This brief is adapted from notes taken by Documenter Daniel Kent and Thomas Beeler, who covered the July Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees meeting. 📝 Read more about what happened.
Two local teachers expressed concerns about charter school recruitment at the July Indianapolis Public Library board meeting. Library staff also highlighted technology updates and classes.
Public comment
Local teachers commented about an unnamed charter school that was recruiting students at the Michigan Road library branch.
Corbin Havener, an Indianapolis Public Schools teacher, said it was inappropriate for the library to give space for charter schools to recruit, considering the library shared system, a book lending partnership with IPS.
Havener said public schools are already facing declining enrollment, state funding challenges, and competition from the expansion of charter schools in Indianapolis. Havener pushed for a policy change within the library to screen organizations that recruit and market in libraries.
Carla Schmidt, a special education teacher in Washington Township, said that she was shocked and disappointed to see a charter school actively recruiting at the Michigan Road branch. “This charter school is a private school with a board that is not elected or nominated by elected officials. The board members do not live in our neighborhood, and we do not want them in our neighborhood.”
Schmidt proposed that the library create rules for groups that recruit and market at different branches, like a community reference policy that requires organizations to collect signatures from community members before they can recruit in the library.
The board did not respond to public comment concerns or policy suggestions.
Tech resources
Karen Moore, digital inclusion team supervisor, shared a report on the tech learning team and the digital classes offered by the library. The team’s purpose is to offer tech resources and training.
Moore reported that 174 devices were checked out across 16 branches in 2024. This helped residents without internet access get online. Last year, people checked out hotspots more than 1,600 times.
Moore said digital inclusion is about more than devices and equipment, it requires affordable access and ongoing training. One of those training opportunities is the Northstar Digital Literacy platform. It helps users earn certifications and improve job skills. Nearly 500 residents used it last year, logging 1,200 hours of learning.
Looking ahead, Moore said that her team is developing an artificial intelligence literacy course for early 2026, expanding multilingual training, and virtual and augmented reality.
What’s next?
The next Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees meeting is 5:30 p.m. Aug. 25 at 4180 N. College Ave.
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