Central library staff outline renovations, expanded programs and community outreach; Nora soft-opened, Pike reopening planned

Central Library staff and the Indianapolis Public Library’s programming team used the board’s March meeting to summarize recent facility upgrades, systemwide programs, and community partnerships.

Liz Shetley, director of Central Library, told trustees that Central is organized into six departments — central adult services, the Learning Curve (juvenile area), central services, the Center for Black Literature and Culture (CBLC), security, and events — and that the building serves patrons from across Marion County and beyond. Shetley said nearly 340,000 people visited Central between mid-March and the end of the prior year using a new door-counting system introduced in mid-March; that system produced an interior count of 28,631 for the CVLC door count in that same period.

Shetley described ongoing renovations on the Second and Third floors: DVDs and CDs are being relocated to 2 East and staff expect that area to open for circulation in early April; phase two will rework 3 West and redesign restrooms on that floor, and the Third Floor will become a dedicated juvenile area. She also noted recent and upcoming branch reopenings: a soft opening for the Nora branch had taken place the prior week after a facility refresh that included study rooms, a larger children’s area and accessibility upgrades, and the Pike branch was scheduled for a…