Indianapolis Public Library’s new Eagle branch isn’t even two miles from its old location at the corner of 34th Street and Lowry Road, but library readers anticipate moving to a bigger facility in a more visible location will make the branch more useful to the diverse patrons on the west side.
The new Eagle branch, which opens 10 a.m. June 1, is housed in a 20,000-square-foot building just off of 38th Street on Moller Road. Along with some 50,000 books and other items, the library has a children’s space, study rooms, more computers and a community room that can seat 100 people.
“We’d like to provide a welcoming area for the diverse community that we serve,” Branch Manager Mary Agnes Hylton said, “and we want to make sure that they’re aware of all the resources the library has to offer.”
Some of the perks of the new location are basic things such as more parking and better lighting, but the branch also expanded its multi-language collection, since the west side of Indianapolis is home to many Spanish-speaking residents. The different sections of the library, including adults and teens, are color coded to eliminate a potential language barrier. The children’s area has a Call-a-Story booth, where children can sit and hear stories. (They can also call to hear a story from any location by calling 317-275-4444. There are options for English and Spanish.)
The new location is by a Meijer, so Hylton said she hopes more people see the library as they go about their everyday lives. She said the old location made the library seem “invisible” because people didn’t know it was there.
The Eagle branch is the newest of Indianapolis Public Library’s branches that are moving. The Michigan Road branch, which replaced the Flanner House branch, opened in December 2018. New libraries are being built in Perry Township and at Fort Benjamin Harrison.
The Brightwood Branch is one of the libraries that’s relocating. After being in the same rented space since 1972, the branch is moving to a new building across the street from its current location on North Sherman Drive. It’s on track to open in the fall of 2019.
Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
NEW AND MOVING LIBRARY BRANCHES
Eagle — Moving from 3325 Lowry Road to 3905 N. Moller Road (June 1)
Brightwood — Moving from 2435 N. Sherman Drive to 25th Street and Sherman Drive (fall 2019)
Glendale — Moving from 6101 N. Keystone Ave. to library-owned property (2022)
West Perry — Coming in 2021
Fort Benjamin Harrison — Coming in 2021
Indianapolis Public Library’s new Eagle branch on Moller Road has color-coded sections to eliminate a possible language barrier for patrons. (Photo/Tyler Fenwick)
