With so many entertainment platforms, it’s easy to stack subscriptions and blow your budget. We’re here to help you save your hard earned cash! Put away your credit card, pull out your library card, and try some of our Library services.
Instead of Netflix, plan your movie nights with Kanopy, a high-quality video streaming service with over 30,000 films. Don’t miss Kanopy’s monthly themed collections as well!
Kerry Thomson, Mayor of the city of Bloomington, has declared October 19–25, 2025, Friends of Libraries Week in support of the Monroe County Public Library Foundation. Also known as the Friends of the Library, the Foundation advocates on behalf of the Monroe County Public Library’s (MCPL) collections, services, programs, and staff development.
The Monroe County Public Library and Musical Family Tree (MFT) are pleased to announce a shared partnership that will help preserve local music for ongoing enjoyment by the Monroe County community.
To our patrons, neighbors, and friends throughout Monroe County:
On behalf of the Monroe County Public Library, its staff, and its Board of Trustees, I want to draw your attention to a development of great significance to MCPL and to libraries across the country.
Approximately 86% of people reportedly start their period in public without the supplies they need.* The Library has selected the vendor Aunt Flow to bring free period products to patrons to help address period poverty, equity, and inclusivity within the community.
We believe that period products should be freely available and accessible to increase the wellbeing and comfort of all patrons. Many libraries and other public spaces are currently participating in this initiative, and MCPL is excited to continue these efforts in Monroe County.
We are so fortunate to have volunteers who contribute their time, talent, and energy to the Library! Today, we celebrate two volunteers who go above and beyond—Ann Bunger and Sylvia McNair, 2023 recipients of the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network Be More Awards!
After rediscovering pieces of writing from her daughter, Ariel, during her time as a student at University Elementary School in Bloomington, Amanda Ray shipped a box of various childhood gems—including an award winning piece that had been published locally in the The Herald-Times in 1995—all the way to Ariel’s new home in Maryland. She was hoping that Ariel would be able to share the pieces with her young children to inspire them to write stories of their own, “because readers inspire reading and writers inspire writing,” said Amanda.
The first Great MCPL Kid’s Bake Off is a wrap! We challenged 17 children to make their best book-inspired dessert. The catch? They had to include a mystery ingredient–beet root powder!
Each participant received a kit that included measuring spoons, beet root powder, some suggestions for baking books, and a copy of The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists: Good Science Makes Great Food: 70+ Recipes, Experiments, & Activities to keep.
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.
Have you heard of our Tween Space? The Tween Space at the Downtown Library is a place where kids ages 7–12 can hang out, explore crafts and other activities, enjoy pop-up programs, work on homework, or play!
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