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Southport branch highlights: summer reading surge, volunteers and digital access challenges
Summary
Southport branch manager Fiona Duke reported July highlights to the library board — a record summer reading total for the system, local demographics, heavy PC use and programs supporting multilingual and older patrons.
Fiona Duke, branch manager of the Southport branch, told the Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees on July 2025 that the branch has been a busy local hub for summer reading, multilingual services and computer access.
“I'm happy to share that our patrons blew past the community goal of 20,000,000 minutes read,” Duke said, describing systemwide summer reading results and noting Southport’s local programs and outreach. She told trustees the branch celebrated its 50th anniversary in the building (opened April 1, 1974), has a regional staff of 24 and 10 volunteers and that staff tenure across the team averages more than 14 years.
Why it matters: Duke said Southport serves a diverse community and documented local needs the branch addresses: the service area population was given as about 45,008; roughly 17.8% of residents were born outside the…
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