Over 150 years of service, The Indianapolis Public Library has continuously grown and evolved, thanks to the dedication and support of its communities. Consequently, this enduring commitment has enabled us to adapt and expand our services, meeting the ever-changing needs and interests of our patrons.
The Beginning
In 1870, Abram Shortridge, superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, gathered leading citizens to draft legislation for a Board of School Commissioners and a public library. The Indiana General Assembly adopted this legislation in 1871. The Indianapolis Public Library opened in April 1873 at Indianapolis High School. Over the next twenty years, The Library had five Head Librarians and moved through three locations. In 1893, the City Library built its first permanent home.
Establishing Service
Head Librarian, Eliza Gordon Browning, led many significant changes during her time as Librarian. The most significant change being the opening of branch libraries. Between 1896 and 1897, the first five branch libraries opened. Since the School Board governed The Library, one of its primary responsibilities was to provide library services to the schools. In the 1890s, Browning established small collections in each school. Meanwhile, at City Library, she created children’s spaces, started story hours, and set up a school reference section. Then, in 1907, she opened the stacks and card catalog to the public. By 1909, her collaboration with Andrew Carnegie resulted in the construction of five new Carnegie Library branches.
By the early 1900s The Library outgrew the City Library. The Board began making plans for a new Central Library by purchasing land. In 1911, James Whitcomb Riley donated land. This donation set the plans for a Central Library into motion. Architect, Paul Cret, penciled designs for the new library from the trenches in France in 1914 during WWI. The new building opened in 1917 with a new Librarian, Charles Rush.
Finding Purpose fro 150 Years of Service
In the 1920s, The Library underwent significant changes. It reorganized into departments and adopted the Dewey Decimal System. Additionally, it launched a promotional push to increase usage and awareness of its services. Cerene Ohr, Supervisor of Branches, made it a goal to have the circulation of adult materials be at least equal to that of children’s materials, strengthening The Library’s identity as more than just an extension of the Schools. In 1928 the new Librarian, Luther Dickerson, made his own mark on The Library and its services by promoting The library as an agent of social services and as more than just books. These attitudes led The Library to expand its materials, increase programming, and integrate more deeply into community life.
Growing Pains
In a post-war era, large population growth and expansion of the city created pressure to extend services that The Library could not staff. By 1945, when Marion McFadden became Library Director, The Library ranked second in per capita circulation among cities with populations over 200,000. To extend services The Library began Bookmobile services in 1952. In McFadden’s final report to the Board she emphasized that “for The library to truly serve its changing communities it will need to separate from the IPS School System”. Harold Sander embraced and advanced this belief when he began his administration in 1957.
Building a New Identity
The rapid growth and annexation of Indianapolis in the 1960s drove the expansion and development of The Library. The 1960s saw eight new branches established – more than any decade before or since. In 1966, Marion County established a Public Library (MCPL), and the MCPL Board contracted with The Library to provide services to county residents. Subsequently, in 1968, The Library officially separated from IPS and merged with the county library to form The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library (IMCPL). As a result, the responsibility of providing library services in schools fell to each individual school.
After separating from IPS, The Library still provided some services to both public and private schools. However, this separation significantly impacted the range and quality of offerings. Consequently, it wasn’t until the mid-1990s, with the creation of the Shared System, that The Library and Indianapolis schools established a formal partnership. This development enabled The Library to better meet schools’ needs. In 1972, Raymond Gnat became Director. Under his leadership, The Library increased operating hours by 135.5 hours per week. Of this, 112.5 hours were added at the branches. During Gnat’s administration, from 1972 through 1990, system-wide circulation doubled.
Technology Leads the Way
In the 1980s and 1990s The Library and its services underwent a major evolution in large part due to new technologies and formats. Card catalogs were removed and replaced in the early 1980s by Online Public Access Catalog terminals. In 1996, The Library introduced public internet access by installing computers at each location. This change allowed the public to access online databases for the first time. As DVD circulation increased and internet usage grew, libraries expanded their spaces for computers and entertainment media. Consequently, the early 2000s marked the beginning of a digital era for The Library, which then started offering more digital resources, including online archives, downloadable audiobooks, and e-books.
A New Name for a New Era
The 2010s brought another significant change to the identity of The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library (IMCPL) when it was rebranded as The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL). Usage of downloadable resources continued to rise. The Library started offering more materials, including music, magazines, and video streaming. Additionally, with the Center for Black Literature and Culture, the Chris Gonzalez LGBTQ Collection, and world language collections, The Library reflects our diverse communities. Furthermore, in 2020, The Library adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by offering online access to digital materials and virtual programming, ensuring continued support and engagement during challenging times. Since 2020 The Library has opened two new branches and has joined hundreds of other libraries across the country by no longer charging late fines.
Thank you, Indianapolis, for your love and support of The Library and 150 years of service!
Learn more about our 150 years of service!
For more history about The Indianapolis Public Library check out these resources:
- Interested in the 150 years of service and history of Indianapolis Public Library Branches? Use this Topic Guide and Book List “History of the Indianapolis Public Library”.
- Interested in our Library System at large? Explore the Indianapolis Public Library Digital Archive on Digital Indy and the Indianapolis Public Schools Digital Archive on Digital Indy.
- Checkout The Library’s article and timeline in the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis that illustrates our 150 years of service.
- See, in-person. the collection in the Indianapolis Special Collections Room at Central Library.
Made possible by Friends of the Library through gifts to The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation.