Saturday, October 16 is Free RPG Day! During this nationwide event, gamers and publishers come together to celebrate adventure role-playing games by giving away free stuff. Here’s what we have to celebrate!

Tween Book Giveaway

Visit the Tween Space at the Downtown Library on October 16 to pick up a free copy of Trial of the Wolf Girls, a choose-your-own-adventure-style fantasy gamebook written by a local author. These will be available until supplies are gone! Read more about Free RPG Day: October 16

Energy Assistance Program

South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) is once again providing financial assistance with winter fuel/heating bills for households in Monroe County for the upcoming 2021–22 season.

The Energy Assistance Program (EAP) is an annual program that assists members of our community who have household incomes at or below 60% of the State Median Income. This program is available to Hoosiers renting and for those who own their home. You do not need to have fallen behind on your heating or electric bills to qualify.

The EAP offers a direct-pay benefit to a household's utility company, or a benefit in the form of a check from the State for those households whose utilities are included in rent.

Eligibility for the program is based on total household income. For program year 2021–22, income limits by family size are as follows: Read more about Energy and Water Assistance for Hoosiers

Books unite us. They reach across boundaries and build connections between readers. Censorship, on the other hand, divides us and creates barriers.

One of our most important goals here at the Library is to provide free and equitable access to information and resources. Among the many implications of that word––access––is the notion of freedom: you are free to read, watch, play, or listen to whatever interests you.

For nearly 40 years, the American Library Association and other organizations who are committed to preserving the tenet of intellectual freedom have promoted Banned Books Week in late September. Libraries around the world celebrate this annual event by hosting author visits and book talks, special programs and book displays, and other initiatives to promote awareness of the many literary works that are routinely challenged and censored. Read more about Banned Books Week: September 26–October 2

What is a High School Equivalency Credential?

In the United States, adults who leave high school before graduation have another way to secure a high school equivalency credential. Through testing, you can demonstrate you have the same skills and knowledge as a high school graduate.

The High School Equivalency (HSE) is a high school diploma alternative aligning to current Indiana high school academics, preparing you for continuing education or employment. The assessment is based on five subject areas: math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. Workers with this credential earn an average of $10,000 per year more than those without, helping them create a whole new future.  

  Read more about Indiana’s High School Equivalency Testing Changes

This summer we challenged you to read one-million minutes during Tails and Tales, our animal-themed summer reading games. Even better, the Friends of the Library Foundation pledged to donate $1,000 to the Monroe County Humane Association if that goal was achieved! Not only did you smash the goal in early July, but you kept on reading for a total of 1,894,485 minutes!

In celebration of all the tales you read (and tails you read about), the Friends presented a check to the Monroe County Humane Association, supporting animals in our community! The Friends also provided generous summer reading game prizes, books, and events to readers. Read more about Tales and Tails of Summer Reading