Monroe County Public Library
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303 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408
303 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408
Website
EmailThe library seeks to enrich lives and strengthen our community by providing equitable access to information and opportunities to read, learn, discover, and create.
The library's strongest asset is our welcoming, knowledgeable, and innovative staff.
Reviews
12/10/2007
Provided by YP.comWhen we moved to Bloomington we lived a few blocks from the library and went often to use the printers while ours was broken. Once our son came along we started taking him to the Preschool Exploration Center to play in a new environment and around new people. As he got bigger we started taking advantage of more and more aspects of the library - a never ending supply of nighttime stories, toy packs you can check out, fun learning DVD's and parenting books/magazines galore! Our babysitter at the time even borrowed a VERY HELPFUL book on teaching babies to sign which we used to teach our son several useful signs.
We've also started attending the various programs the library offers and participated in the summer reading program! Our son is just now turning 3 and he was allowed to be a part of the summer reading program, which I thought was an amazing show of the libraries dedication to early reading skills!
We love it when we can make it for craft time. So far we've gotten some cute coloring pages, a simple pine cone Christmas ornament, a letter/fingerprint wall hanging and a few other fun items that he got to help make. I think the crafts (and all programming) is well thought out and nicely arranged.
They even accept donations of toys for the PEC so that kids have a constantly changing supply of goodies! And they pair up with WonderLab and other organizations to give kids of all ages truly fun learning opportunities.
In all the places I've lived this library is by far the most comprehensive and most kid-friendly. I'm proud to have resource that places so much value on children!
More Business Info
- Hours
- Regular Hours
Mon - Thu: Fri: Sat: Sun: - Services/Products
- Library services are free to all county residents. All are welcome. Services include public Internet computers, bestsellers, large print books, books on CD, ebooks, e-audiobooks, preloaded audiobooks, magazines and newspapers, music CDs, downloadable music, online training in 50+ languages, computer classes and one-on-one computer help, movie screenings, and job search resources. Patrons can access their library accounts 24/7 to search the catalog, reserve materials, use online research tools, and download e-materials. The Indiana Room includes genealogy resources and databases, local history materials, and digitized collections. It is a cooperative collection of the Foundation Center and provides access to national grants databases. The Children's Dept. features programs for infants through Grade 6, workshops for parents, a preschool Learn and Play Space, a Parent-Teacher Resource Center, children's computers, toys to checkout, and, during the school year, homework help for kids in Grades K-6. The library serves a culturally diverse community. There are adult collections of Pan Asian and Spanish language materials, and a children's collection of Spanish language materials.
- Location
- Downtown Bloomington at the Corner of Kirkwood Ave. and Lincoln St., two blocks from the county courthouse and two blocks from Indiana University's Sample Gates.
- Neighborhood
- Downtown Bloomington
- Amenities
- At the drive-up window at the Main Library, open all hours that the library is, patrons can quickly pick up materials that they have placed on hold. The Ellettsville Branch, the Bookmobile,homebound delivery ensure that library services reach all county residents. Community Access Television Services (CATS) the library operates five local cable TV channels: The Library Channel, Public Channel, and City Government, County Government, and World News channels. Government meetings are streamed online at catstv.net. The World News channel provides programs and news from over 60 countries in their original languages. The library's VITAL program (Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners) provides literacy help and ESL conversation groups. The library offers several community spaces,including public meeting rooms, an auditorium, and art gallery. Additionaly, the library provides space for El Centro Comunal Latino, which provides services to Latinos new to the community.
- Accreditation
Downtown Bloomington, inc
Chamber of Commerce
Lifelong Learning Coalition
Smart Start Coalition
- Associations
- MCPL is an award-winning library, rated as one of the nation's top ten libraries for libraries serving populations from 100,00 to 249,999.
- AKA
MCPL
- Other Link
- Category
- Libraries
- Other Information
Parking: Free
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes