Digital Indy presents a brief look into the history of the Indianapolis Public Library and an in-depth history of the East 38th Street Branch Library.
Originally named the Emerson Branch because of its location, what is now known as the East 38th Street Branch was the 21st branch to open in The Indianapolis Public Library system. Even though the branch officially opened in 1957 its history began more than a decade before. Come learn about the history and people who have made this branch such a great place to visit.
The first library to serve the neighborhood opened in 1957 as the Emerson Branch. This frame house near East 38th Street and North Emerson Avenue soon became too small to meet the neighborhood's needs, leading to the construction of a 7,500-square-foot branch at the same location in 1962. The Emerson Branch closed its doors in 2003 when the current 16,000-square-foot library opened as the East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch.