The Eagle Branch Library is part of the Indianapolis Public Library system. I had the opportunity to return to the branch recently as part of a nostalgia tour. I grew up on this side of town and Eagle was our "go to" branch in its previous location.

In terms of history, Eagle is relatively young having only originated in 1960 as a storefront branch at 30th and Lafayette Road. In 1970, a free-standing building was built on Lowry Road (right about 34th and Georgetown). This building had right around 12,000-square feet. On June 1, 2019, Eagle moved into its current space - a 20,000-square foot building at 3905 Moller Road (actually MUCH closer to where I grew up at 43rd and Moller).

This area is very residential, though businesses are close by. It's sort of on the edge of International Marketplace and I believe it's just inside Pike Township.

Amenities include:

Internet Access
Public computers with Microsoft Office
Early learning computer stations
Free Wi-Fi
Meeting Space
Meeting rooms available for public reservation
Study Rooms
Study rooms available for public reservation
Accessible Workstation
Learn more about what the workstation includes
Bike Rack
Self-Services
Checkout
Color printer
Color copy machine
Document scanner
Mobile printing services
Outgoing Fax
Exam Proctoring
Drive-up and walk-up book return

In terms of nostalgia, I have to admit I miss the Lowry Road location. However, there's no denying this one's a definite step up in terms of quality and comfort. Accessibility is strong here with good parking and restrooms and aisle width (for the most part, a couple exceptions). As one other reviewer noted, there are EV charging stations here (paid).

I like the staff here. This is a very diverse area - ethnically and economically. I credit my embrace of diversity to having grown up in this area and having gone to Pike (which is even more diverse now than it was when I was there).

I wouldn't say this is my favorite branch, however, it's a warm and friendly location with good staff, great selection, familiar amenities, and a neighborhood with a lot nearby. It's a quiet little gem of a branch and when I'm feeling nostalgic I stop by and visit here, the apartment where I grew up, and some other old stomping grounds including my high school!

Despite the fact that I live relatively close to the College Avenue Branch Library, I seldom get this way unless I happen to be on the Monon Trail that exists a block or two away. I've done a few of my Tenderness Tour events on the trail and this library has been a place where I can stop for a break, rest, use a restroom, and actually be safe (Yes, 42nd and College is for the most part fine. It's also across the street from a police substation.

The College Avenue branch was initially established in 1924 as the Broadway branch and operated out of a frame home on East 42nd Street until 1958. At that time, a 6,500-square foot facility opened on Broadway. In 2000, the current 16,000-square foot branch was opened and renamed the College Avenue branch.

As is nearly always true for IPL branches, accessibility is solid here with accessible parking, automatic doors, a solidly accessible restroom (despite the age of the building), and generally good aisles.

Amenities include free wifi, public computers with Microsoft Office, early learning computer stations, meeting spaces, an accessible workstation, self-service check-out, color printer, color copy machine, a document scanner, mobile printing, a bike rack, outgoing fax, exam proctoring, a walk-up and drive-up book return, and a seed library (March-October only).

They are closed Sundays (I'll admit I always find this weird). I always like the staff here. They've never flinched when I wheel in from the Monon - I'm always tired and a bit dirty, however, I still feel very welcome here.

As I noted, there's a police station across the street and a fire station across from that. I very briefly had an office across the street and always enjoyed this area, though there's not much else in the way of amenities for this neighborhood until you get up to 46th Street or if you go south to 38th.

This library is almost what I'd call your typical IPL branch. It's a bit older, however, it's still comfortable and clean and serves this residential area well. Because this is a residential area, children are here a lot and they host lots of children's activities. While this isn't my "go-to" branch, it's a branch I always enjoy when I get to visit.

I was fortunate to be able to catch the soft opening of Second Treasures, a thrift store opening up on a part-time schedule as part of Second Presbyterian Church's missions program.

Second Treasures will be open about 10 hours a week with a particularly focus on supporting the needs of its Washington Township neighbors. It's patterned after the church's popular Bazaar and Clothing Sale and will support the work of the church's Women's Ministry. A good majority of the items are donated by church members and will be staffed by volunteers from the church.

It's located at the North end of Second's Mission Suite (outside the Northside Food Pantry).

The thrift store is opening to the public on Tuesday, April 23rd, and will be open on Tuesdays (12-3pm), Wednesdays (3:30-6:30pm), and Saturdays (9:30am-12:30pm).

I was pleased with the items available and the prices at which they were marked. Clothing, of course, is quite popular here and there are items for men, women, children, etc. While you won't mistake this non-profit, church-based thrift store for one of the behemoths in terms of selection, this is a really cool idea for a great cause.

Today's soft opening/open house was a great chance to get a feel for everything to be offered and how it all will work.

Cash and credit cards are accepted. In terms of accessibility, there's plenty of accessible parking and doorways are pretty decent. This is on the first floor and accessibility should not be an issue.

5-stars might be a tad generous given the simplicity of the project, however, I'm always a fan of true non-profit, mission-based efforts and I'm anxious to see this one grow and truly support the Washington Township area.

For over 20 years, the Glendale Branch Library existed in what had been Glendale Mall and eventually became Glendale Town Center.

It was a novelty really. They were the nation's first library branch to actually be opened inside a shopping mall.

Let's be honest. It got old. Glendale Town Center changed dramatically and the library branch existed in an older part of the building that wasn't particularly kept up well. It was on the second floor - and while there was an elevator, it just kind of lost that comfortable feeling you want a library to have. It was spacious. It had some great features, but what had once offered obvious foot track was now a bit out of the way.

A couple years ago, Indy Library announced that this branch would be leaving this shopping center and moving into a free-standing building being built on the site of the former John Strange Elementary on East 62nd. It's a solidly residential area only a few blocks from Glendale, yet it feels like a world of difference.

I went by briefly on opening day, however, it was overly packed and I'm not a crowd person. So, I returned today with the crowd having died down a bit to check it out for myself.

Oh my. It's definitely become an upper-tier branch. The building is newly built, of course, and it's a behemoth at 24,800-square feet. It doesn't look that big on the outside, but once you go in you're just kind of in awe of the fact that you can actually go to parts of the library and feel disconnected from others. There's a quiet reading room that's actually quiet. There's a comfort room for those with sensitivity issues. There's a nice-sized meeting room you can reserve. There's a hearing loop in the community room, study rooms, an actual outdoor reading porch area, and a beautifully done children's area that even sparked my imagination with some light play equipment and a couple of murals that were dazzling. Kids have room to wander without stumbling over each other - yet, it's an open concept and also feels very safe.

There's both a walk-up and drive-up book return (I did love the drive-up book return at the Town Center). There's all the usual perks - internet access, public computers with Microsoft Office, early learning computer stations, self-service checkout, color printer, color copy machine, a document scanner, mobile printing, outgoing fax, exam proctoring, a bike rack, assistive technology, a seed library, and there's some obvious significant effort to be disability friendly (this branch is VERY close to a day service for folks with intellectual/developmental disabilities and is obviously welcoming to those with disabilities - I did find a couple of the aisles a tad narrow for wheelchair users, however, most are wonderful and they have power doors).

There's accessible parking, of course, along with parking for families with small children.

This branch is designed for LEED Gold Certification and emphasizes sustainability. The building has solar panels on the roof and generates enough energy to cover 71% of the branch's energy costs.

Glendale Branch also now has the second-largest collection of physical materials in the Indianapolis public library system (Central Library is first, of course). Glendale carries titles in Spanish, French, Korean, and even Braille!

I was honestly so comfortable here - I think the librarians were enjoying how much I was enjoying the branch. They do also have vending machines by the restrooms.

This branch is beautiful, open, comfortable, nicely resourced, and it seemed like even the librarians had a better spirit (I love the Glendale branch librarians - it is my home branch, however, this has to be a more pleasant work atmosphere).

There's so much to love here. This far surpasses what I was hoping for and I look forward to visiting often.