Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Library topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Gary library touts Dolly Parton Imagination Station as state funding shrinks; asks school board for billing advocacy and partnership help
Summary
The Gary Public Library reported a Dolly Parton Imagination Station rollout and said state library funding cuts threaten programs; library officials asked the board to help secure a NIPSCO key-account representative and to support friends-of-the-library recruitment and private fundraising.
A library representative told the Gary Community School Corporation board that the Gary Public Library held a Dolly Parton Imagination Station rollout and hosted the state's first lady for a read-aloud, and that private donors and foundations stepped in to sustain the program after state funding reductions.
The presenter said Indiana's Senate Bill 1 will reduce state library funding beginning in 2026 with larger cuts through 2028. Library staff described efforts to expand the friends-of-the-library group, to seek support from the Legacy Foundation and corporate partners (e.g., NiSource), and to involve the school district in joint fundraising and advocacy.
Library staff also reported a recent pattern of higher-than-expected electric bills after new NIPSCO meter installations at the main branch, and asked the board to help identify a NIPSCO "key accounts" contact to investigate billing discrepancies.
Board members offered to advocate to NIPSCO and requested friends-of-the-library materials to coordinate outreach. The presenter asked for help aligning library strategic plans with the city's revitalization momentum and said the library will continue to pursue private support to maintain programs.
No board vote was required on the library presentation, but trustees discussed potential collaboration and requested follow-up information.
