Join us in celebrating 130 years of stories, learning, and connection. Share your favorite library memory in the comments and let’s honor the past while looking forward to an even brighter future!
In late 2023, the Allen County Public Library shared its strategic, four-year plan. We learn what that means for the future of the library, including how they're updating their technology and adding positions to better serve the community.
Today we are celebrating our 125th birthday. When we first opened our doors in 1895, ACPL was a single room in City Hall with 3,606 books. We've since grown to 14 locations across Allen County, housing a collection of millions of items and hosting over 8,000 free programs every year.
Over the past 125 years, we've delivered books on horseback, organized rallies to support our troops, transitioned from handwritten card catalogs to full digital databases, and offered every music format from phonograph records to online streaming.
As we begin this new chapter, we would like to thank our community for your endless support. We thank our volunteers and community partners who see the value in what we do and contribute their valuable skills, time, and, donations. We thank our brilliant staff for their passion and dedication to serving their communities.
Fort Wayne’s first public library was formed as a reading room by Allen Hamilton’s wife Emerine in 1887 on West Wayne Street which then became a circulating library where you could actually check out books in 1889.
The precursor to today’s Allen County Public Library system had several homes downtown until — as a result of a $90,000 gift from industrialist Andrew Carnegie — the above pictured Indiana Bedford Limestone Grecian-style building was completed in January 1904. Three years earlier, 1901 Carnegie had sold his Pittsburgh based Carnegie Steel to J. P. Morgan for the then munificent sum of $480M. The resulting company became U. S. Steel Corp. and Carnegie devoted the rest of his life to philanthropic activities, including funding the construction of over 2,500 libraries around the world with more than 1,600 of them in the United States, 164 of which were built in Indiana (more than any other state). By the time of his death in 1919 he had cheerfully given away nearly 90% of his wealth.
In the ensuing 60 years, Fort Wayne’s main library long outgrew its home on West Wayne at Webster streets. The old library, meant to serve 40,000 patrons, was servicing 230,000 Allen County residents by the 1960s. The Carnegie library was razed in August of 1965 with the new modern main library being completed at that same location in 1968. During this period, a temporary library was set up in the old Purdue Center Building on Barr Street (previously the Catholic Community Center). It is interesting to note that Old Crown and Falstaff Brewing together donated 9,000 cardboard beer cases for use in packing and transporting the books from Barr Street to their new home on Webster. The new library has since been expanded several times with its latest impressive incarnation completed in 2007.
(Image courtesy of ACPL)
Randy Harter is a Fort Wayne historian and author of two books on local history.
It’s National Library Week. As a nationally recognized institution, the Allen County Public Library has been integral to the development, education, and entertainment of local residents for over one-hundred and twenty years. The public library system in Fort Wayne began in 1895 with the founding of the Fort Wayne Public Library. This initial library system was housed in City Hall (today the History Center) until 1898 when the Brackenridge Home was purchased as a new location. By 1904, the Fort Wayne Public Library was able to open a Carnegie-funded building which served as its main location until 1968. In 1923, the library system expanded outward to the entire county, becoming the Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County. In 1980, the library was renamed the Allen County Public Library. The main library we know today was granted bond financing of $84 million by the county taxpayers in 2001 for renovations and additions. These additions were completed in 2007. Today, the Allen County Public Library has fourteen branches throughout Fort Wayne and Allen County. #sociallyhistory
Timeline
1895 – Library opened in City Hall on January 28 with 3,606 volumes.
1898 – Library Board purchased the Brackenridge Home at Wayne Street and Webster Street for $14,000.
1904 – Carnegie-funded library building opened after he gave the city $90,000 to build it. It was designed by Alfred Grindle of Fort Wayne. From comments by Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and author.
1923 – Service to county residents began. Fort Wayne Public Library became Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County.
1944 – Main Library expansion began with purchase of Hollywood Building on Washington Boulevard to house administrative offices.
1952 – Young Adult Department opened in basement of main library, the first such department in the country.
1968 – 173,500-square-foot (16,120 m2) building at Wayne and Webster Streets was dedicated August 21, 1968.
1977 – Construction of the new addition to the Main Library began.
1980 – Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County officially became Allen County Public Library by act of the state legislature on January 1.
1985 – Estimated 5,500 people ate 2,731 pizzas during system's 90th birthday celebration.
1997 – Library Board and staff began system-wide space needs analysis for all library facilities.
2001 – Allen County taxpayers approved bond financing of the $84 million library expansion project.
2007 – Renovation and expansion of main library nears completion. Grand opening held on January 27, 2007, with Randall T. Shepard, Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, among the speakers. Copied from Allen County Public Library on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
We extend our congratulations to Curt Witcher, our Director of Special Collections, who has been honored with the "I Love My Librarian Award!" Library users from across the nation were invited to acknowledge the achievements of exceptional librarians, resulting in nearly 1,400 submissions highlighting their outstanding contributions. The 10 distinguished honorees for 2024 were selected for their remarkable public service accomplishments.
Curt's impact extends beyond our library's walls; he has supported the establishment of local genealogy societies, collaborated with FamilySearch and the Internet Archive to enhance online accessibility to public domain sections of our collection, and so much more!
Congratulations to our own Curt Witcher for winning the "I Love My Librarian Award!"
Library users from all over the country were invited to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional librarians. Nearly 1,400 library users submitted stories highlighting how their librarians have gone above and beyond in their communities. The 10 honorees for 2024 were selected for their outstanding public service accomplishments.
Fort Wayne draws thousands of visitors each year thanks to the genealogy expertise of ACPL’s Curt Witcher. His decades of work in African American and Jewish genealogy, Native American research, and more have helped cultivate one of the largest genealogy collections in the country and positioned it as an international destination for researchers.
Curt has supported the founding of other local genealogy societies, forged partnerships with FamilySearch and the Internet Archive to make public domain portions of the center’s collection accessible online, and collaborated with an Indiana Tech professor to build a literature and genealogy course.
Congratulations, Curt, on this well-deserved award!
We're so excited to announce this year's recipients of the #ILoveMyLibrarian Award! Congratulations to these 10 outstanding librarians. Thank you for going above and beyond to make your communities strong. Learn more: 2024 Honorees
🎉 Join us for a live broadcast tonight as our own Curt Witcher accepts the "I Love My Librarian" award. The ceremony kicks off at 6 pm and will be available for streaming on the American Library Association’s YouTube channel. 📚🏆 Don't miss this exciting moment!🔗
Link to the live stream:
The 2024 I Love My Librarian Award nominees have been recognized for their exceptional public service achievements. Curt Witcher's profound expertise in genealogy, particularly in African American, Jewish, and Native American research, has turned Fort Wayne into a genealogy hub, drawing thousands of visitors annually. His decades of dedication have contributed to establishing one of the country's largest genealogy collections, making it an international destination for researchers.
Congratulations, Curt, on this well-deserved honor! 🏅
The I Love My Librarian Award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarians. Each year 10 librarians are selected by leaders from the library community to receive a plaque and $5,000 cash award. This event will showcase the accomplishments of this year's amazing award winners. Learn more and meet the 2024 honorees: Congratulations to the 2024 recipients of the I Love My Librarian Award!
Congratulations to the ACPL's Curt Witcher, recipient of the Distinguished Hoosier Award. The award was presented by ACPL Executive Director, Susan Baier at the recent meeting of the Library Board of Trustees.
This is honor has been awarded by Indiana governors for over 50 years to celebrate exceptional Indiana residents. This award is meant for those who distinguish themselves by significant contributions to their communities, and whose qualities and actions endear them in the hearts and minds of Hoosiers.
Visits and borrowing at the Allen County Public Library increased last year, and the library had more registered users, internet users and program attendees than in 2021, according to a new report.
Happy #WaybackWednesday! In celebration of #NationalLibraryWeek, we're taking a stroll down memory lane with snapshots from our Shawnee, Monroeville, and Woodburn branches over the years, along with a glimpse back into our very own Genealogy Center! Let's reminisce together! #librarylove
Did you know that the Genealogy Center adds over 500 items to our collection every month?! Check out one of our latest additions: "The Fabric of Civil War Society: Uniforms, Badges, and Flags 1859-1939."
Shae Smith Cox examines the material culture of America’s bloodiest conflict, offering a deeper understanding of the war and its commemoration.
Happy 130th Anniversary to the Allen County Public Library! 
The award was presented by ACPL Executive Director, Susan Baier at the recent meeting of the Library Board of Trustees.
This is honor has been awarded by Indiana governors for over 50 years to celebrate exceptional Indiana residents. This award is meant for those who distinguish themselves by significant contributions to their communities, and whose qualities and actions endear them in the hearts and minds of Hoosiers.
Way to go, Curt!
Let's reminisce together! 
