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About the Library
location : Jennings County Public library, which serves a population of approximately 27,000 people, is located on State Hwy 3 North in North Vernon, Indiana, about 65 miles southeast of Indianapolis. It is about 3/10 mile north of the junction of State Hwys 3 and 7 on the left side of Hwy 3. Look for the Jennings County Plaza Sign and the Library sign on the highway. Turn left into the plaza and then make a right turn into the library driveway.
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directions :
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Computers and Internet access are available to patrons. A patron must agree to follow current policies concerning computer use. Besides the book collections, the library has a video collection with both dramas and documentaries. The audio section has fiction and non-fiction audiocassettes and CDS and music CDs. Magazines are kept for three years. According to visitors to the genealogy room, the genealogy collection is considered an excellent collection. The library has 33,792 square feet of room with a total book capacity of 136,000 volumes. Sixteen thousand square feet are currently being used for the book stacks, public seating, and computers. The public areas consist of the main room, a genealogy/local history room and a children's room and activity room. In addition, there are three separate conference rooms which can be opened into one big room with a total capacity of 300 people. Smaller rooms are available for meetings of two to twenty people. A learning center houses a computer lab and the literacy and distance education programs.
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history :
The library was dedicated on April 20, 1997.
It is located on an eight-acre site which has been landscaped with
attractive gardens and footpaths.
We moved from the Carnegie library building located at 143 E. Walnut St. in downtown North Vernon. It was dedicated in April of 1920 and continually used as the Jennings County Public Library until March of 1997 when the library moved to the new building. The Carnegie building was transferred to the county for office space in 1998. A Chronicle of Library Service in Jennings County Jennings County holds the distinction of being the first county in the United States to legislate for free county library service. In 1813, Colonel John Vawter, who plotted the town of Vernon, provided that ten percent of the sales from all town lots be set aside for the maintenance of a free public library for the County of Jennings. The first record found of library service in Jennings County is in the Biennel Report of the State of Indiana, 1908-1910, which states that Jennings County had eight traveling libraries. The first meeting of a legally authorized library board was August 17, 1917. In less than three years they were able to open the doors of the library to the public. The Carnegie Foundation gave the county $20,000 for the building and equipment. Through the years reading stations were established out in the community, and the county became known as "The Reading County" of Indiana. Changes came in the usage of space in the library. In 1966 the basement, which was originally a meeting room, became a children's room. In one corner of this room genealogy and local history collections were established into a Heritage Room, a section known as "Around the Corner." A bookmobile service, called Jennie, was implemented in 1970 but discontinued in the early 1980's. An addition to the library was completed in 1975 which gave the library a street level entrance, as well as the original Carnegie entrance. The children's collection was moved back upstairs, and the all the adult collections were located in the lower level. An effort was made to build a new building in 1981-1982, but the bond petition failed. A new building program was started in 1995. The bond issue passed without a single remonstrance signature. The new library with 33,972 sq.ft. was completed in February 1997 and officially open on March 3, 1997. It was dedicated on April 20, 1997.
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library board and staff :
Library Board of Trustees
Mary Hougland, Director
Staff
Library Outreach
Contract Services
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Webmaster Ilah Allsop.
Last updated 4/27/08.
