History

Indiana Room Helps Rediscover Lost Treasures

Black and white scan of an illustration of an open book with stars, a butterfly, balloons, and a rainbow. Illustrated text reads "Discover a great book at the MCPL!" by Amy Heeter, Binford 5th

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.

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Submitted by Brenna L. on Wed, 2023-03-22 14:51

Local & Family History

Local Interest

Think Library

MCPL Digital Collection Launches

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.

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Submitted by Aubrey D. on Thu, 2022-06-02 15:10

Local & Family History

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read

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Mary, born into slavery in 1868, loved watching the birds fly free in the sky while she worked in the fields. She wanted to be free too! But she had to keep working. No time for rest. No time to learn. Even when Mary and her family were freed from slavery she still had to work hard.

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Submitted by Ginny H. on Mon, 2022-05-16 15:27

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read

Cub

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Seventh grader, Cindy Copeland does not fit in with the other kids in her class. Several kids bully her because her clothes are old fashioned and unlike the other kids, she loves school! Cindy’s favorite thing to do is writing, so when her teacher offers to pair her with a local newspaper journalist, she jumps at the chance to become a cub reporter! As Cindy experiences life as a young reporter, she makes new friends and learns that she is in charge of writing her own story!

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Submitted by Ginny H. on Tue, 2021-07-20 16:50

Graphic Novels & Manga

Scritch Scratch

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This spooky novel follows Claire, an interested-in-science-doesn’t-believe-in-the-paranormal-thank-you-very-much middle schooler who has a pretty typical life. She doesn’t always get along with her brother and her friend group is having some growing pains since her best friend is now hanging out with a new girl. Her parents would be normal if it wasn’t for her dad’s job which is a tour guide for a Chicago Ghost bus touring company. Claire can usually ignore that, but one night she gets pulled into helping her dad on the tour and a ghost follows her home, haunting her.

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Submitted by Ginny H. on Fri, 2021-03-12 09:48

Get to Know Your Family!

For many of us, connecting with friends and family has been especially challenging this year. If you’re unable to spend time with loved ones in person this holiday season, here are some tools to help you connect with them online!

To access these resources you’ll need your library card number and password. If you’re not sure where to find that information, visit our eLibrary access guide to get started.

Ancestry.com

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Submitted by Aubrey D. on Tue, 2020-12-01 09:39

Holidays & Cultural Celebrations

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Lifelong Learning

Local & Family History

Local Interest

Think Library

Adults

Staff Picks: Ghost Boys

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Ghost Boys, by Jewell Parker Rhodes, follows 12 year old Jerome who lives in a poor neighborhood in Chicago, is the oldest child in a hardworking Black family, gets bullied at school constantly, and is shot and killed by a police officer while playing with a toy gun. As both his own family and the family of the police officer who shot him fall apart, Jerome watches on and grapples with his own feelings.

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Submitted by Ginny H. on Mon, 2020-04-27 10:15

Staff Picks: What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? by Chris Barton

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Reviewed by Alejandria G.

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Submitted by Alejandria G. on Thu, 2019-03-14 18:00

What Do You Do With a Voice Like That?: The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan

Staff Picks: Step Right Up by Donna Janell Bowman

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Reviewed by Christina J.

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Submitted by Alejandria G. on Tue, 2019-02-19 12:50

Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness

Staff Picks: Dactyl Hill Squad

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Reviewed by Ellen A.

Welcome to 1863 New York City, where dinosaurs roam the streets! Magdalys Roca and her fellow orphan friends are enjoying a field trip in the city when riots break out and a few of their group are kidnapped. It's up to Magdalys and the Dactyl Hill Squad to rescue their missing friends and defeat the evil magistrate, Riker.