MCPL Digital is a growing repository of high-resolution digital photograph collections of Monroe County Yearbooks and other local historical records. Our mission is to bring digital versions of the community's historical records to a broader audience!

Library Director, Grier Carson, says the digitization program has been in full force since early 2020. The first items to be digitized were the Library’s collection of area school yearbooks.

“We’re excited to make some of the Library’s most unique physical materials, particularly those which represent and/or reflect Monroe County, more accessible,” Carson said.

MCPL Digital currently includes over 230 yearbooks from local high schools, scanned from physical copies housed in our Indiana Room. Spanning 114 years, the archive begins with Bloomington High School, The Gothic, from 1908! Read more about MCPL Digital Collection Launches

The Ellettsville Branch was recently awarded a Growing Together mini grant of $1,500 in association with Purdue Extension–Monroe County!

Ellettsville Branch Garden

The garden was created as part of the Branch’s 2019 renovation. The garden was funded in part by a grant from the Smithville Charitable Foundation to install raised garden beds and a bench and provide resources to begin gardening programming.

In the first growing season of 2019, four raised beds and a grow tower produced tomatoes, basil, squash, green peppers, and various micro greens! The produce was donated to Pantry 279, a local food pantry serving the Ellettsville community.

The garden was closed in 2020 due to the pandemic, but reopened in 2021 to produce a harvest of tomatoes and basil!

  Read more about Ellettsville Branch Awarded Gardening Grant

In her ten years at MCPL, Director Marilyn Wood led Library staff through many changes, accomplishments, and awards, but nothing quite as challenging as a global pandemic.

“The past two years were challenging and scary, but rewarding,” she said. “It was humbling to watch the community in their own personal struggles, as we worked to meet their needs in new ways. Our staff were ultimately very creative and dedicated and I’m really proud of how we pulled through.”

Marilyn is set to retire on May 6. At the top of her list of achievements is the planning and construction of the forthcoming Southwest Branch Library. Marilyn has led every step of the planning process from gathering initial community input to site acquisition and the building’s design. Read more about Retiring Director Remembers Ten Years of MCPL

This week, we’re celebrating the volunteers that support the Library’s mission, lending their time and talent to make a difference in our community! Dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers are essential to the success of the Library!

Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners (VITAL): Mary DePew, Volunteer

According to a recent survey of adult skills, 1 in 6 Americans struggles with basic literacy skills. Locally, 1 in 10 Monroe County residents speaks a language other than English at home. VITAL provides a safe and respectful learning environment for adults who want to improve their reading, writing, math, or English-language skills. VITAL’s volunteer tutors help adults in our community attain greater life success through literacy! Read more about April 17–23 is Volunteer Week

Every April, the world celebrates poetry! The month is a reminder that poets play an integral role in our culture and that poetry matters. To celebrate, we have a lot of opportunities to read, listen, connect, and create with poetry in a variety of ways.

“Poetry is humanity's oldest form of literature–it's both ancient and modern. If you don't like reading it, you can listen to it,” said Jack Kovaleski, Community Engagement Librarian. “If you don't like listening to it, you can write it! Give it a chance and it will surprise you.”

Poetry Listening Station

Poets write what Robert Frost called "the sound of sense." Poetry read aloud can bring the words to life, helping a poem resonate with the reader. Experience the sound of sense at our poetry listening station in The Commons on the second floor of the Downtown Library, beginning April 2! Read more about April is Poetry Month