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Storytime with Dad is a great way to spend part of Father’s Day! Listen together to Hair Love, a story about a daddy daughter duo who work together to come up with the perfect hair style for a special day. They don’t know at first exactly which hair style will work, but as they try each one, they know which ones won’t! Follow along as they keep their cool and don’t get discouraged as they try and try again. You will also find below more free online read alouds, e-books, and online activities. It’s Father’s Day Storytime Online! Don’t miss our list of favorite books to check out for Father’s Day!

Talk!

After listening to the story, talk about some of the things that happened in it.

Why was Zuri so excited about her day? Why was it important to her to have her hair done?
How would you have felt if you couldn’t get your hair ready for a special event?
Have you ever had a hard time combing your hair? How did you feel when you were struggling with it? Did you ask for help?
Why does Zuri look at her ipad?
What ae some of the things that Zuri and her dad did do to figure out how to style her hair?
How did Zuri feel when her mother saw what they had done.

Read!

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about Father’s Day at any of our loca tions, or check out Father’s Day e-books and audiobooks from OverDrive Kids right to your device. If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use it for both e-books and audiobooks.

Click on the book covers below to listen to more Father’s Day video read aloud stories right now! It’s Father’s Day storytime online! Did you like these? You can find more stories at Free Video Read Alouds and enjoy even more themed reading and activity fun at IndyPL’s DIY Online Storytimes at Home.

title - I [heart] Dad With the Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Best Dads in Picture Books to Check Out with your IndyPL Library Card

List Cover Images - They teach, play, protect, tease, feed, and adventure from dawn to dark. These picture book dads show how it’s done from sweet to ornery to laugh out loud! They are great fun for Father’s Day and every day!

Sing!

Enjoy this sing along from Miss Linky. “Dads are special and they deserve some love on Father’s Day. Sing this song for your daddy and practice the moves to let your him know that he means the world to you!”

Write!

Find some crayons or makers to color a picture, practice writing the letters, or see if you can follow your way through a maze without getting stuck.

Play!

Take a walk with your dad and read a story as you go! We invite you to visit StoryWalk® in Ruckle Street Park at 3025 Ruckle Street. Stroll through the park and read a book displayed in mounted frames.

Find Ways to Play with Dad! searchable activities database from PBS Kids Results include printable activities, crafts made with things found around the house, online games, recipes, experiments, and more. You can search by age, favorite PBS kids show character, or by keyword.

Join Us for In-Person Storytime

Event: Storytime at West Perry – Babies and Toddlers
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:15am
Location: West Perry Branch
Description: Children ages 0-2 and a caregiver are invited for a story, songs, rhymes, and activities designed with our littlest patrons in mind! No registration is required.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Wayne – Preschool
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Preschoolers ages 2 – 6 and an adult are invited for stories, songs and fingerplays followed by an art and craft time.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Spades Park
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Spades Park Branch
Description: Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and an adult are invited to join us for stories and more every Thursday in the Community Room followed by socialization time for children and caregivers.
No Registration Required.

Need Help?

Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text, or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

Tags Holidays & Seasons, Storytime Online

In the month of May in Indianapolis attention is focused at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or less formally, “The Brickyard,” or as we simply call it here at home, “the track.” It is time for the Indy 500!

If you sit outside in Indianapolis on a spring day in May and the wind is just right in relation to where you are, you can hear the distant high-pitched hum of cars practicing, careening around the track. On race day you can see other signs that something big is happening. If you look up you can see the Goodyear blimp floating above the city giving the world a birds-eye view, or at start time, watch the fighter jets fly in formation over the city, both traditions leading up to “Drivers, start your engines!”

While you wait for this year’s race, have fun learning about the history, physics and amazing records of the greatest spectacle in racing – the Indianapolis 500! The Spectacle is a complete history of the Indianapolis 500. It includes a hundred year’s worth of memories from legendary drivers and details about memorable races. It’s like you were in the pits yourself watching the drama unfold. Listed below are online activities and books about the Indy 500 you can check out with your IndyPL library card. You can even learn how to draw or build a race car of your own!

Websites, Printables & Activities

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indy 500 Photo Gallery
Motorsports Hall of Fame
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis: Indy 500 Artifacts
Art for Kids Hub Video: How to Draw a Porsche Race Car
DrawinGeek: How to Draw a Race Car Step-by-Step
Printable: Rahal Coloring Sheets
Printable: Crayola Formula One Race Car

e-Books & Audiobooks

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about car racing at any of our locations, or check out car racing e-books and a udiobooks from OverDrive Kids right to your device! If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use it for both e-books and audiobooks.

Need help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text, or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

Books for Kids Crazy about Indy Cars

Title - Draw 50 Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles

Tags Local History, Sports & Fitness

In Mommy’s Khimar, a young girl’s mother has a closet full of beautiful flowing scarves called khimars. A khimar is a veil or scarf worn in public by some Muslim women. The little girl in the story likes to play dress-up with her mom’s beautiful khimars. While dressed in them she uses her imagination to be a queen, a superhero, and her mom! She feels her mother’s love in each scarf as it covers her. You can listen to this story below read aloud by the author, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow. Enjoy Mother’s Day storytime online!

Talk!

After listening to the story, talk about some of the things that happened in it.

If you look at the page that shows mommy’s closet full of khimars, which one is your favorite?
Which khimar is the little girl’s favorite?
Do you like to play pretend? What kinds of things do you like to pretend to be?

Read!

Below are several more stories about amazing mothers. Each is a video read aloud, just click on a book cover to hear more Mother’s Day storytime online!

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about Mother’s Day at any of our locations, or check out e-books and audiobooks about Mother’s Day from OverDrive Kids right to your device! If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use it for both e-books and audiobooks.

Click on the book covers below to listen to more video read aloud stories about Mother’s Day right now! It’s Mother’s Day storytime online! Did you like these? You can find more stories at Free Video Read Alouds and enjoy even more themed reading and activity fun at IndyPL’s DIY Online Storytimes at Home.

Books for Kids that Celebrate Amazing Mamas to Check Out with your IndyPL Library Card

List Cover Images - From poignant to laugh-out-loud these picture book tributes to all kind of moms leave no doubt as to the true definition of unconditional love – mamas themselves. Perfect stories for Mother’s Day and every day.

Sing!

Enjoy this sing along from The Laurie Berkner Band. “Everyone knows there’s nothing quite like a hug from their mom. In this sweet and cheery tune, Laurie Berkner lets kids in on the secret that for all the mothers, mamas, mommies, and moms out there, there’s nothing quite like a hug from their children, either!”

Write!

Find some crayons or makers to color a picture, practice writing the letters, or see if you can follow your way through a maze without getting stuck.

Play!

Take a walk and read a story as you go! We invite you to visit StoryWalk® in Ruckle Street Park at 3025 Ruckle Street. Stroll through the park and read a book displayed in mounted frames.

Try the Are You My Mother? online memory match game. Try it set to easy, medium, or hard. Find more fun activities and home made gift ideas on the IndyPL Pinterest Board full of Mother’s Day Ideas.

Join Us for In-Person Storytime!

Event: Storytime at West Perry – Babies and Toddlers
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:15am
Location: West Perry Branch
Description: Children ages 0-2 and a caregiver are invited for a story, songs, rhymes, and activities designed with our littlest patrons in mind! No registration is required.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Wayne – Preschool
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Preschoolers ages 2 – 6 and an adult are invited for stories, songs and fingerplays followed by an art and craft time.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Spades Park
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Spades Park Branch
Description: Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and an adult are invited to join us for stories and more every Thursday in the Community Room followed by socialization time for children and caregivers.
No Registration Required.

Need Help?

Tags Holidays & Seasons, Storytime Online

Indianapolis has a rich cycling history as the birthplace of Marshall “Major” Taylor, an American professional cyclist. Taylor won the sprint event at the 1889 World Track Championships. He became the first African American to win a cycling world championship. Get to know Major Taylor’s story and then learn more about bicycling in Indianapolis. Get reading recommendations as well as tips for new riding routes!

The Center for Black Literature & Culture hosted an online presentation about Marshall “Major” Taylor by Michael Kranish. Watch Kranish, author of, The World’s Fastest Man: the extraordinary life of cyclist Major Taylor, America’s First Black Sports Hero. share Taylor’s journey.

Indianapolis Velodrome

The velodrome in Indianapolis is named in honor of Major Taylor. It was the first building in the city built with public funds to be named for an African American. Indianapolis won a bid to host the 1982 National Sports Festival. Since the city was short a natatorium, a track stadium and a velodrome, all three venues were built! This was possible thanks to a partnership between the Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Department and the Lilly Endowment.

In 1987, Indianapolis hosted the tenth Pan American Games. The Velodrome played host to all the track cycling events. Afterwards, the Velodrome hosted many other events including: US Olympic Festival, Junior Track Nationals; Elite Track Nationals; Masters Track Nationals; and Collegiate Track Nationals.

In recent years the venue has suffered a slow and steady decline in condition and usage. Neighboring Marian University (whose nationally ranked cycling team practices and competes at the Indy Cycloplex) has joined with Indy Parks and Recreation Department to resurrect the Velodrome as a part of the comprehensive Indy Cycloplex facility. The project is creating a new, brighter history for the property as well as a brighter future for bicycling in Indianapolis.

Learn more about Major Taylor in Kaelynn Hayes’ Racing in the Velodrome from Discover Indiana, a statewide project that makes cultural and historical information available to the public. Finally, check out all the cycling options here in Indy in How to Explore America’s Most Underrated Biking City.

A sampling from the Major Taylor photo gallery:

Featured Book List: Cycling Books

I am a lifelong cyclist and enjoy sharing my love for the sport with others.

National Bike Month

Cycling fans – celebrate National Bike Month and take these books and movies for a spin! #IndyPLAdults

Title - The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World

Tags Sports & Fitness

Here are some tips to help you find books written by Asian and Pacific Islander authors, including a convenient list of authors linked directly to our catalog for placing requests or checking out e-books or audiobooks.

Read an award winner.

Make a selection from some of the most distinguished honors in literature.

The Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature has been awarded by the Asian/Pacific American Library Association since 2005. They currently give awards for Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Young Adult Literature, Children’s Literature, and Picture Books.
Awarded from 1998 to 2012, the Asian American Literary Award was hosted by the Asian American Writer’s Workshop.

Get reading recommendations from Library staff.

Discover a new author by browsing through a literary magazine.

Literary magazines are an excellent way to acquaint yourself with new literary communities. Check out the literary magazines below and if you find an author you like, see if they have additional work in our catalog.

Lantern Review is a literary journal dedicated to Asian American poetry. While the journal stopped publishing in 2022, their past issues are still available for folks to read online.
Bamboo Ridge Press is a literary journal that publishes fiction and poetry related to the people of Hawai’i. While current issues are available for purchase, the archives can be browsed on the University of Hawai’i’s website for free.
Jaggery, named after an unrefined dark brown sugar used throughout the South Asian diaspora, publishes poetry, fiction, and essays by South Asian authors.
The Margins is a literary magazine published by the Asian American Writer’s Workshop. They feature “poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, critical essays, reportage, translations, interviews, and experimental and hybrid-genre work.”

Use your Library card to log into Novelist Plus.

On Novelist Plus you’ll find recommendations, read-alikes, series lists, reviews, and lists of award-winning books by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors. Browse the Asian Author category in Novelist Plus or browse the Pacific Islander category in Novelist Plus.

Asian & Pacific Islander Authors

Ali, Monica
British Bangladeshi

Cho, Zen
Malaysian

Chu, Wesley
Taiwanese

Davenport, Kiana
Hawai’ian

De la Cruz, Melissa
Filipina American

Han, Kang
South Korean

Hoang, Helen
Vietnamese American

Hosseini, Khaled
Afghan American

Kaur, Rupi
Indian Canadian

Khaw, Cassandra
Malaysian

Kuang, R.F.
Chinese American

Lee, Chang-Rae
Korean American

Lee, Min Jin
Korean American

Manansala, Mia
Filipina American

Mikhail, Dunya
Iraqi American

Milan, Courtney
Chinese American

Murakami, Haruki Japanese

Murata, Sakaya
Japanese

Nafisi, Azar
Irani

Nhat Han, Thich
Vietnamese

Ondaatje, Michael
Sri Lankan Canadian

Rushdie, Salman
American British Indian

Satrapi, Marjane
French Iranian

Sattouf, Riad
French Syrian

Shamsie, Kamila
Pakistani British

Sutanto, Jesse Q
Chinese Indonesian

Taleb, Nassim Nicholas
Lebanese American

Tan, Amy
Chinese American

Thomas, Sherry
Chinese American

Upadhyay, Samrat
Nepalese American

Vaite, Celestine
French Polynesian

Vuong, Ocean
Vietnamese American

Tags Asian & Pacific Islander, Authors

Have you seen one of the Library’s Bookmobiles driving around Indianapolis? We have two that visit neighborhoods and schools all over the city delivering books to people who don’t have a Library branch nearby. Kids love trucks, books, and cozy little spaces – our Bookmobiles are all three! Watch this video to meet one of our book cruising teams, ride on the bookmobile with Emilie and Bruce! Our Bookmobiles are filled with both great books and great people!

Bookmobile History

A librarian in Maryland in the early 1900s is credited with coming up with the idea of the first bookmobile. That first one was a horse-drawn wagon. No one had ever seen one of those before! Soon book wagons were appearing in other parts of the country, and by 1922, the book wagon idea was very popular. The bookmobile was born!

Bookmobiles: Then and Now – A Fascinating timeline of the evolution of bookmobiles, including the features, technology, and vehicles responsible for bringing library services to the public. Note: green entries on the timeline are bookmobile history in general. Purple entries in the timeline are Indianapolis Bookmobile history.
50 Vintage Photos of Libraries on Wheels
Indianapolis Public Library Digital Collections: Bookmobiles

We’ve picked our favorite photos from our Digital Collection for this bookmobile photo gallery. It’s fun to see how our bookmobiles have changed over the years!

To learn even more about bookmobiles check out one of the books below. Each one tells the story of a bookmobile. Ride on the bookmobile with Emily and Bruce, or see some places where it makes sense to deliver books by boat, burro, or camel!

A staff member standing in the door of The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library bookmobile parked in a parking lot in the 1980's.

1978 Indianapolis Public Library bookmobile parked outside of the old films building at 1435 North Illinois Street.

Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Books-to-People Go-Go Van 1972.

Indianapolis Marion County Public Library delivery van from the 1970s.

Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library bookmobile 1966.

Indianapolis Public Library Traveling Branch bus in the 1940's with four staff members; placard on side of bus reads "Free library service."

Tillman Easley making a delivery to the West Indianapolis branch in 1921.

Bookmobiles: On the Road for Reading All Over the World

Book lovers and librarians have loaded up books and taken them on the road for decades. What people use to transport the books depends on where the books need delivered. Bookmobiles can be trucks, boats, bikes, or pack animals! Which animal is chosen depends on where in the world the books are being delivered. Horses, burros and camels are all excellent at book transportation. Here are some of our favorite stories about how mobile libraries get books to people who don’t have a library building nearby.

The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax. ~ Albert Einstein. It’s time to file your taxes! Many Library patrons rely on the Library for tax forms and filing instruction booklets.

In order to encourage more tax payers to file electronically, both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Indiana State Department of Revenue (DOR) are limiting distribution of paper forms and instructions. Here is what to expect if you come into a Library for tax documents.

We have a free preprinted 2024 Tax Form Packet (.pdf) of the most common tax forms and schedule forms available for pickup at our locations. First come, first served. Only one packet per person.
You may use a Library computer to view tax instructions and booklets online, or you can print them on our printers. The first four black-and-white pages printed are free. Each page printed after that will be $0.15 per black-and-white page.
We offer a limited number of Federal 1040 and Indiana IT-40 booklets at some branch locations.
Library staff cannot help you select or fill out your tax forms.
See our Frequently Asked Questions below for more information.

Links to printable tax forms online or by phone:

Printable IRS Federal Tax Forms & instructions or call 1-800-829-3676.
Printable State of Indiana and County Tax Forms

Tax preparation help:

File Federal Taxes Free Online (if income under $84,000)
Indy Free Tax Prep – United Way of Central Indiana in partnership with the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program helps filers prepare their tax returns on their own or have their return prepared for them for free. You can also call MyFreeTaxes at 866-698-9435.
AARP Foundation provides free help with filing your taxes see: AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Locator

Library programs:

FAQ

How do I print documents at the Library?

You can print from indypl.org/printing using the URL of a file, or by uploading a file from your device. You can also easily print from Library computers, or ask a staff member for help.

Can I get free help filing my taxes?

Library staff cannot help fill out forms, but here are some links to local organizations that can help:

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Locator
MyFreeTaxes by United Way
Indiana freefile allows customers with lower adjusted gross incomes (AGI) to file their federal and state taxes for free using simple question and answer type software.

See our booklist for suggestions for learning more about filing income taxes.

Where can I find IRA Information?

Do you have a Roth or a Traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA)? Use these links to find the latest information on contribution limits and withdrawals.

IRS: Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)
IRS: Roth IRAs

Tax Season 2025

Find resources here to help you better understand and file your 2024 taxes, from books to online learning courses, to trusted web sources of information.

Tags Adult Skills

The Seed Library

Pick up free seeds to start your vegetable, herb, or flower garden free! The Indianapolis Public Library Seed Library is available at all our locations during regular branch hours from late March through September. One packet of each type of seed per household. In addition to free seeds, check out resources and attend workshops about growing and using plants from your seeds. We provide materials and programs to make gardening in Indianapolis a doable goal for beginners.

Tune in online for a a Gardening Storytime – a great way to read up on beginning gardening projects for kids. For kids, gardening offers a way to get messy and watch the payoff for their hard work, in the form of growing veggies and beautiful flowers. You can say, “Hey! I grew the thing! Look at the thing that I grew! Isn’t it pretty?” Imagine the Instagram fun!

Programs

Event: Seed Library Support at Lawrence
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 1:00pm
Location: Lawrence Branch
Description: Work with fellow volunteers to pack seeds for our 2026 Seed Library! Measure out bulk seeds into envelopes that community members can take home and grow.
Register Here

Event: Seed Library Support
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 2:00pm
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Work with fellow volunteers to pack seeds for our 2026 Seed Library! Measure out bulk seeds into envelopes that community members can take home and grow.
Register Here

Event: Seed Library Support at West Perry
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 2:30pm
Location: West Perry Branch
Description: Work with fellow volunteers to pack seeds for our 2026 Seed Library! Measure out bulk seeds into envelopes that community members can take home and grow.
Register Here

Event: Seed Library Support at InfoZone
Date & Time: Saturday, January 31, 10:30am
Location: InfoZone Branch
Description: Work with fellow volunteers to pack seeds for our 2026 Seed Library! Measure out bulk seeds into envelopes that community members can take home and grow.
Register Here

Event: Designing the Garden that Fits You
Date & Time: Tuesday, February 03, 5:30pm
Location: Haughville Branch
Description: Create a gorgeous garden focused on your lifestyle and preferred maintenance level. Walk through the design process and learn tricks and tips to apply to the home garden. Join Garden Expert Amy Mullen to explore how you can create your perfect garden plan!
Register Here

Event: Seed Library Support
Date & Time: Wednesday, February 04, 10:00am
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Work with fellow volunteers to pack seeds for our 2026 Seed Library! Measure out bulk seeds into envelopes that community members can take home and grow.
Register Here

View on Demand

Learn on Demand Video: Seed Saving
Join Anika Williams from the Pike Branch of The Indianapolis Public Library as she harvests milkweed seeds on site and discusses the Seed Library available there.

Reading Recommendations from our Staff

Browse these featured staff book lists to help improve your gardening in Indianapolis skills. See all our gardening book lists.

Gardening in Indianapolis Resources

Follow Purdue Extension, one of the best ways to learn about gardening in Indiana. Browse their recommended online resources:

Free Gardening Docs from Purdue Extension Purdue also has a fine YouTube channel with informative videos. As always, the Extension’s information is tailored specifically for Hoosier gardeners.

Gardening for Kids

Subscribe to NextReads to receive Home, Garden & DIY reading recommendation in your inbox monthly. Book suggestions are linked to our catalog for easy requesting. It’s FREE! See a sample issue. Subscribe to NextReads!

Tags Adult Skills, Gardening

Gardening is a great opportunity to practice some planning and organization. Tune in online for a a Gardening Storytime – a great way to read up on beginning gardening projects for kids. When the weather is right, you will be glad you did! For kids, gardening offers a way to get messy and watch the payoff for their hard work, in the form of growing veggies and beautiful flowers. You can say, “Hey! I grew the thing! Look at the thing that I grew! Isn’t it pretty?” Imagine the Instagram fun! And maybe enjoy a little reading too!

Making a connection between gardening and food is an important skill for small children. Where does food come from BEFORE it is in the grocery store? We can help you get started learning about where food comes from. Gardening can supplement any family learning from home opportunities. Get started with Plant the Tiny Seed, by Christie Matheson.

Talk!

After listening to the gardening storytime, talk about some of the things that happened in the story.

Have you ever planted any seeds? Did the seed you planted grow? If they did, what did the seeds grow into?
Can you name any seeds that we eat?
Can you name the main parts of a plant?
How do bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds help plants?

Read!

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about gardens at any of our locations, or check out gardening e-books and audiobooks from OverDrive Kids right to your device! If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use it for both e-books and audiobooks.

Click on the book covers below to listen to more video read aloud stories about gardening right now! It’s garden storytime online! Did you like these? You can find more stories at Free Video Read Alouds and enjoy even more themed reading and activity fun at IndyPL’s DIY Online Storytimes at Home.

Community Garden Picture Books

The library is flourishing with wonderful picture books about community gardens for kids. You don’t have to have a “green thumb” to thumb through these books!

How Does Your Garden Grow

This list contains stories and information books all about growing your own garden.

Sing!

Watch how cooperation makes garden grow and sing along, “Together we can make a pretty garden grow!”

Write!

Find some crayons or makers to color a picture, practice writing the letters, or see if you can follow your way through a maze without getting stuck.

Play!

Take a walk and read a story, it’s gardening storytime on the go! We invite you to visit StoryWalk® in Ruckle Street Park at 3025 Ruckle Street. Stroll through the park and read a book displayed in mounted frames. Or Skip. Or gallop!

Join Us for In-Person Storytime!

Event: Storytime at West Perry – Babies and Toddlers
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:15am
Location: West Perry Branch
Description: Children ages 0-2 and a caregiver are invited for a story, songs, rhymes, and activities designed with our littlest patrons in mind! No registration is required.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Wayne – Preschool
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Preschoolers ages 2 – 6 and an adult are invited for stories, songs and fingerplays followed by an art and craft time.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Spades Park
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Spades Park Branch
Description: Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and an adult are invited to join us for stories and more every Thursday in the Community Room followed by socialization time for children and caregivers.
No Registration Required.

Need Help?

Tags Gardening, Storytime Online

In, The Easter Egg, Hoppi’s friends and neighbors are all working on creating eggs for an Easter contest. Each friend he visits is making a different kind of egg. It is fun to see the different ways Hoppi’s friends are making eggs. Some are predictable like the egg made of chocolate, but others are surprising, like an egg made of wood and a mechanical egg that has moving parts. Hoppi wants to make an egg to enter in the contest, but he gets sidetracked by kindness and becomes an Easter hero instead…at least mama Robin thinks so! You can listen to Hoppi’s story right now! It’s Easter storytime online!

Talk!

After listening to the story, talk about some of the things that happened in it.

What color was the egg Hoppi found?
Where do you think the egg was before Hoppi found it?
What was your favorite part of Hoppi’s story? Why?
Would you want to help hide Easter eggs?

Read!

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about Easter at any of our locations, or check out Easter e-books and audiobooks from OverDrive Kids right to your device. If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use it for both e-books and audiobooks.

Click on the book covers below to listen to more Easter video read aloud stories right now! It’s Easter storytime online! Did you like these? You can find more stories at Free Video Read Alouds and enjoy even more themed reading and activity fun at IndyPL’s DIY Online Storytimes at Home.

Easter Favorites for Kids to Check Out with your IndyPL Library Card

List Cover Images - Enjoy these e-book and audiobook favorites for kids that highlight Easter traditions from family dinners, reading a child’s version of the Easter story in the Bible, or attending Easter services to dyeing and hiding Easter eggs.

Sing!

In this version of the traditional lullaby “Hush Little Baby” a father rabbit comforts his little baby bunny and keeps it safe. Listen to the music and sing along as the words appear on the screen. A tiny bunny hops along the words to help you with the rhythm. Based on the book Hush Little Bunny by David Ezra Stein.

Now singalong as Raffi sings “Five Little Ducks.” Would you like to make the sound of the mother duck? Raffi will sing “Mother duck says….” and you make the sound for him!

Write!

Find some crayons or markers to color an Easter picture, practice writing the letters in Easter words, or see if you can follow your way through a maze without getting stuck.

Play!

Here are six play ideas about rabbits from Kevin Henkes, the author of Little White Rabbit and Egg. Scroll to the section Moving, Making, and Playing for several ideas to get your little bunny jumping.

Join Us for In-Person Storytime!

Event: Storytime at West Perry – Babies and Toddlers
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:15am
Location: West Perry Branch
Description: Children ages 0-2 and a caregiver are invited for a story, songs, rhymes, and activities designed with our littlest patrons in mind! No registration is required.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Wayne – Preschool
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Preschoolers ages 2 – 6 and an adult are invited for stories, songs and fingerplays followed by an art and craft time.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Spades Park
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Spades Park Branch
Description: Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and an adult are invited to join us for stories and more every Thursday in the Community Room followed by socialization time for children and caregivers.
No Registration Required.

Need Help?

Tags Holidays & Seasons, Religion, Storytime Online

Passover is an eight day festival that commemorates the freeing of Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. During Passover, families retell the Passover story and eat symbolic food from a Passover Seder plate. To learn more about the Seder plate, watch this video prepared especially for kids by the PJ Library, an organization that helps children learn about the Jewish experience through storytelling and other educational materials. Then read on for more Passover storytime online!

Our featured video read aloud story about Passover is called Welcoming Elijah a Passover Tale With a Tail by Lesléa Newman, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award in 2021 for excellence in Jewish children’s literature. When the story opens a family has begun their Passover Seder and have gathered around their dinner table. While they prepare to welcome Elijah indoors, a hungry stray kitten waits outside in the cold.

The story is read aloud by the author. In the opening minutes she explains all the special foods that are eaten during Passover from the Seder plate. She begins reading the story at the five minute mark.

Talk!

After listening to the story, talk about some of the things that happened in it.

Can you name one of the foods that is put on the seder plate?
What did the family dip in salt water?
Whose cup is on the table?
Why does the boy open the door? What is waiting when the door is opened?

Read!

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about Passover at any of our locations, or check out Passover e-books and audiobooks from OverDrive Kids right to your device! If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use it for both e-books and audiobooks.

Click on the book covers below to listen to more Passover video read aloud stories right now! It’s Passover storytime online! Did you like these? You can find more stories at Free Video Read Alouds and enjoy even more themed reading and activity fun at IndyPL’s DIY Online Storytimes at Home.

Passover Books for Children to Check Out with your Library Card

List Cover Images - The Jewish holiday Passover centers around the Seder, a ritual meal at which the family gathers to retell the biblical story of how, in ancient times, the Jewish people escaped slavery in Egypt. This list includes fiction and non-fiction books and online information for children to learn about the meaning of the holiday and the symbolic, but fun Seder meal.

Sing!

Learn the words to this silly classic Passover song featuring Jason Mesches. Listen to more Passover songs like it here.

Write!

Find some crayons or markers to draw the foods you might find on a Seder plate, or draw a scene from the Passover story.

Play!

Here are some ideas for making Passover crafts and projects for kids. From the Jewish Children’s Museum of New York try making your own Afikoman bag, craft a beautiful Elijah cup, or try the printable card game: Who Knows About Passover?

Join Us for In-Person Storytime!

Event: Storytime at West Perry – Babies and Toddlers
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:15am
Location: West Perry Branch
Description: Children ages 0-2 and a caregiver are invited for a story, songs, rhymes, and activities designed with our littlest patrons in mind! No registration is required.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Wayne – Preschool
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Preschoolers ages 2 – 6 and an adult are invited for stories, songs and fingerplays followed by an art and craft time.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Spades Park
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Spades Park Branch
Description: Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and an adult are invited to join us for stories and more every Thursday in the Community Room followed by socialization time for children and caregivers.
No Registration Required.

Need Help?

Tags Holidays & Seasons, Religion, Storytime Online

In 1987, Congress declared March National Women’s History Month. These resources shine a light on contributions and accomplishments, uncover untold stories, and help us learn how perseverance, strength, and persistence prevailed in the face of discrimination. In spite of centuries of obstacles women have made a profound impact on history and continue to shape contemporary society.

These books, videos, and online resources provide an engaging look back at the women who have come before, women today, and a hopeful look forward to the possibilities of the female changemakers and leaders to come.

Women’s History Month Reading Recommendations from Library Staff

The staff at IndyPL create book lists all year to help readers find just the right book. From female entrepreneurs to politicians to information about women’s heart health, here are several booklists that highlight women. You can browse all of our book lists featuring women for adults, book lists featuring women for teens and book lists featuring women for kids.

Literary Fiction featuring Strong Women

I love a great book with a strong female character! These are the best of the best from my read pile to celebrate Women’s History Month.

Love and Women in Basketball

If you’re feeling a March Madness vibe, you might find something to enjoy among this mix of narrative books and films featuring female characters who know how to play the game!

Women’s Hoops: The Essential Reading List

NCAA tournament season is almost upon us, and the WNBA opener is on the horizon. Get amped for all the action to come with new and classic reads about women’s basketball.

Title - Inaugural Ballers : the True Story of the First U.S. Women

Women and Girls Make Amazing Music!

These compelling documentaries shed light on the lives and careers of women and girls working in a range of genres and musical settings.

Women in Art

March is Women’s History Month. Learn more about these amazing female artists.

Women in Higher Education – United States

It took 200 years after the establishment of Harvard College before women had access to college education in the United States. Now many preside over institutes of higher learning. This list highlights history, important figures, areas of study, and current issues related to women in higher education, both nationally and locally.

Womanism Past and Present

Womanism, first coined by Alice Walker in her book “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens Womanist Prose,” takes the concept of feminism a step further to include Black women and other women of color. Alice’s Womanism theory can be defined in part as “A woman who loves other women, sexually and/or nonsexually. Appreciates and prefers women’s culture, women’s emotional flexibility … and women’s strength. … Committed to survival and wholeness of entire people, male and female. Not a separatist, except periodically, for health … Loves music. Loves dance. Loves the moon. Loves the Spirit … Loves struggle. Loves the folk. Loves herself. Regardless. Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender.”

Title - All the Black Girls Are Activists

Women in Comedy

These diverse women are making history as comedians and as authors. Read their stories to get know the women that make us laugh.

Josei or Women’s Manga

Check these titles out if you are looking for mature stories that center an older female audience. Josei covers genres from mysteries to slice of life romances to psychological horror – so you’re bound to find something for everyone! Please note that these titles will be found in both our adult and teen sections due to age-rating standards varying between Japan and the United States. I have indicated on each title whether it is found in the teen or adult section of the library.

e-Books & Streaming

Several of our e-book and streaming platforms have collections specifically highlighting women.

You can download e-books or audiobooks, stream films, documentaries, and television shows free with your IndyPL library card. Detailed information about each of our services is available on our download and stream page. If you have never used our streaming services before, directions are available:

OverDrive app directions, browser directions, or video tutorial
Kanopy directions and a video tutorial
Hoopla directions and a video tutorial

Need more help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

Websites & Online Portals

If you only have a minute or if you have the whole month, you can read, watch, or listen to fascinating stories about American women online.

Female Healers
This year’s Women’s History Month celebrates “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis is featuring Early Indianapolis women healers. Learn more about the women who have made history in the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis!

#KnowHerStory
These quick looks at history are perfect for learning about some exceptional women in a small amount of time. #KnowHerStory is hosted by The National Women’s History Museum.

Because Of Her Story
This is an online collection from the Smithsonian that includes stories and objects from women who have shaped America. Explore the online collection of artifacts and then read the stories about why the objects are significant.

Girlhood (It’s complicated)
This website is a unique look at women’s history from the perspective of young girls from The National Museum of American History. It explores the concept of girlhood and how girls have changed history.

National Poetry Foundation
The National Poetry Foundation provides this opportunity to read poems that explore women’s history and women’s rights by several female writing icons.

Tags History, Women's History

Kids of all ages can learn about more than a dozen trailblazing women in science, art, law, politics, and sports by listening to these video storytimes. Our featured story is called Equality’s Call, by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Magdalena Mora. It is the story of the history of voting rights in the United States from our nation’s founding until today. The story is read by National Women’s History Museum Ambassador, actress Logan Browning.

To hear even more stories about amazing women, just click on a book cover to listen to another one!

e-Books & Audiobooks

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about trailblazing women at any of our locations, or check out books about trailblazing women e-books and audiobooks from OverDrive Kids right to your device! If you have never used OverDrive before, learn how to use OverDrive for e-books and learn how to use OverDrive for audiobooks.

Browse biographies of Women for Kids on OverDrive

Find more FREE online reading at Free Video Read Alouds or try storytime at home!

Websites, Activities & Printables

National Geographic Kids: Women’s History Month
She Can STEM: Stories They build robots, find new sources of energy, study animals, play with slime, and invent apps.
DK Find Out! National Women’s History Month
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Trailblazing Women in Art

Women’s History for Kids

Fun books to help kids learn about women’s history and get inspired to make a difference!

Women and Girls Make Amazing Music!

These compelling documentaries shed light on the lives and careers of women and girls working in a range of genres and musical settings.

Game Changers: 25 Books About Female Athletes Who Took the Lead

Listed here are more stories about trailblazing female athletes. “Stories, both real and imagined, show what girls can do. The stories of women’s lives, and the choices they made, encourage girls to think larger and bolder, and give boys and men a fuller understanding of the female experience.” ~National Women’s History Project

Women Make Amazing Art!

Invite the budding young artists in your life to explore art by women from around the planet!

Title - The Life and Art of Ningiukulu Teevee

Sheroes and Girl Power: Books for Kids

Newer biographies that celebrate the efforts and genius of women. Success in different fields and talents and the long reach and effort to continually push towards “justice” for all are just the tip of the list here.

Tags History, Homework Help, Storytime Online, Women's History

Catch book recommendations and IndyPL program highlights from your own local librarians once a month on the Indy Now Morning Show with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59. The show airs at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. Enjoy the most recent segment or browse the listing of past shows that highlight a variety of reading suggestions.

Current Segment

January 21
Meet the Artists
(Jacquelyn Green)

Indy Now Book Club Archive

2025

January 15
East 38th Street Branch Zine Collection
(Joanna Conrad and Bambi Pea)

March 12
3D Printing Classes
(Keshia McEntire)

October 29
Fall Fest
(Kellie Terry)

2024

December 18
2024 Staff Picks
(Taylor VanTryon and Emily Cain)

December 4
Holiday Workshops & Activities
(Jill Edwards)

November 20
Fostering Literacy with the World Languages Collection
(Olanike Olaniyi and Keshia McEntire)

November 6
Fall Fest
(Bryanna Barnes)

October 23
Crafting at the Library
(Kelsey Abernathy)

October 9
Meet an Author, Be an Author
(Jill Edwards)

September 11
Fall Programs for Teens
(Kirsten Weaver)

August 27
Small Business Series
(Rachel Wood, Ryan Donnelly)

August 13
Homeschool Resources
(Devery North)

July 31
Legal Resources
(Ryan Donnelly)

July 3
Quick Reads Collection
(Deb Lambert)

June 5
Juneteenth Bookfest
(Bryanna Barnes)

May 8
Meet Your Neighbor Programming Series and Travel-themed Books
(Keshia McEntire)

April 24
Dia del Niño Be My Neighbor Day
(Jessica Neeb-Smith)

March 27
Patent and Trademark Resources
(Ryan Donnelly)

March 13
Books About Self-love and the Center for Black Literature & Culture Programs (Bryanna Barnes)

February 28
Joyful Books by Black Authors
(Keshia McEntire and Alton Parks)

February 14
Meet The Artists
(Jaquelyn Green)

January 17
Book Clubs
(Kris Gould, Keshia McEntire)

January 3
Books to Support New Years Resolutions
(Rachel Wood)

2023

December 20
Graphic Novels and Arts Programs (Kelsey Abernathy)

December 7
Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
(Natasha Hollenbach and Jyoti Verderame)

November 8
Fall Fest
(Jacquelyn Green)

October 25
Books for Chess Players
(Jordan Hunt, Charlie Cain)

September 27
Indy Cinema Series
(Jason Davis)

August 30
Small Business Series
(Alexandra Loewen)

August 16
Digital Creativity Work Stations
(Dawn Hawkins and Stephanie Flood)

August 2
Disability Representation
(Keshia McEntire)

July 5
Foraging Outside
(Anika Williams)

June 21
More Than a Place Podcast
(Sakura Fuqua)

June 7
Summer Reading Program
(Emily Thomas)

April 10
Books About Building Community and the New Glendale Branch
(Amy Buell)

April 12
Sci-Fi Books
(Kirsten Weaver)
Featured Books: Sci-Fi Books

March 29
Dia del Nino
(Emily Thomas)
Featured Books: Dia del Nino

March 15
Making a Positive Difference in the Community
(Leah Kim)
Featured Books: Books for Hoosiers Hoping to Make a Difference

February 15
Romance Novels for Valentines Day
(Kirsten Weaver)
Featured Books: Romance Novels for Valentines Day

February 15
Romance Novels for Valentines Day
(Kirsten Weaver)
Featured Books: Romance Novels for Valentines Day

February 1
Meet the Artists
(Kimberly Brown)

January 18
Biographies and Memoirs
(Liz Schoettle)
Featured Books: Biographies & Memoirs

January 4
Computer and Technology Classes and Resources
(Marianne Mackenzie & Charlie Cain)
Featured Books: Digital Skills for the New Year

2022

December 21
Holiday Book Recommendations for Families (Devery North)
Devery’s segment starts at 22:20.
Featured Books: Celebrate the Holidays Through Books

December 7
Fall Fest & Slammin’ Rhymes Challenge XVI (Kim Ewers)
Featured Books: Fall Fest & Slammin’ Rhymes

October 27
Center for Black Literature & Culture 5th Anniversary (Amira Malcom)
Featured Books: CBLC’s Fifth Anniversary

October 20
Book Recommendations (Rachel Wood)

September 28
Introduction to Kadir Nelson (Shael Weidenbach)
Featured Books: Kadir Nelson

August 31
Let’s Get Down to Business (Alexandra Loewen)
Featured Books: Books About Business

August 17
Book Clubs Available at the Indianapolis Public Library (Sakura Fuqua) We offer a variety of in-person and online book discussions for adults, teens & kids.
Learn more!

August 3
Good Reads About Money (Rachel Nevada Wood)
Featured Books: Good Reads About Money

July 20 Books with Indiana Ties (Shelby Graam-Pavan)
Featured Books: Books with Indiana Ties

July 6 Pick Up a New Hobby (Chris Hogsett)
Featured Books: Pick Up a New Hobby

June 22 Summer Love Reading Recommendations (Keshia McEntire)
Featured Books: Summer Romance

June 8 Summer Reads: Pride Month (Liz Schoettle)
Featured Books: Pride Reads

May 25
Adult Summer Reading Sports Reads (Rachel Wood)
Featured Books: Sports Reads

May 1
Adult Summer Reading Program (Leah Kim)
Featured Books: Books for Busy People

April 27
Graphic Novels (Chris Hogsett)
Featured Books: Graphic Novels for Kids

April 13
Spring Reads: Dystopian Fiction (Kirsten Weaver)
Featured Books: Dystopian Reads

March 31
Local Black Authors (Keshia McEntire)
Featured Books: Local Black Authors

March 16
Music Related (Rachel Wood)
Featured Books: Music-Related Reads

March 2
True Crime (Shelby Graam)
Featured Books: True Crime and Thrillers

February 16
Love Stories for February (Kirsten Weaver)
Featured Books: YA Love Stories

February 2
Book Club Kick Off (Rachel Wood)
Featured Books: Books by Black Authors

Find a book discussion near you!

Event: WitLITS Book Discussion Group
Date & Time: Friday, January 30, 10:30am
Location: Spades Park Branch
Description: A read aloud group exploring classic literature in a group reading.
No Registration Required.

Event: Adult Book Discussion at College Avenue
Date & Time: Monday, February 02, 1:30pm
Location: College Avenue Branch
Description: Adults are invited to this monthly book discussion on the first Monday of the month from 1:30 to 3 p.m. New members are always welcome!
No Registration Required.

Event: Adult Book Discussion at Martindale-Brightwood
Date & Time: Monday, February 02, 4:30pm
Location: Martindale-Brightwood Branch
Description: Our small group will meet to discuss “Cursed Daughters” by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Pick up a copy of the book at Martindale-Brightwood. New members and fresh perspectives are always welcome.
No Registration Required.

Tags What We're Reading

If you love learning, the Library can provide many opportunities. You can read books and e-books, listen to audiobooks, and watch movies on practically every topic imaginable. You may not know that you can also learn from some of the world’s leading experts via The Great Courses offered through Hoopla and Kanopy. Hoopla and Kanopy are on-demand video streaming services available to Indianapolis Public Library card holders. Have you explored this fantastic learning opportunity?

The Great Courses are college level classes you can enjoy on your own schedule. The classes are designed for people who want to learn without working toward a degree. There are no deadlines or tests to worry about. Some of the classes include supplemental materials, so be sure to download the PDFs, where available. The classes are completely free, so dive in to Great Courses and start learning!

A great example of what The Great Courses offer is The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America class. This class can help someone become a skillful birdwatcher.

There are episodes about bird anatomy, habitat, behavior migration, and more. The program even goes on a virtual journey to some of the best birding sites in North America. If you don’t have time right now to do the entire 24 episode class, you can take as long as you’d like or skip ahead to something that interests you. That’s not something you couldn’t do if you were enrolled in a class that met in person each week!

The Great Courses cover Finance, Health, Hobbies, Food and Wine, History, Literature and Language, Math and Science, Music and Fine Arts, Philosophy, Professional and Personal Growth, Travel, Programs for Young Learners and more.

How to Get Started on The Great Courses in Hoopla

Hoopla Tutorial and Hoopla directions (.pdf)
The Great Courses Video BingePass from Hoopla
For one borrow you get unlimited access to all Great Courses available in Hoopla for 7 days.

Hoopla has other materials for all ages. You can borrow 10 Items each month using your Library card.

How to Get Started on The Great Courses in Kanopy

Kanopy video tutorial and Kanopy directions (.pdf)
Kanopy Great Courses It costs 5 tickets to access one Great Course in Kanopy for 7 days.

Kanopy includes other videos for both adults and children.

Keep in mind that you can watch streaming movies on Kanopy, but you cannot download them, so you’ll need an internet connection to watch them. Streaming videos can consume a lot of data, so we recommend streaming Kanopy over a Wi-Fi connection.

TIP: Many of The Great Courses are also available on DVD, Audio Book CD, or as a downloadable audiobooks through Libby. Search “The Great Courses” in our online catalog.

The Great Courses on Hoopla: Staff Favorites

There are so many Great Courses to choose from! Here are a few Library staff favorites we hope will get you started learning on a wide range of topics. Each of these courses is currently available to stream free on Hoopla.

Title - Art of Travel Photography: Six Expert Lessons

Title - Fighting Misinformation: Digital Media Literacy

Title - Food: A Cultural Culinary History

Title - Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, From Athens to Istanbul

Title - How to Grow Anything: Your Best Garden and Landscape in 6 Lessons

Have questions? Call the Tinker Tech/Device Helpline at 317-275-4500 or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian.

Barbara Ann O’Leary, a Computer Lab Assistant at Central Library. Barbara has a voracious appetite for exploring a wide range of topics and enjoys helping people use digital technology to expand their horizons.

Tags e-Books & Streaming, Movies & TV

Caring for a loved one is a tough job, one that many of us take on willingly with love and honor. There are so many things to worry about—physical and mental difficulties, financial and legal issues, and day-to-day care. When you are caring for a loved one with dementia you’re looking at unique challenges. Being a caregiver for someone with dementia can be frustrating, exhausting, and just plain lonely. When someone you care for has dementia, you’re also living with it, but you’re not alone.

How the Library Can Help

The Library can offer connection:

to information
to resources
to entertainment
to respite and self-care

There is so much information out there about Alzheimer’s disease and dementias. There are news sources, social media, even your neighbor down the street. What source do you trust? Which information do you pick? Using the Library can connect you to trusted sources in a way that’s convenient for you.

Library Programs

Event: Chair Yoga for Caregivers and All
Date & Time: Wednesday, February 04, 11:00am
Location: Beech Grove Branch
Description: Join us for this delightful time supporting caregivers of adults. If that is you – or if you would like to sit alongside your neighbors in this program, come on in to this weekly program! *Registration encouraged, but not required.
Register Here

Event: Connection Cafe for Caregivers, Care Receivers, & Everyone
Date & Time: Wednesday, February 04, 11:00am
Location: Beech Grove Branch
Description: Everyone is welcome to join this social hour featuring games, arts & crafts, music, & other ways of connecting. This is a safe space for people who may have a caregiver down the hall in Chair Yoga as well as anyone just wanting to connect with others. Registration not required but encouraged.
Register Here

Event: Chair Yoga for Caregivers and All
Date & Time: Wednesday, February 11, 11:00am
Location: Beech Grove Branch
Description: Join us for this delightful time supporting caregivers of adults. If that is you – or if you would like to sit alongside your neighbors in this program, come on in to this weekly program! *Registration encouraged, but not required.
Register Here

Event: Connection Cafe for Caregivers, Care Receivers, & Everyone
Date & Time: Wednesday, February 11, 11:00am
Location: Beech Grove Branch
Description: Everyone is welcome to join this social hour featuring games, arts & crafts, music, & other ways of connecting. This is a safe space for people who may have a caregiver down the hall in Chair Yoga as well as anyone just wanting to connect with others. Registration not required but encouraged.
Register Here

Dementia Resources in the Library Catalog

The Library catalog includes book lists created by staff to help you navigate the sometimes overwhelming amount of material available. If you see a book you like, you can find out where it’s located. If it isn’t at your neighborhood branch you can place a hold and have it sent to the branch that’s most convenient for you.

Articles about Dementia in Online Databases

Another way to find information is by searching online databases that the Library subscribes to with your Library card. Many times the latest research or resource is available in a magazine or journal article. Through the databases, you can find an articles that could help with a specific challenge or interest. For example, browse the results of this search for articles about music therapy and Alzheimer’s published in the last five years.

What makes this even more convenient is that the book lists, The Library’s catalog, and the articles can all be reached through your home computer, your tablet, or your smartphone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Reading Aloud

Reading aloud with your adult loved one improves family bonds and fosters cooperation, just like when you read to children. Many programs in memory care involve reading aloud or looking at picture books to improve cognition, memory, and quality of life.

Picture books, especially with larger type and fewer words, are often easier to see and understand. Did you read classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar when you were a child? You can read this again and share your memories with your loved one.

In addition to children’s books, people with dementia also enjoy coffee-table books and travel books filled with photographs and illustrations. Books like Penguins by Frans Lanting or Indianapolis: Then and Now by Nelson Price provide large photographs that can stimulate conversation and memories for both the loved one with dementia and their caregivers.

If you feel you can’t get to a Library location, you can choose e-book picture books to download to your computer or mobile device through OverDrive, Hoopla, or the TumbleBooks Library.

e-Books & Streaming

Download and stream millions of e-books, movies, music, and more instantly for free with your Library card. No late fees, no worries.

Please visit e-Book & Streaming Help for detailed information about how to use our digital collections and get ideas to make the most of your Library card at home.

Need help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

Magazines

Books aren’t the only place you can look for colorful pictures and photographs; magazines are a great resource. Most back issues of magazines can be checked out at branch locations. There is a large number of magazines available for viewing and downloading online through OverDrive Magazines.

Reading aloud together, looking at books and pictures together can provide not only connection with your loved one, but a respite for both of you while caring for a loved one with dementia.

Music

Whether it’s music from the past or a catchy tune, it’s heartening to see a friend or loved one living with dementia respond to a piece of music, sometimes by moving or swaying to a Motown beat, other times by singing all the verses to Silent Night, remembering all the words when many of us couldn’t get past the first few lines.

While you may think of the public library as a connection to the wider world through books, it’s also a connection through music.

With a Library card, you can:

Borrow a wide variety of music on CDs, from early classical to the latest hip hop, and everything in between.
Borrow and stream a wide variety of music directly to your computer or mobile device through Hoopla without being on a waiting list or waiting for your branch to open.
The library’s connection with music extends to free live concerts & performances throughout the year. See our schedule of music performances.

It’s an opportunity for an outing that doesn’t involve tickets, dressing up, or an entire evening’s commitment; time watching beautiful music made in a comfortable setting, which could make the afternoon caring for a loved one with dementia enjoyable for both of you.

Event: Better Together: Celebrating U.S.
Date & Time: Saturday, January 31, 11:00am
Location: Central Library
Description: Join us for Better Together: Celebrating US, a family-friendly celebration exploring what it means to belong, participate, and build community—together. Through hands-on activities, storytelling, artmaking, and conversation, we’ll reflect on our nation’s history and imagine our collective future.
Register Here

Event: Circulating Sound Concert – featuring Ensemble Narae
Date & Time: Saturday, January 31, 2:00pm
Location: Decatur Branch
Description: Join us for a concert featuring a quartet of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians. This live hour of classical strings performance is so easy to enjoy from the comfort of a library branch.
No Registration Required.

Event: History On Stage – A Presentation from Ida B. Wells & Madame C.J. Walker
Date & Time: Monday, February 02, 11:00am
Location: Central Library
Description: Experience a live performance from a pair of two historic women: Madam C.J. Walker & Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth & Harriet Tubman, or Madame C.J. Walker & her sales agent, Mrs. Pinkston, After a 45 minute presentation they will answer your questions for 15 minutes.
No Registration Required.

Event: Harp Music & Stories
Date & Time: Tuesday, February 03, 10:30am
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Babies and toddlers will be introduced to the music of a concert harp in this program with Arts for Learning teaching artist Melissa Gallant. Join us to learn that music brings stories to life through feelings and emotions!
Register Here

Event: History On Stage – A Presentation from Ida B. Wells & Madame C.J. Walker
Date & Time: Tuesday, February 03, 6:30pm
Location: Fort Ben Branch
Description: Experience a live performance from a pair of two historic women: Madam C.J. Walker & Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth & Harriet Tubman, or Madame C.J. Walker & her sales agent, Mrs. Pinkston, After a 45 minute presentation they will answer your questions for 15 minutes.
No Registration Required.

Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text, or email Ask-a-Librarian.

Tags Mental Health

Join author Virginia Loh-Hagan as she reads aloud from her book PoPo’s Lucky Chinese New Year, a story about the traditional customs of the month-long celebration of Lunar New Year. It’s Chinese New Year storytime online!

Talk!

After listening to the story, talk about some of the things that happened in it.

Who is PoPo?
Where did PoPo travel from to come celebrate Chinese New Year?
What does PoPo say happens if you wash your hair on New Year’s Day?
Would you eat your noodles broken, or whole?
What two colors did Po Po use in the directions they made?

Read!

Use your indyPL Library Card to check out books about Chinese New Year at any of our locations, or check out Chinese New Year e-books and audiobooks from OverDrive Kids right to your device. If you have never used OverDrive before, you can learn how to use it for both e-books and audiobooks.

Click on a book cover below to enjoy four more video read alouds featuring stories by Grace Lin, Demi, Ji-li Jiang, and Virginia Loh-Hagan. It’s Chinese New Year storytime online, and more! Did you like these? You can find more stories at Free Video Read Alouds and enjoy even more themed reading and activity fun at IndyPL’s DIY Online Storytimes at Home.

Chinese New Year Books to Check Out with your Library Card

List Cover Images - Celebrate Chinese New Year and learn about Chinese culture! Stories about the Zodiac animals, family traditions and the foods that surround the holiday.

Sing!

Tasty dishes, good luck wishes, Happy Lunar New Year! Join Sesame Street at the Lunar New Year parade and sing along to this exciting Happy Lunar New Year song!

Write!

Find some crayons or makers to color a Chinese New Year picture, practice writing the letters, or see if you can follow your way through a maze without getting stuck.

Play!

Here are some craft and pretend play ideas to enjoy during your Chinese New Year celebration.

Join Us for In-Person Storytime!

Event: Storytime at West Perry – Babies and Toddlers
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:15am
Location: West Perry Branch
Description: Children ages 0-2 and a caregiver are invited for a story, songs, rhymes, and activities designed with our littlest patrons in mind! No registration is required.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Wayne – Preschool
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Preschoolers ages 2 – 6 and an adult are invited for stories, songs and fingerplays followed by an art and craft time.
No Registration Required.

Event: Storytime at Spades Park
Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 10:30am
Location: Spades Park Branch
Description: Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and an adult are invited to join us for stories and more every Thursday in the Community Room followed by socialization time for children and caregivers.
No Registration Required.

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Tags Holidays & Seasons, Storytime Online

Would you like to to mix up your usual rotation of tried-and true recipes? Would you like to more about healthy and sustainable cooking? Join us for an upcoming cooking class or explore our collection of recipe books, e-books, and e-magazines.

Get New York Times Cooking – free with your Library card!

Did you know that your library card gives you free 24-hour access to the recipes in the New York Times? You must first create a New York Times account if you don’t already have one.

Visit The New York Times: Cooking
Enter your library card barcode number and click “Get Code.”
Click “Redeem” to submit your randomly generated access code.
Since you need to have a New York Times online account to use the code, the next step prompts you to create an account, which is free, or to log in to your existing account.
You now have access to the New York Times for 24 hours. After the 24 hours are up, you may redeem another code for 24-hour access. Enjoy!

Borrow e-cookbooks, foodie e-magazines and movies from home!

Use your library card to check out cookbooks, magazines, and movies from home. Take a trip around the world from your kitchen with these e-books featuring an array of international recipes. There are over 3,000 e-cookbooks available for check out on Hoopla and 3,500 MORE cookbooks to choose from in OverDrive.

Still looking for ideas? There are over 300 foodie movies in Kanopy. The category Cooking ranges from Supersize Me To American Masters: James Beard America’s First Foodie and includes topics like winemaking and sustainable food habits.

If you have never used any of these online services before you can get help on download and streaming.

Get reading recommendations from our staff.

Browse these featured cookbook recommendation lists created by IndyPL staff to unlock some recipe inspiration, enjoy a chef’s memoir, and more. Find more delicious reads by browsing our complete collection of staff cookbook recommendations.

Tags Adult Skills