The Fishers Public Library is one of Indiana’s most underutilized organizations. While many people still associate the library with rows and rows of paperbacks and encyclopedias, today’s library offers so much more. From classes to digital media, it’s all under one roof. So don’t miss out. Take advantage of all the free, family-friendly services your community library has to offer with these expert tips.
Check Out E-Books and Readers
“Sony Reader” licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr by Sutherland Shire Libraries
With a free library card from Hamilton East Public Library on Municipal Drive, everyone in the family can access multiple digital media files with e-books. There are loads of titles for new readers and teens to adults, plus you can borrow a device if you don’t already have one.
Kids can use databases apps like BookFlix to access classic video storybooks or download nonfiction e-books from Scholastic. Teens will continue to build a love of learning with Hoopla. In addition to e-books, they can stream movies, TV shows, comics, and music. The staff at the Fishers library didn’t forget about mom and dad, either. Parents can also take advantage of free downloadable content with apps like:
- Google Books.
- Project Gutenberg.
- TrueFlix.
- OverDrive.
- LibriVox.
- Libby.
- EBSCOhost.
Enroll in a Class or Club
From after-school enrichment programs to adult hobbies, your local library has it all. Young learners can discover the Seven Wonders of the World or explore S.T.E.M. topics like glow-in-the-dark fun. Mom and dad can uncover your family’s early American ancestors in the virtual genealogy roundup.
The calendar at your local branch includes some recurring events that may interest you and the kiddos. From arts and crafts courses to song and dance programs for children as young as preschoolers, you’ll want to sign up for a class or club, such as:
- Fishers Babytime (ages 0-24 months).
- Fishers Lego Challenge (K through fifth grade).
- Early Readers book club (K through third).
- Rainbow Reads book club (teens).
- Belle Musique (adults).
- Pre-K Explorers with Ms. Donna (ages 3 to 5 years).
Catch Up on Your Homework
Whether your high school student is cramming for a big final or you’re taking night classes to earn your degree, the library is the perfect place to study. You might find that you and your children are more productive in this enriching environment. Take advantage of a ton of perks you might not find at home in the Homework Hub, including:
- A quiet place to concentrate, free from distractions like the TV or siblings.
- A slew of invaluable resources, from magazine articles, reference materials, and your librarian.
- State-of-the-art technology, like computers, printers, scanners, and fax machines.
- Tutoring services on subjects like math, geography, English, and finance.
Take Advantage of Numerous Services
Everyone in Fishers knows that the library is the place for books, although not everyone knows about this repository’s long list of services. Cash in on a variety of free opportunities like:
- Tax preparation services by AARP Tax-Aide.
- Contact-free, curbside pickup appointments.
- Reservable meeting rooms and computer training classrooms for large groups.
- Available first-come, first-served study rooms for small groups.
- “My Next Book” personalized reading suggestions sent right to your inbox.
Ignite Your Sense of Creativity
Explore old ideas and come up with a few new ones at the library. Guests 16 years or older will discover unique ways to explore your creative processes here. Everyone can learn to be a maker with the Ignite Studio program, no matter how old you are or your crafting experience.
Within the walls of your Hamilton East Public Library, you’ll learn new ways to think about yourself and the world around you, connect with the creative members of your community, and empower yourself to think differently through the Ignite Studio’s stellar making opportunities. First, library members must complete free certification courses, then you can reserve time with equipment, like:
- Fabrication Lab: Make your next professional-quality project with two 3D printers, a laser engraver, a vinyl cutter, and a heat press clamshell machine.
- Maker kits: These fully stocked kits provide the tools you need for various activities, including sewing machines, pottery wheels, Cricut machines, and various power tools.
- Ignite studio: This space is the zone for creativity with a messy spot for mediums like paints and clay and a clean place to make something beautiful from paper or fabric.
- A.V. studio: With high-tech audio/video production equipment like a mixing console, microphones, cameras, lighting equipment, and a green screen, you can record your next blockbuster project.
- Digital media lab: Hop on to one of this branch’s four 27-inch iMacs, each loaded with Adobe Creative Cloud suite, and bring your creative projects to life.
- Maker-in-Residence: The library dedicated this studio space to professional and emerging artists. People exhibit their work, educate guests, and demonstrate their creative processes.
Give Back to Your Community
The best way to give back to your Fisher’s community is to volunteer, and your library is the first step to pursuing your family’s charitable spirit. Teens can make this branch a better place by joining The Teen Advisory Board. Meetings are held once a month, and volunteers between grades 6 and 12 will meet new friends, make decisions about library programming, and earn credit hours by:
- Attending meetings.
- Writing blogs.
- Recommending books for Young Adult Library Services Association’s (Y.A.L.S.A.) teen’s choice list.
- Help out at the library’s annual community outreach events, like the Fall Festival.
Teens aren’t the only ones in the family who can make a difference at your library. This outstanding organization invites parents to support the nonprofit Friends of the Library program. This board of dedicated community activists helps raise funds for the library’s expanding interactive programs like Mr. Daniel’s popular monthly music program for preschoolers.
These are just a few of the many benefits of joining your local Indiana library. Is your family taking advantage of all of its many free benefits? We want to know what you love about the Fishers branch. Drop us a line. We’ll share your ideas with other Crème de la Crème families like yours.