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    Monroe County Public Library

    4.6 (21 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

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    See the black car? That's a drive thru where you can return books or pick up holds.
    Carmen V.

    Full of natural light. Perfect atmosphere to curl up and read. Or connect to free wifi and get some work done. Most libraries seem stuffy, but this library is airy and centrally located. Right on Kirkwood, I consider it the heart of Bloomington. My favorite place to sit is on the second floor. The windows overlook the intersection of Kirkwood and Grant. If you like to journal and people watch, this is a quiet place to do just that. Compared to the Indianapolis Public Library, Monroe County libraries have a larger selection of music (that I'm interested in). There are other unique offerings here, too. Patrons can rent film equipment and create a show or program for Community Access Television (http://catstv.net/about.php). Patrons also have access to computers, language classes, Lynda.com software tutorials, and more. On the first floor, there's a huge auditorium where local events can be held. My only complaint is parking. The lot is small, and street parking is hard to come by in downtown Bloomington. So, put your walkin' boots on. Come check out books, movies, and music to your hearts content.

    Bobbi L.

    Great place. Love the children's area! So many books and activities to choose. My son really likes the train table and the enclosed children area. They have a small puppet theatre, a magnetic letter wall, a big kitchen, a craft table, and a gated baby area. We love looking through all the books and renting educational iPads. They also have shelves full of tactile toys for rent ranging from infant-toddler. The staff are so knowledgeable and always willing to suggest similar books of interest. They host numerous activities for all ages everyday in which the community can partake. Best part? NO late fees for children's rentals. They are currently providing a reading program for children, teens and adults to earn points towards donations, prizes and community businesses. I think it's wonderful they are encouraging literacy for children and adults alike. This is truly a valuable asset for the community with supporting education at an early age. I just wish there was more parking.

    Children's books section and that is was just one part of the building!

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Love the quiet reading room on the second floor. Lots of spaces to sit while reading or working on your computer.

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    3 years ago

    Friendly staff and the library has multiple floors with so much books to read! They also pretty much don't have a late fee.

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    13 years ago

    Best library ever. I have never been unable to find what I'm looking for here. Very nice selection of horticulture books:-)

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    11 years ago

    What a fantastic library! I am eternally grateful for this tremendous community resource. Staff are knowledgable and helpful.

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    Review Highlights - Monroe County Public Library

    The library is open and spacious, and I noticed it has a room set aside specifically for quiet reading.

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    Monroe County Public Library - Southwest Branch

    Monroe County Public Library - Southwest Branch

    4.0(5 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    I don't often review 'non restaurant' locations, but my experience at the Southwest branch of the…read moreBloomington library today left me needing to give rave reviews. It's been forever since I've been in one of the local libraries because I'm such a Kindle reader. But in order to use Libby, I needed to get a new library card and signed up online. The process was simple, and ultimately it led me to the point of needing to visit the Southwest Branch (close to my house) and show proof that I am indeed me, and that I live in Bloomington. A utility bill did the trick. First and foremost, it's a beautiful facility. I didn't spend much time there, and probably won't be there often simply because I'm a digital reader. BUT let me say I may use it as a quiet space and place to read. The woman at the desk (Cathy or Cathi sorry I can't remember) was amazing. She was super helpful, friendly, and not only made my card but laughed at one of my jokes. She went above and beyond to tell me about how to use the library, explain policies and pointed out both Libby and Hoopla. She was great. I used to work part time in a library, and hold them near and dear to my heart and she's exactly what I love about libraries in general. If you're on the south side of town, stop using the downtown branch and move your library activity to this location. They have a great facility, will take anything you reserve from other branches straight to the branch, and you can pick it up there. Kudos to our town for believing in the value of these types of spaces.

    So excited about the new library in our neighborhood! They have lots of reading nooks &…read morestudy rooms throughout the library. There's a terrific kids section. There's a teens only room. There's about 20 computers separate from the teen computers. There's a really cool teaching kitchen. There are automated book drops and check out areas. There's a unisex ADA restroom. The library is really popular right now because it just opened so there might be lots of books checked out. Come back next month. Wink. Wink. There's a parking garage downstairs that supposed to have electric plug-ins in the future but not yet. Pretty great so far!

    Photos
    Monroe County Public Library - Southwest Branch
    Monroe County Public Library - Southwest Branch - Teaching Kitchen

    Teaching Kitchen

    Monroe County Public Library - Southwest Branch - Toys in the kids section

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    Toys in the kids section

    Half Price Books Outlet

    Half Price Books Outlet

    4.1(15 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $

    The Selection Of Movies Was Jam Packed! The Service Was Good…read moreAnd The Value Was Great And Cheap 10/10 If You Want To Buy Some Movies That Is Not Goodwill, I Recommend This Place!

    This store seems to be a place that changes for the sake of change. If it were good change, that…read morewould be great. Fortunately, all is not lost. Some of the good is still there. What's not good is downright ridiculous. For some reason, instead of fiction having nice wide open spaces where you can peruse books and find something new, it's now mostly in an aisle just wide enough for 2 people to stand in. Imagine standing in front of a bookshelf that goes from the floor to 6-7 feet in the air. Imagine not being able to back up more than a step or two and trying to see what's on the shelf. It's not an easy feat. Meanwhile, there is a great open sea in the middle of the store that's wide open. Clearance, you'll be happy to know, now takes up the former fiction spot. So the books that are easiest to see are the ones nobody really wants. Makes perfect sense. In other ideas that clearly make perfect sense, with fewer DVDs on the shelves these days, an upper shelf that is very convenient to browse has a few titles with the cover side out. The bottom shelf, where almost no one wants to go, is still full of product. Changing something and improving it is welcome. Changing it and actively making it worse sucks. I used to spend a fair amount of time browsing. Now I hit a couple of areas and I'm done. Oh - whoever decided putting a dvd rack by the exit should not be making important decisions. Ever. Other than that, it's an ok place to shop.

    Photos
    Half Price Books Outlet
    Half Price Books Outlet
    Half Price Books Outlet - Dog-friendly!

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    Dog-friendly!

    Glenn A Black Laboratory Of Archaeology - general museum space

    Glenn A Black Laboratory Of Archaeology

    4.0(1 review)
    0.3 mi

    After finishing a trip to the Mathers Museum of World Culture, my wife and I selected a doorway…read morethat leads to the museum portion of the IU Archaeology department. They share the same building and although there is a separate entrance from the outside, we found it easiest to simply go through the doorway. Note that we didn't see anyone monitoring the museum during our visit, so we just browsed on our own. The museum is part of a larger area which includes a research library and even more exhibits in the central lobby area of the upstairs portion. (Note we did not explore the lower floor which looked off limits.) During our visit, we saw a lot of informational window booths with facts and artifacts that have been gathered from our state. There is a strong connection between this facility and the Angel Mounds in Evansville. There are several displays with information about the Angel Mounds and other mounds which were shaped like snakes, or marching bears. There are also windows with info on artwork inspired by animals, stands showing tribal shields with info, and science facts about animals that have lived in our state. The museum is unique in what it offers, but I understand that it won't appeal to everyone. But considering it is free and puts things into understandable relationships, it does offer value to those who may be interested in local history and/or nature. Review #2205

    Photos
    Glenn A Black Laboratory Of Archaeology - Mastodon mandible

    Mastodon mandible

    Glenn A Black Laboratory Of Archaeology - Art related to birds

    Art related to birds

    Glenn A Black Laboratory Of Archaeology - Feb 2019 exhibit

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    Feb 2019 exhibit

    Monroe County History Center

    Monroe County History Center

    4.0(2 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Nice historical society with some solid exhibits. They do a nice job of portraying the history of…read morethe county and have some interesting exhibits that rotate. One thing I was disappointed in was a lack of Hoagy Carmichael representation, since their archive has a bunch of items in relation to him, including pieces of clothing. The only mention of Hoagy I found on exhibit was part of a little exhibit on famous musicians from the county. Hoagy was further down on the list and you had to listen to a bunch of other snippets before you could get to him. I expected him to be more prominent in this location. I really liked that they had reasonably priced gift shop and a really nice selection of used books/DVDs/sheet music, etc. While the exhibit wasn't doing much in the way of Hoagy, I picked up some really nice used items in relation to him.

    This local-focused, self-sustaining non-profit is a great find! The Center offers a museum,…read moreresearch library, and gift store. There are many special event throughout the year and the exhibits refresh often. The building is on the National Register of Historic Buildings and the volunteers who work there are amazing. The grounds are beautiful. Museum Admission: $2 adults, $1 children, under 5 Free (most special events are free) Parking: street or one of the parking garages located 3 blocks away Food: none Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard

    Photos
    Monroe County History Center - Rose Hill Cemetery Limestone Tour

    Rose Hill Cemetery Limestone Tour

    Monroe County History Center - Black Authors Speak! Author Panel and Public Book Fair

    Black Authors Speak! Author Panel and Public Book Fair

    Monroe County History Center - Be sure to touch the provided bear fur on the info rail!

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    Be sure to touch the provided bear fur on the info rail!

    Monroe County Public Library - libraries - Updated May 2026

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