh Betts.
"The Mane Event" featuring Colts players will continue throughout the fall at other IMCPL locations: October 10 at the College Avenue Branch, 4180 N. College Avenue; Monday, November 26 at the East 38th Street Branch; and Monday, December 5 at the Franklin Road Branch.
Open House to Demonstrate New Assistive Technology Available at the Glendale Branch
September 27, 2007
To ensure that all patrons enjoy access to information and lifelong learning, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library is making available new assistive technology at the Glendale Branch, 6101 N. Keystone Avenue, to assist individuals with disabilities.
Thanks to a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, the Library has obtained the X-tation Pro Accessible Workstation, located in the Accessibility Room at the Glendale Branch, which will improve public computer and Internet access for those with vision, mobility or hearing impairments, as well as those with certain learning disabilities such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder.
New Grants Support Library's "Baby Bunny Bags" Initiative
September 13, 2007
Grants totaling over $60,000 will support an Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library service to be launched later this fall that will encourage parents to read to their infants.
The Baby Bunny Bags program, made possible through the combined support of the Comcast Foundation and the Library Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate, will provide materials appropriate for infants, such as tactile books and board books, that parents or caregivers can use to introduce books to their young ones.
"This Is My Mexico" Art Winners Announced
September 7, 2007
The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library and the Mexican Consulate Office in Indianapolis have announced winners in the 11th annual children's art contest, "This Is My Mexico."
Interim Central Library Closes for Move to New Central Library
September 6, 2007
The Interim Central Library, 202 N. Alabama Street, closed its doors to the public at 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 8 in preparation for moving materials and staff into the transformed Central Library at 40 E. St. Clair Street.
It will take approximately six weeks to move the Interim Central Library’s estimated 700,000 volumes of materials into the new facility. Following that, staff orientation and training along with final building preparation will be necessary before Central Library opens to the public.
IMCPL Initiates Search for Permanent Chief Executive Officer
August 31, 2007
The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Board of Trustees has announced that it is beginning its search for a permanent Chief Executive Officer to plan and direct the operations of the IMCPL system.
"We are seeking an individual familiar with the Indianapolis library system and the greater Indianapolis area," stated Library Board President Louis Mahern.
Mahern adds that interviews for determining final candidates will be conducted during the Library Board of Trustees Executive Session on Monday, Sept. 17 beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Donna Talley Story Theatre Dedicated at East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch
August 27, 2007
Stories will come to life for children and families in a newly-renovated children's area unveiled on Thursday, August 23, 2007 at the East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, 5420 E. 38th Street.
Dedication ceremonies were held for the new Donna Talley Story Theatre, an enclosed room where a variety of programming is planned to further the Library's mission of promoting reading and literacy among young people.
The project was initiated by neighborhood library patron and former City-County Councilor Steve Talley in memory of his late wife, Donna, an ardent support of children's programming. Mr. Talley spearheaded a drive to raise over $12,000 in private funding to enhance the children's area within the East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch.
Sign Up to Receive IMCPL's New Look Library Cards!
August 24, 2007
Marion County residents can commemorate the upcoming opening of the transformed Central Library as well as the mission of the Library as a center for learning by signing up for a new Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library card during National Library Card Signup Month in September.
Residents can replace their current IMCPL cards with either of two cards available at any Library branch or bookmobile.
Interim Central Library to Close on Saturday, September 8
August 16, 2007
In preparation for moving materials and staff into the transformed Central Library, the Interim Central Library, 202 N. Alabama Street, will close its doors to the public at 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 8, 2007.
Plein Air, Paint Out Winners Announced
August 15, 2007
The public enjoyed a "en plein air" and explored the colorful world of nature through art during the 3rd annual "Plein Air Paint Out" on Saturday, August 4 at Garfield Park and the Shelby Branch of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library.
A Classic Statuary Returns to Its Library Home
August 9, 2007
When the Library opens in late 2007, visitors to the new Central Library will be majestically greeted by three allegorical figures as part of a classic bronze statue personifying the major areas of human endeavor.
The statue, created by German-American sculptor Richard Bock in 1892, has been placed atop the 9th Street entrance of the new six-story addition of the transformed Central Library. Originally, the statue was part of the old Indianapolis Public Library building, which sat on the southwest corner of Ohio and Meridian Streets from 1892 until the building was demolished in 1967.
IMCPL's 2007 Summer Reading Program Attracts Over 55,000 Participants!
August 8, 2007
This year's huge participation in the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library's Summer Reading Program again demonstrated IMCPL's commitment to help young people develop and broaden their reading skills.
Completing its 88th year, the Summer Reading Program saw 55,727 children and parents who read an estimated 1.1 million books during an eight-week period that began on June 4. That's an average of 20 books per participant.
20th Century Authors Inscribed in Central Library Limestone
June 28, 2007
When the transformed Central Library opens in late 2007, patrons will see the names of seven of the 20th century's greatest literary figures added to those from earlier ages already engraved in the stonework of the historic Cret building.
Based on the recommendations of contemporary authors, such as John Irving and Norman Mailer, who have presented the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library's annual McFadden Memorial Lecture, the latest inscriptions have been carved above the windows of the Cret building as viewed from the four-story atrium that connects the 1917 structure with the Library's new six-story addition.
Children Invited to Color Their Way to a Special Opening Day at the New Central Library!
June 18, 2007
One lucky child will be chosen to help "unlock the doors" when the transformed Central Library opens in late 2007 from participation in the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library’s "Central Library Grand Opening Coloring Contest."
Children ages 6 - 12 are invited to visit any IMCPL branch or bookmobile to pick up an entry form and contest coloring sheet featuring Booker, the Library’s mascot. Coloring sheets also can be accessed on the 2007 Summer Reading Program page of the Library’s website.
Library's "Go Center" Emphasizes Business Resources
May 3, 2007
What's that big orange, white, and black sign hanging from the 3rd floor railing at Interim Central?
It's a sign promoting the "Go Center," the theme of a new marketing campaign created by the Economic Development Committee of the Indiana Library Federation. The goal is to highlight business reference in public libraries.
April 30, 2007
In celebration of those whose literary works uniquely document and define the human condition, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library has created its own national literary award named after the City's renowned literary son, the late Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
The first recipient of the esteemed "Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Award for Literature" is the award's namesake, widely regarded as a master of contemporary American literature and a major shaper of how the late 20th century views itself.
2007 McFadden Lecture to be Presented as Memorial to Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Indianapolis' Native Son
April 12, 2007
In tribute to one of the most important literary figures of the past century, the 30th McFadden Memorial Lecture will be presented on Friday, April 27th at 7 p.m. at Clowes Hall on the Butler University campus by Mark Vonnegut, the son of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. who passed away April 11 in New York City. Other Vonnegut family members will be in attendance as Mark Vonnegut will present the very program his father had planned to give at this year's McFadden Lecture, co-sponsored by the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation, The Patricia Cornwell Foundation and the Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers Series at Butler University.
City selects Vonnegut classic "Slaughterhouse-Five" for One Book, One City -- Indy's Choice Volume 5
April 11, 2007
After weeks of book club meetings, public discussion and votes being cast, the people of Indianapolis have selected Slaughterhouse-Five by literary legend Kurt Vonnegut for "One Book, One City -- Indy's Choice Volume 5." The theme for this year's One Book, One City program ties into Indianapolis' "Year of Vonnegut" celebration that kicked off earlier this year, honoring the life and work of homegrown author Kurt Vonnegut.
IMCPL Sets Record in Patron Visits and Circulation in 2006
March 13, 2007
Over 5.43 million patrons visited the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library in 2006, exceeding the previous record of over 5.42 million in 2005. Service statistics from 2006 also indicated that nearly 13.8 million items were circulated throughout the Library system, another record which surpassed the 2005 total of 12.2 million. These achievements reflect IMCPL's commitment to meet the 21st century information needs of local citizens while streamlining operations to maintain good stewardship over tax dollars.
IMCPL Participates in "Imagination Library's" First Anniversary Celebration
January 19, 2007
More than 100,000 books were given to Central Indiana children last year as part of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program of United Way of Central Indiana's (UWCI) Success By 6 initiative. The program, which provides children with a book a month until their fifth birthday, launched last January and celebrated its first anniversary at the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library's Brightwood Branch on January 17.
IMCPL Board Rescinds Vote on Closing of Glendale Branch
January 12, 2007
The Building Committee of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Board of Trustees voted today to rescind its vote of last week to close the Glendale Branch due to the newly planned configuration of the Glendale Mall by Kite Realty Group.
"Little-Bitty" Bookmobiles Arrive at IMCPL!
January 8, 2007
To enhance services to young children, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library has acquired three hybrid-powered mini-vans that will be used for delivery of books and materials to preschoolers in local home day care centers and after school programs.
January 5, 2007
