The Fishers and Noblesville Libraries Celebrate Summer!
Writer / Kara Reibel
Ideas live here. This is part of the new branding that the Hamilton East Public Libraries (HEPL) is now promoting. In addition to ideas, what also lives here are discoveries, innovation and connections.
And thanks to a new website, the online content, databases and information about library events are now easier than ever to access because fun summer events live here too.
“Every Hero Has a Story” is the theme of the summer reading program. From June 1 through July 31, all ages are welcome to participate and are eligible for prizes. Participation is truly open for all ages, including infants, children, teens and adults.
“With school out for the summer and with the summers being shortened for kids, we get geared up with a full calendar of events during their summer break,” says Cheryl Jurgens, Community Relations and Marketing Manager of HEPL.
A few of these include:
• Designing graphic art and comics (July 9 and 15 at the Noblesville Library)
• The Science of Superman (July 2 at the Fishers Library and July 13 at the Noblesville Library) with Professor Steve (who does everything Superman can do, learn the science behind it)
• The Magic of Books with magician Marcus Layman (he uses his magic charm to amuse and delight June 15 at Noblesville Library)
• Super Hero Finale on July 31 to wrap up the summer reading program with hometown heroes (each library will have their own celebration that day).
There are special programs daily for toddlers, adults and teens. There are bunny hops, story times, Percy Jackson After Hours Camps, math clubs, teen art, fly fishing and many, many more scheduled activities on the HEPL docket.
“We have several annual events that are popular, such as Star Wars Days, leading up to May 4, and in October, we have Octoboo and Booktober Fest, our local author fair,” says Jurgens.
On July 9, Abraham Lincoln biographer Dr. Brian R. Dirck will be a guest speaker. Dirck has written several books on President Lincoln to high acclaim.
“Besides our busy events calendar, we have lots of nice changes going on,” says Jurgens. “Of course our website is a big one, and it is now mobile-friendly, so its fully accessible on any device. We have gotten lots of positive feedback on it. We are also looking at ways to adapt our current spaces to accommodate how kids study and people use the libraries.”
The new and improved website was launched in April during National Library Week. It’s easier to navigate, and the site overhaul was a success, thanks to Iconic Digital and Reborn Code out of Launch Fishers.
Virtual visits from authors via Skype make it easier to schedule author events. Recently, local author Barbara Shoup spoke of her new book, “Searching for Jack Kerouac,” and this fall, Diana Gabaldon (August 15), Tess Gerritsen (September 24) and Debbie Macomber (September 30) will be featured. Author Dan Wakefield will be speaking at the Booktober Fest on the new edition of “Under The Apple Tree;” it has a new preface by Richard Lingeman.
Book clubs are another popular feature of the Noblesville and Fishers libraries. There are several to select from; the times, locations and details are on the website. “It’s fun because a lot of these groups go off site to local brew pubs or restaurants and are all about connecting with the community,” says Jurgens. New members are always welcome.
The HEPL is committed to making continual improvements to keep the library relevant.
“We are continually looking at how we use our spaces,” shares Jurgens. “The last remodel and expansion was 10 years ago, and since then, the way teens use the library has changed, so we are too by adding docking stations for iPads and other devices. We are adapting for the times and changing to accommodate the evolving needs of our patrons.”
Online, there are a lot of different databases and information available such as free music downloads and movies, small business databases and the online lending catalog. Now with the new site, these features are easier to access.
“Working on the HEPL website was a real treat,” says Iconic Digital Co-Founder Jason Hutcheson. “The library leadership team is a progressive group that embraces change and is looking to continuously improve the product they are delivering to the community. They have so much to offer.
“The challenge was exposing the vast amount of resources while creating an online destination that looks great, connects to the community and is easy to navigate. HEPL had a strategic vision, and we are proud to have played a role in creating a new logo, tagline and website that supports their efforts. I’m really excited about how it turned out.”
Given their fresh online face, improved access to the online catalog and other useful services are now more readily available.
With all that is going on at your local library, you owe it to yourself to check it out! (Pun intended!)
For more information on events and services, visit hepl.lib.in.us.
