It was time to visit Indianapolis and enjoy the libraries. “Patsy the Panda” was ready for her new homes there. It is a reasonable drive time at less than four hours. So off we went! Traffic was busy and crazy with cars zooming past me at unbelievable speeds. Saw no police anywhere.
Indianapolis was originally home to the Delaware Nation Lenape Indians. In 1821 a small settlement became the county seat of Marion County.
Residents established the first private schools in the 1820s. When voters approved taxes to support free public schools in 1847, the Indiana Supreme Court declared the local taxes were unconstitutional in 1857 so the city’s public schools did not reopen until 1861.
Beginning in the 1820s numerous newspapers were established, including The Indianapolis Gazette, The Indiana Democrat, and German-language papers. Over the ensuing decades some publications merged and others discontinued operations with new newspapers beginning.
During the U.S. Civil War, Indianapolis was loyal to the Union cause. The governor Oliver P. Morton was a major supporter of president Abraham Lincoln and the City became a rallying location for Union army troops.
The public library system was founded in 1873 and today has 24 library locations, including the Central Library which is adjacent to the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza. The Library attracts more than four million visitors yearly and circulates 16 Million items.
French architect Paul Cret designed the building in 1917 of Indiana limestone. The architecture is classic Greek Doric and the building has been registered on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985. The penny gates at the front entrance were purchased with pennies donated by the City’s children in 1917.
Two commissioned sculptures by Peter Shelton are on the limestone pedestals just outside the front entrance. One is entitled “thinman” and the other is “little bird.” Private funding was secured by the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. I found both in very dark color to be unattractive.
The Central Library was renovated and opened in 2007 at a taxpayer cost of $150 Million. The Central Library has a Special Collections Room containing a variety of archival adult and children’s materials, both fiction and nonfiction. On fifth floor is the photography, music and poetry collections. There are listening stations. The Language Lab has 2,000 hours of language learning in six languages.
The Central Library is breath-takingly beautiful. There is an outside garden area to sit on a bench and reflect. The first floor atrium is magnificent with sunlight over all. This beautiful October day was rewarded with a walk down the long grassy boulevard just outside the Central Library. My book, out this year, “Patsy the Panda” can be read by the citizens of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis is the 15th largest city in the USA and in the 2016 census it was documented 860,000 residents and in the metro area two Million residents. I stopped at a bakery to ask directions and found the Library, finally! It was a worthwhile sojourn!