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Hancock County, Vernon Township libraries report rising use and plan new McCord Square location
Summary
Directors for Hancock County and Vernon Township libraries told the Mount Vernon Community School Corp board they saw increased circulation, digital use and program attendance; Vernon Township plans a tax-neutral leased location in McCord Square with an anticipated mid‑June opening.
Hancock County Public Library Director Dave Gray and Vernon Township Public Library Director Ashton Bennett briefed the Mount Vernon Community School Corp board on library operations and expansion plans at the board’s March meeting.
Gray said the county system now has more than 21,000 card holders, has issued roughly 25,000 student cards that accounted for about 89,000 checkouts last year, and logged nearly 18,000 visits to 466 bookmobile stops. He described a 68% physical/32% digital split in circulation, challenges with some vendors, and a pilot pickup‑locker program serving eastern townships to improve access.
“Computer access and internet access is still very important,” Gray said, noting the system ran 874 events with about 19,000 attendees and continues to invest in collections and capital projects for older facilities.
Bennett reviewed Vernon Township’s local growth — about 4,893 township cardholders and nearly 40,000 building visitors last year — and explained the library’s membership in the Evergreen consortium that enables interlibrary transit of materials. She said the library expanded outreach, educator services and early‑literacy programs and highlighted a partnership to award story‑walk funding.
Bennett also announced a lease for a roughly 30,000‑square‑foot second‑floor space at the Ninstar building in McCord Square to create a smaller, tax‑neutral branch with study rooms, program space, unique collections and a permanent story walk. “Our anticipated opening time frame is mid‑June,” she said, adding the buildout uses funds already allocated for a previously planned facility and is intended to complement, not replace, the main Fortville location.
Both directors fielded board questions about budget priorities and services. The presentations emphasized digital resource growth, delivery options for homebound patrons and continued partnerships with local schools.
The board did not take formal action on the library reports; directors left contact information for follow‑up and encouraged community use of summer reading and outreach programs.
