As part of a cultural renaissance in Indianapolis, city officials developed Plan 2020, a map for neighborhood revitalization. The entire community was challenged to innovate and energize neighborhoods. With private donors, the Library developed a strategy to expand access to reading materials both geographically and intellectually. Educational research supports integration of reading and the arts as a successful way for people to engage in creative thinking. So, the Library created tiny libraries in art installations and placed them where people gather, to emphasize the value of literacy beyond our buildings and foster a deeper appreciation for the arts.

Commissioned local artists created the works and installed them in strategic locations where library deserts exist: at a homeless shelter, children’s day care, health center, City Market, Museum of Art, a State Park, on the Cultural Trail, and Monument Circle in the center of Indianapolis. Staff members voluntarily adopt a tiny library and are responsible for its care. Any passersby can borrow and return books at their leisure with no cost, providing a barrier-free library experience. Children climb on and adults enjoy the integration of books into these art sculptures and spend extended time periods enjoying the experience.

In the first six months, nearly 15,000 books were selected from nine installations. As an added benefit, these eco-friendly sites use recycled books for new readers to discover. Each site represents a reading oasis in areas designated as library deserts. Staff members have become loving caretakers and ensure that each installation holds a variety of books for diverse audiences and age groups. Library promotional materials placed in each book point the user to our larger locations. Local media has designated these tiny libraries as “an exciting and valuable departure from traditional library service.” New installations are planned for 2017.