Indy Standard

In the fall of 2024, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) will see eight additional schools included in the Indianapolis Public Library’s Shared System, enhancing students’ access to both physical and digital resources in the classroom.

The Shared System is an interlibrary collaboration that includes The Indianapolis Public Library, 73 schools, and five special libraries, including three museums. This system allows participating schools to function as branches of The Library, enabling students to use The Indianapolis Public Library’s catalog to request books, DVDs, and CDs from The Indianapolis Public Library or other Shared System libraries, which are then delivered to their school libraries. Students also gain access to their own library’s collection and more than two million additional Indianapolis Public Library books, resources, and databases.

The IPS schools entering the Shared System are:

- Anna Brochhausen School 88

- Benjamin Harrison School 2

- Charity Dye School 27

- Joseph J. Bingham School 84

- Crispus Attucks High School

- James Whitcomb Riley School 43

- George Washington High School

- Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School

“Thirty-four IPS schools are a part of our shared system,” said Gregory Hill, CEO of The Indianapolis Public Library. “The Indianapolis Public Library and Indianapolis Public Schools share a common mission and a long history of providing educational resources to the Indianapolis community. Welcoming more schools into our Shared System means that more students will benefit from the city’s public educational resources.”

“Joining the Shared System is a game changer for our students in the truest sense of the word,” Joe Troyer, IPS district media coordinator, said. “Our students’ access to engaging and exciting books is increasing from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands. Shared System membership is critical to the Indianapolis Public Library’s and IPS’s shared goal to instill a love of reading and lifelong readership.”