Monroe County Public Library

HISTORY 

The Monroe County Public Library has tons of history in Bloomington. In fact, it is 205 years old!

Its first iteration came in 1820 when it started as a collection of books inside the Monroe County Courthouse. Over the years at this location, many important Indiana figures came through its doors. For example, in December of 1827, Joseph A Wright  was a librarian at the MCPL. He then served as governor of Indiana for more than 6 years. 

In 1894, the library building combined with the Central School. At this same time a group of women tried to get funds from Andrew Carnegie, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist . In 1918 the Carnegie Library was built. It had originally been a school for colored people. It is now the Monroe County History Center. 

In 1929 the program launched their "Bookmobile" which the public loved. It was actually more of a book truck at the time: a Model A Ford. 

The library remained as the Carnegie Library for many years in the former “Colored School.” In 1966, Miss Alice Freese, a prominent resident of Bloomington and daughter of stone operator Simeon Freese, donated $620,000 to the library to purchase the land where it currently resides. purchase the land where it currently resides. Two years later in 1968, construction began on Kirkwood Avenue. It included a children’s section as per Alice’s request.

In 1997 the building was majorly expanded, taking up the entire block. 

In 2023 they opened their 3rd location, the MCPL Southwest branch. This was very popular, especially for teenagers and young adults. In conclusion, the MCPL played a critical role in the history of Indiana.

ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY

The Monroe County Public Library has been an important part of Bloomington for many years. The MCPL collaborates with the community in many ways, including IU Health, schools, service agencies, etc. The MCPL also has assisted living facilities where they launch their Outreach Van, which is basically a portable library. They also visit said living facilities and set up mini-libraries for them to borrow books. The library also has the Indiana Room, where people can explore local and family history.

The MCPL provides many services like books, Storywalk, resources like pregnancy support and childbirth education, and more. They also have the Teen Space, where teenagers can make art, play, and hang out. Along with the Teen Space, they have the Level Up Digital Creativity Center, where people can use green screens, web design, 3d printers, and other artsy things.

They have services like the CATS, (Community Access Television Services) and VITAL, (Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners). The MCPL also has jail services, where they provide books to around 200 inmates with 1,000 books per month. The library has book clubs, where people can read together and chat about books. 

The Monroe County Public Library also provides info and products to the people of Bloomington. These products include books, CDs, games, and much more. The Monroe County Public Library provides free and equitable access to facilities, resources, activities and programs, educational materials, and entertainment. The Library is free to anyone living in Monroe County. Also, no one needs to state their reasons for being there. They work hard to have kind hearts and open minds every single day!