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Indianapolis Public Library reports rising summer reading participation, branch visits; rolls out neurodiversity training and staff book discussions
Summary
At the June 23 board meeting, Indianapolis Public Library reported increases in summer reading program participation and branch visits for May 2025 and summarized staff training plans for 2025, including systemwide neurodiversity and disability-awareness training delivered by Tangram and a staff book discussion series.
During the June 23 meeting, CEO Gregory Hill and Access, Belonging and Culture Officer Kim Muers reported systemwide usage metrics, summer reading participation and staff professional-development initiatives.
Hill said a typical day in May 2025 included 13,251 physical circulations and that systemwide branch visits for May totaled 203,613, a roughly 4% increase from May 2024. He highlighted branch-level movements: Glendale led branches in daily visitors, and several branches showed recovery and gains following past remodels.
Hill reported summer reading participation as of June 2025: 12,428 juvenile readers (an 18% increase year-over-year), 6,415 adult readers (about a 15% increase year-over-year), plus an additional 6,034 participants reached through day cares, preschools and summer camps.
Kim Muers outlined the library’s 2025 training initiative, which she said is meant to improve patron experience and staff retention. The library contracted Tangram to deliver virtual neurodiversity and disability-awareness training to staff systemwide; Muers said the training helps staff communicate with and assist patrons who might be neurodiverse. "Training is the engine to innovation," Muers said, summarizing the program’s goals.
Muers also described a staff book-discussion program driven by the library’s diversity and inclusion committee; staff may choose between two titles: Say the Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice and The Building Blocks of Belonging: 5 Steps to Creating a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Culture. The library will offer multiple sessions in August and October and has ordered copies for board members who wish to read along.
Hill also reported on foundation support and staff recognition: the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation and corporate donors provided more than $212,000 for programming in the previous month, supporting items such as career-center work and competency training. Staff members who received peer and program awards were recognized during the meeting.
Board members asked questions about training delivery; Muers said sessions are virtual with recordings available for staff who miss live sessions and that feedback surveys are being collected to measure impact.
