The Martinsville Branch of the Morgan County Public Library began its story as a Carnegie funded…read morelibrary. I was glad to see the familiar historic library facade with lovely green dome and large columns when I drove up. The original building was completed in 1908 and is constructed of Indiana Bedford limestone. The library has expanded over the years to improve accessibility, increase the collections, modernize and offer specialized spaces. The first addition was added in the 1990's increasing the size of the facility four-fold. A recent addition was completed 2020 included a modern teen room and outdoor patio area. The Children's area is bright with high ceilings and a small play area. The teen area is very modern with work space and an area to watch tv with comfy seating. There is a rather large area with dvds. A lovely painting by T. C. Steele hangs on the wall. The old Carnegie building now houses the Genealogy center. The librarian in the center was busy, but graciously provided me with a map of downtown Martinsville so I could continue my research. A stained glass dome and beautiful oak columns are the only original interior features left from the 1908 build in the Carnegie section. Overall, it's a functional, modern library with some history. They are part of the Evergreen program and offer delivery to home bound patrons. The building is fully wheelchair accessible, has nice restrooms, and plenty of close free parking.

This was my first visit to the Morgan County Public Library. Usually I go to the Evergreen web…read moresite and place books on hold for delivery to the Brooklyn branch for pickup. But today I just happened to be downtown getting a new watch band installed on my new watch I bought last week at De Lyn's 20th anniversary and had some time to kill so I stopped in to check them out. I could be wrong, but judging by the outside appearance of the building, it appears to me they have had at least two major additions to the original building on the corner with the old limestone. The most recent one is huge and dedicated to children's books and has a room specifically for teens. The middle section of the building up the ramp or steps is for the adult books, and the original limestone building on the corner is dedicated to Genealogy and Morgan County's Hall of Fame. I really like the way all the books are labeled on the shelves. There is an easy to read label at the bottom of each book's spine with the first three letters of the author. I can find the authors I'm looking for really fast this way. But please take advantage of the Information desk. If you don't see the book you are looking for, it is possible it is checked out and the staff can look it up in their computer and place a hold on it so that you are notified when it comes back to the library. This is a really nice library. While not as big as Mooresville's with the exception of the children's area, it is fairly comparable. The teen room is really unique. Morgan County's Hall of Fame is very interesting. There is a small legend on the left hand side that identifies each photo. I did not know Gary Bettenhausen would be in the Hall of Fame. Although born in Illinois, he lived in Monrovia where his children attended high school. Having served in the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Frankin D. Roosevelt, CV-42, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new book (2022 edition) on the history of the world's greatest aircraft carriers in the last 100 years. I found a nice quiet spot with a comfortable chair and read the book for about ten minutes and then checked it out. Your initial check out period is three weeks and you are allowed to renew twice. They have some really nice chairs scattered around the library. They are comfortable, have lap tables to hold your book and have both kinds of charging ports for your devices. And of course there are free computers for use. There is dedicated free parking directly across the street with plenty of spaces available.

I want to give a sincere thank you to Ryan Donnelly for the outstanding assistance he provided. He…read moretook the time to patiently answer my questions, explain information I didn't fully understand, and made sure I left with a much better understanding of everything. His professionalism, knowledge, and willingness to go the extra mile were truly appreciated. Thank you again, Ryan--I genuinely appreciate the time and effort you spent helping me!

This library is an excellent place to host an event and a true community resource. I have attended…read moreseveral events here, from CreativeMornings to a minority career fair, and every experience has been well organized and welcoming. The space is gorgeous, flexible, and works beautifully for both professional and creative gatherings. We also host our neighborhood meetings here, which has been a great experience. The library consistently offers free classes, helpful staff, and access to a wide range of resources that make it more than just a place to study or work. It genuinely serves the community. When I am there working or attending events, I always try to sit by the windows overlooking the courtyard. The view of the skyline is a bonus and makes long days feel lighter. Highly recommend this library for events, meetings, or simply spending a productive day.

My afternoon "office" for a few hours, I spent my time here pounding out emails and (quietly)…read moredialed in to a Zoom bridge or two. A comfortable work space in the corner where my laptops and phone plugged in and charged. The library is quite large and spacious. Lots of interesting spaces, tons of stacks of books, I thought the shelf of role playing game kits was a unique offering. You do not need to be a local resident in order to use the library, only to borrow materials. [Review 20560 overall - 98 in Indiana - 1541 of 2023.]

SO I was nervous to go to this location which was so silly in hindsight (to go to the downtown…read morelocation) because I'm spoiled by the Southside location by my house. Extensive water damage has closed the Southern location till at least June 2024 so here I was looking for kids' North Dakota books for a school report. Not only did I find an extensive amount of books for my son, I got him some graphic novels, some launchpads, some free seeds from the seed library and a free subscription to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. I was also intrigued by the library of mysterious things upstairs. The ambience was clean, well thought out, and the staff was superb. I will be back without hesitation. I heard there is a drive-through to drop stuff off for parents with young kids. I have noticed there were a ton of parents and small children there for various groups. Looks promising!

I brought my niece here the other day. It was my first time really spending time in the children's…read morearea and was so impressed with how many stations they had for the kids. They had a special playroom with kids toys, a nature center, computers with kids games, an amazing selection of books, and more. I really love this library. They also have a free seed library which I think is so neat!

Talk about an incredible library! I have had this place bookmarked for quite some time and finally…read moregot to check it out after a farmers market visit. The children's section definitely did not disappoint. The library is walking distance from the heart of downtown Zionsville. Even the garden of the library provides entertainment with musical instruments for play. Once you enter the front door, you will find a massive children's section that includes a fish aquarium, playroom, toy train model set and wonderful book displays. It also appears that they have an extensive events programming calendar throughout the week. If we lived closer, I would definitely visit here often. There's also a nature center room off the back of the children's section that features snakes, turtles and more fish. Overall, you can easily pass an hour or two with your kids exploring the different areas. I can't speak for the adult sections, but I'm sure it's Equally impressive. Highly recommend recommend this library!

The Trafalgar Branch Library is pretty amazing. Even before going inside, I was struck by the…read morenatural wildflower/prairie garden that surrounds the building. A trail winds through the garden with the Kelsey Anne Devine StoryWalk for kids. (Kelsey was a local resident that passed away too young). In front of the building is a large art sun sculpture. There is also a patio with chairs to sit and read surrounded by additional garden. Inside, the library is large and open with beautiful high ceilings. Wood and stone give the building a natural feeling. The Children's Area has a small play area and a separate room dedicated to play. There are lots of books for the kids. The Teen Area has comfy seating and a chess set set up. Besides books, there is information posted about important topics for teens. The Adult Area has more comfortable seating surrounding a fireplace. Lots of natural light comes into the space from large windows that overlook the garden. This is my favorite spot to read the daily newspaper. Plenty of small tables are scattered throughout the building. A set of public computers are available near center of the library. A large community room with small kitchen near the entrance was being cleaned during my visit. Baskets of free vegetables from summer gardens for visitors to take home stand near the entrance. Outside, an emergency box with opioid antidote reminds us of the struggle with addiction in our rural communities. There is plenty of parking outside with several handicapped spaces. This library offers much more than books and I'll be back.

Beautiful library with great staff, plus it has a fireplace. Fast wifi and quick checkout!read more

This place is the best! The librarians are so nice but take library cards without telling you.read more

I am constantly pleased to live in a county with such a good library and to have a branch as fine…read moreas Ellettsville. Staff are always so gracious and pleasant. Loans or transfers come from the main library so efficiently that my requests online take only a couple of days and I do not need to go downtown. Parking is usually (but not always) available without hassle. Inside is clean and fresh an open. We should all have an annual, appreciate your library day. People just do not realize what a huge thing this is if they have always enjoyed these benefits! They have also had the easy check out for years, buzz your card, press your pin, pop down your book and hey presto, you are out the door. I love to speak to the librarians but when they are busy or I am ni a hurry this is terrific.

The Bartholomew County Library is another amazing functional architectural structure in Columbus,…read moreIndiana. The building was designed by I. M. Pei in 1969 with an addition by James Paris in 1987. What I noticed first was an incredible sculpture that stands in the Library plaza. The sculpture, known as Large Arch, was created by Henry Moore in 1971. Inside the library are high ceilings with a modern and spacious feel. There are large sections of adult books on the first and second floor. On the first floor are public computers, newspapers and other resources. There is a large teen area with skylights and comfy seating. In the basement are conference and a class room and an incredible children's library, complete with play areas and a puppet show stage. There is an outdoor patio off of the children's section. On the second floor is a indoor garden atrium that brings in natural light. The staff is helpful. There is a space where they sell excess and used books. There were several oil paintings by notable Hoosier artists. There is also a small veteran tribute near the front entrance. There is free parking on the west and back sides of the facility. I would put this library at the top of the Indiana libraries that I have visited.

Very nice, well kept, clean, and organized library. Lots of books and free use computers. Friendly…read moreand helpful staff can help you find what you seek. Cool large piece of artwork on the grounds. Nice place to find a real book versus an online book, for those who prefer the old fashion way of reading, ha. Plenty of relaxing and comfy private seating along with nice tables for multi book researching. Located downtown and walking distance to many other businesses.

When Danville Public Library, also known as Danville-Center Township Public Library, was first…read morecreated in 1902, Danville was home to Central Normal College. Local businessmen felt that the community should also finally have its own public library. Danville received a grant from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (the first of four Carnegie libraries in Hendricks County), and the library was birthed in 1903 with 1,000 books. Over the years, the library has grown with additions in 1979, 1999, and in 2016. Now, the library offers books, audiobooks, e-books, DVDs, magazines, newspapers, streaming digital services, and computer access/free wi-fi. While the library wasn't accessible in its early days, with each subsequent addition that has improved. While you still get the historic facade (and lots of steps), it's pretty easy to get into this two-story building now. As Katherine A. noted in her review, adult books (get your mind out of the gutter) are on the second floor, kids are on the first floor, and there are study areas and a classroom. There's a small parking lot and the area around the library is pretty good with access. I'm also a big fan of the Indiana Room, a source for genealogy (especially Hendricks county related) with cemetery records, court records, land records, church records, newspapers, and more. As an out-of-towner, sometimes you feel awkward when you go into a different town/city's library. I do it often when I'm on one of my Tenderness Tour events because they tend to be a safe place to rest, use internet, and use a restroom. Yet, I found folks here to be friendly and welcoming. I definitely would return when I'm in the area. Yes, this is a smaller library. If you're expecting to compare it to Indy's libraries, you'll likely be disappointed (except some of Indy's smaller branches like Spades). However, it's a lovely library with friendly people and even the patrons I met here were quite hospitable.

Danville Public Library began its roots as an Andrew Carnegie funded building which first opened in…read more1903. The original limestone neoclassical building stands as an entrance to the modern facility today. The facility has undergone three expansions and renovations over the years to modernize and accommodate the growing collection of books, audio and video collections and more. The most recent renovation was completed on 2017. Most of the historical features of the Carnegie interior were removed or relocated during the modernization . One of the original marble fireplaces was moved to the Genealogy Room on the second floor with some of the early paintings. A second fireplace mantle was relocated to the Children's play/work room. A new main entrance was added to increase accessibility to the facility. Adult books are stored on the 2nd floor, while children's books and a play area are located on the lower floor. A classroom and study area are also located on the first floor. Library administration has offices on the second floor as well. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful and willing to describe the history of the facility. The library sponsors summer reading and other programs throughout the year. There is a small dedicated parking lot behind the building and street parking around the building.

I can't believe this library has only one review and that one review was posted 11 years ago. This…read moreis one of the very best small town libraries ever. It is a big place and very full service in so many areas. They are a member of the Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium which consists of over 100 libraries all over the state. You can order any book online from any library in their system and have it delivered to the library nearest you. There is a volunteer group here called "Friends of the Library" that I have donated books to from my bookcases. They sell used books from time to time when the library purges their inventory. My mom used to volunteer here for 11 years until she passed in 2014. She got insider info on all the new books coming out. She was an avid reader and loved working here at this library.

A nice,new, and attractive Library with very helpful clerks…read more I love to take my grandchildren here. the decor in the children's book section is super cute!

Stunning- also, not surprised…read more I had heard for awhile that we would enjoy this library so on a recent day date with my four year old, we ventured north to check it out. We spent a majority of the time in the children's section which boasted several interactive play areas, a private room for events, a STEAM focussed room for workshops and hands-on learning and well-organized book stacks. I appreciated how many book covers they had easily on display and their shelving system. They also have a pet gecko in the kids area. We could have easily spent an hour plus here. Next time, I'll set up for remote work and check out the coffee shop and other seating areas in the library. They have free onsite garage parking, in true Carmel fashion

The Carmel Clay Public Library is as fabulous as you'd expect from Carmel. Think an upscale version…read moreof the Louvre with books and you are getting close. And they've got so much more than books. I visited today and was offered a tour of their Digital Media Lab. Patrons of the library can take advantage of several 3-D printers and only pay for supplies. Cricut machines and software are available to create card, paper products, tee shirt transfers, mugs and more. A state-of-the-art video studio and several audio studios are available for aspiring performers. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and proactively helpful. I got inspiration for an upcoming project that I am working on for a family reunion. One of the staffers printed off information that I needed for my project. The children's area of the library is huge, filled with books, discovery lab, reading areas and an activity room. Toddlers were playing with a few toys during my visit. Upstairs, I found a massive collection of videos and adult books. Several banks of computers were buzzing with patrons taking advantage of the free service. The staff was friendly and happy to show where to find specific books. Comfy seating and work spaces are scattered throughout the facility. Several conference rooms can be reserved for community use. The building is beautiful with a modern architecture that lets in lots of natural light. There is a featured art wall in the lower level. A bookstore and coffee shop are available near the main entrance. There is a parking garage on the south side of the building complete with EV plug stations. Restroom facilities are upscale and immaculate. The library is an easy 5 stars and sets a high standard for libraries.