New Spades Park manager outlines programs, Spanish‑language plan and digital help for neighborhood

Renny Canaday, Spades Park branch manager, told the Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees on Oct. 27 that she started at the branch in March and is focusing on outreach, programs and services tailored to the neighborhood.

Canaday said the branch serves about 10,500 people and has a staff that includes two full‑time librarians (the manager and a children and youth specialist), a circulation supervisor, two part‑time computer lab assistants, a part‑time library assistant, two hourly pages and three active volunteers. "I'm Renny Canaday, and I just started here in March. New to Indianapolis even," she said.

The branch recorded 12,938 active cardholders using the building and, through September, hosted 173 programs with 4,844 attendees — a roughly 15% increase over 2024. Circulation through September was 48,915 items and door count was about 26,000 year‑to‑date, Canaday said.

Canaday described neighborhood demographics: roughly 65% of residents are 20–64 years old, a rising Spanish‑speaking population, about 12% without home internet access and 21% without a high school diploma. She said those figures are driving plans for additional adult‑education supports such as GED/HiSET assistance, more computer classes, career resources and outreach to neighborhood schools including Theodore Potter Spanish immersion school.

The branch is expanding small‑scale offerings and lendable collections. Canaday highlighted a seed library housed inside an old card catalog (about 50 donated seed packets this year), a hot spot lending program, "bunny bags" (themed children’s book kits) and two birding kits. She said the birding kits circulated more after staff visibly promoted them.

On collection development, Canaday told trustees she wants to add a Spanish‑language collection in response to holds she is seeing for Spanish‑language titles. She also described efforts to increase partnerships with neighborhood schools and charter schools and to bring more passive and small programs into apartment complexes and community centers.

Board members asked about GED and adult literacy supports; Canaday described prior models in other communities where a university provided coursework at satellite locations and the library subsidized test fees and materials. "We would pay for those students to take the test because even that is a barrier," she said.

Canaday also previewed planned programs — art‑and‑crafts adult sessions, a paper‑quilling class, and efforts to boost summer reading participation and add an additional adult book‑discussion offering. She noted recent artwork installations and a plaque honoring the late volunteer Anne Barnes.

Canaday told trustees the branch plans to continue building relationships with neighborhood schools, expand Spanish‑language resources and grow workforce and digital literacy programming to meet what she described as clear local demand.

Ending: The trustees thanked Canaday for the report and encouraged continued school outreach and partnerships; the board will hear additional systemwide partnership metrics later in the meeting.