Morrison-Reeves Library is the public library in Richmond, Indiana. Founded in 1864 thanks to…read moreinitial funding provided by Robert Morrison, the library opened with an initial 6,000 books at a location now known as the corner of 6th and A streets. In 1893, the library was bequeathed another $30,000 by the widow of Mark Reeves. Reeves had actually worked for Morrisson when he was younger and shared a similar passion for the library. The library stayed in that building until the late 60's when it became apparent that the much loved building simply was no longer conducive to contemporary library needs and upkeep was becoming more than the library could handle. They would move into a new 52,800 square-foot building thanks to the efforts of librarian Mrs. Harriet Bard and currently remain in this building. The former building, sadly, had since been demolished. However, they did save many architectural aspects of the building along with furnishings. Morrison-Reeves Library is now pretty much what you expect from a library. I visited it occasionally while in seminary in Richmond and had the chance to return recently to visit a friend's art exhibition. Elements of the library respecting its history include the Harriet Bard Meeting Room, the Bimbo Memorial Fountain, the historic courtyard, The Bimbo Memorial Fountain is actually a dog fountain donated by a family in memory of their dog Bimbo. It allows passing dogs to get a drink of water. It's actually very cool. There are other decorative pieces incorporated throughout the library. The library is strong in access with several accessible parking spots, an automated front door, and ramps in places where they are needed. People over the age of 5 are eligible for a library card. The library is open six days a week - closed on Sundays. They have meeting spaces that can be reserved, public workstations, free wifi, and you can check-out up to 30 items. You can send faxes at $1 per page; make copies at $.10 per page black-and-white, $.25 per page for color. They offer quite a few digital services and community events (including art exhibits pretty regularly). The collection is up to around 85,000 books now. While I'm not sure I'd consider Morrison-Reeves Library a destination library, for those in the Wayne County area it's an absolutely essential library and some of the art exhibits are definitely worth the 60-90 minute drive to Richmond, Indiana. Richmond is a cool little town with quite a bit you can take in and it's easily worth a day trip.

It's big, that's for sure! They've got a large children's section, which is great. It's got tons of…read morebooks, computers with kid programs, audio books and even a play area. And they do have a lot of programs for kids. Downstairs is the media section; movies, music and audio books to borrow as well as computer/internet usage and classes for computers, etc. They're also set up for those who prefer ebooks. And they've got an awesome book sale every year. I mean come on - fill a bag for a couple bucks. I'm in. We like the library, especially for the youngin. The only problem we've noticed is that if you're not part of the weekly "library crowd" you're a bit shunned. We've done the weekly reading time for kids, but because we don't make it every week, our daughter is basically left out and alone at craft time. I get the the other kids and families know each other already, but the library staff member running the class makes little effort to involve the new kid. Pretty sad to watch. That being said, we still frequent the library for books, ebooks and movies and as long as we aren't in a kids class the staff is always friendly, helpful and they're great at getting our daughter excited about reading.

Golay Community Center is a non-profit organization that was presented to Western Wayne county by…read morethe Charles Golay family in 1981. Golay, a known industrialist from Cambridge City, wanted to create a place where community members could gather and build on their physical, emotional, and spiritual lives. The actual community center is on the east end of Cambridge City practically on the town line. You can rent rooms at the Golay Center and the prices tend to be quite affordable. This includes meeting rooms, a kitchen space, and semi-private use of their pool. Each room can hold up to 50 people and the meeting room dividers can also be removed. Golay Center offers pickleball, open gym volleyball, flag food, "paint with Jes," cheerleading, and food truck days on Wednesdays and Fridays. They also have fitness classes, swim instruction, personal training, bingo, blood drives, and other community activities. Golay Center truly is a "community" center. They offer both annual memberships and day passes. While folks from Indianapolis might consider Golay Center a little quaint, it's a solid, nicely kept, and well run community center. Like most small towns, I've found that a "stranger" gets a bit of a second glance but that tends to go away pretty quickly. Memberships include use of the facility: pool, weight room (16 and over), cardio room (16 and over), gymnasium, free aerobics classes or discounted classes, and discounted rates on programs. When I was at nearby Earlham, this was always a nice resource (though Earlham also has some nice options). I've always liked the Cambridge City area and Golay Center is a mighty fine community center for a relatively small town.

I joined because there are aerobic classes I am interested in. A couple of negatives for me:…read more 1. As a new comer to the facility, you would think someone would show you around. Desk personnel acted like I was already familiar with the facility. I had to ask quite a few questions. 2. Don't like entities that want you to use automated payments. While it isn't required, the monthly premium is quite less if you do so, 24.00 versus 60.00.

Excited to be the first to review the Winchester public library. It had been over 25 years since my…read morelast visit and it was such a treat to revisit with my kids along for the ride. I grew up going here occasionally with my grandma when I was little. Despite being a family of readers, we surprisingly didn't go to the public library often. I pulled up this library and thought it was worth revisiting and it was such a treat! The kids area is really, really well done. They have an expensive play area, pet goldfish, game room, beanbag, chairs, and summer reading program. The books were neatly displayed, and the staff was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed every bit of our visit and we'll make this part of our rotation when we are back in Randolph County for future family visits. It's conveniently located just a few blocks from the main downtown Square if you wanna visit the farmers market and here with the library. Sounds like a perfect morning to me!

I drove to Anderson to complete a name change request process that I had begun online. The…read morelocations closest to me were booked out much further into the future. This is your typical government building. It was very sterile, and serious, and quiet. No fun is to be had here. I checked in via the QR code on the sign when you first walk in. They do also have a touch-screen kiosk for checking in as well. The lobby was clean and the security guard stopped someone in the doorway who was attempting to enter with a beverage. When another patron began playing videos on their phone with the volume on high, I was disturbed by his inaction (this is one of my pet peeves). Their phone was extremely loud and there are signs posted stating that all ringers and such should be set to silent. They weren't even watching it either. They were speaking to each other in even louder voices, attempting to talk over their loud phone. I gave them the side-eye and then gave the security guard "the look", like dude, do your job! "The look" worked because he then announced that all phones should be on silent. Thank you for your service, kind sir. My number was called pretty quickly and the gentleman that assisted me was thorough, but also quick. I appreciated that. He congratulated me on my nuptials and handled my request for a new SS card in minutes. I commented at the end "Well, that was painless" to which he responded "Yeah, I don't usually start inflicting pain until after noon" See, you can have fun at the social security administration!

Bureaucracy, you sometimes cannot avoid! The website for SSA is fabulous and there are so many…read moretasks you can accomplish online. Although there are those times you should visit in person. In my case, I wasn't sure of a process. It was easier to talk to a human "live" and get my questions answered. I could have waited on the phone to an agent. The office in Anderson is efficient. There's a kiosk to check-in. Plastic molded chairs to sit in and a security guard for safety.Visitors are called to the a service window based on the reason for their visit. Medicare, Retiree benefits, Disability benefits or a Payee Representative are a sampling of titles that could bring you to the door of government bureaucracy. The staff tries their best to accomplish tasks for visitors, they are pleasant, helpful, and informative.

I love all four branches of MPL. Kennedy's meeting room is nice. I love the papyrus font text on…read morethe walls.

Very small library but the librarian is awesome and the computers and printer are fantastic. They…read morealso have wifi. The hours are limited, usually a few hours a day, but it's a great stop if you need to send a fax or make copies quickly without the wait elsewhere.

The Gennett Records Walk of Fame has been completely revitalized and just had their ribbon cutting…read moreto showcase the all brand new plaques. Previously the Hall of Fame records were showing wear and destruction from vandalism and weather, but they have all been restored, and even lifted up off of the sidewalk on concrete stands. Talented musicians like Hoagy Carmichael and Louis Armstrong all became famous and recorded their records here in Richmond at this site. It's a really cool, free, and historic sight to see in Richmond. And it documents the history of Gennett Records, where the actual buildings once stood. There is one building that still remains, and it is used for the winter farmers market and other community events.

What a cool head in treasure in Richmond, Indiana. Who would have had any clue that some of them…read morethe roaring twenties greatest musicians came to Richmond and recorded in Richmond. I was totally amazed and I had a better understanding when I went to the firehouse barbecue restaurant in town and they had quotes from different famous musicians from led Zeppelin, to Bob Dylan to The Beatles who are all influenced by these musicians from the 1920s. The Walk of Fame is really cool because they had tile colored tile mosaic pictures of the famous musicians and then biographies about what they did and when they came to Richmond, Indiana to record at the Gennett studios. They also have the remnants of the recording studio and Gennett piano factory. What was disappointing was that there wasn't more information on the piano factory itself or the recording studios or any photographs which would have been really cool. And with today's society there's many retired people who love volunteering their time to set out a welcome center and help educate the younger people about the past. The musical history that came from Richmond Indiana is timeless to the point where my son who is now 18 and I listened on our cell phones some recordings of some of these famous musicians.I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to truly understand the origins of today's country music, blues, jazz, Texas blues, and soul to visit this place even for a couple hours just to read the information and soak up where they came to record their music. I felt that with a little bit more information about the studios and the piano factory maybe a welcome center and some photographs is definitely would have been a four or five-star attraction.

We took the docent led tour of James Whitcomb Riley's boyhood home in Greenfield. Tracy, our guide,…read morewas knowledgable and interesting. She led us on an hour tour through the house and museum, relaying stories of the family and ties to Riley's poems. The Midwest farmhouse was built by Riley's father, Reuben Riley. Reuben was a prominent attorney in Greenfield, but had an incredible gift of carpentry. The attention to detail of his work is evident throughout the house with hand carved staircase, a sewing box, his desk and much more. The house has been maintained remarkably and is filled with many period pieces, some original to the family. We learned about his siblings and the inspiration for "Little Orphant Annie", Mary Alice Smith, who briefly lived in the house. Walking across the creaky wooden floors, it was easy to imagine family life during the 1800's. The grounds are immaculate and open for events. An event center next door is available for weddings, meetings and other events. A gift shop and small museum are attached to the event center. The tour takes about an hour and questions are encouraged. The hours are seasonal, so best to check availability. We did not have reservations. There is a small parking lot behind the house, but we found street parking in front. The tour does require climbing stairs, but they can facilitate a tour for those with mobility challenges. The tour is $7 for adults and $2 for kids over 5 years. If you like history, architecture or literature, the tour is a must.

Unfortunately, I went when the home was closed (though it was preparing for a Christmas event)…read more Alas, I'm not close enough to Indiana to have better timing so I took what I could get. Having not stepped foot into the house, here's what I liked about it: poetry. As we wandered around the exterior of the property, through the garden and under the rose trellis, we were treated with poetry excerpts on signs and boards at every step. Clearly, this is a home that has embraced its literary heritage. My guess (hope?) is that they are trying to make poetry more accessible to and liked by children - something I think Riley himself would have approved of.