A South Bend Library, Renamed for a County

1873 – present

The system behind the branch began as a South Bend reading room in 1873, opened as the South Bend Public Library in 1889, and took the county's name in 1990 — a rename this article keeps separate from the county-wide service it never made. The founding line stands on the system's own history page: in 1873 "a public reading room, full of donated books, opened on Michigan Street, thanks to the South Bend Library and Reading Room Association" (a South Bend Michigan Street — not Lakeville's); in 1888 the South Bend Board of Education resolved to establish a public library; in 1889 the South Bend Public Library opened on the fourth floor of the Oliver Opera House, with Evelyn Humphreys its first Head Librarian, serving until 1903 (one weaker carrier spells her Humphries; the system's spelling governs, the variant registered). Main Library's own course at summary size: the Castle built at 304 S. Main St in 1896 on Board of Education land — "South Bend's Pride" — demolished 1958; the Betty Ruth Spiro Memorial Library in 1960; a new Main dedicated in 1992 on the same site in the rename years; the renovated Main's grand reopening 14 November 2021 and the Community Learning Center's opening 10 January 2022; fine-free from January 2022. The branch roll at branch-bearing size: River Park first, 1920, at River Park School; Tutt 1928; Western 1939; four branch buildings in November 1983; North Liberty 1986; Lakeville, December 1990; Centre 1999; German 2009. The directors' succession, complete as the carriers reach: Humphreys (to 1903) → Virginia M. Tutt (to 1927) → Ethel Baker (1927–1952; on staff from 1908) → Roger B. Francis (1952–1977) → Donald Napoli (1977–2015; the City Council's 2015 resolution honours "more than 37 years" and counts five directors in the library's 126 years to that point) → Debra Futa (2015 – retired effective 31 March 2022; on staff from 1979) → Stephanie Murphy (appointed 7 June 2022, from the directorship of the New Carlisle–Olive Township library, effective 1 July 2022 — and still Executive Director on the Board's own page as read in November 2026; no later transition stands in any carrier found). The Board that appoints her has seven members: two appointed by the South Bend school board, two by the County Council, two by the County Commissioners, and one jointly by the presidents of the John Glenn and Union North United school boards — the seat through which Lakeville's own school corporation shares in appointing the library's governors (Terry Rensberger held it 2022–2025; Hilary Barker's term runs 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2029 on the Board's page; the current president is Dr. Ruth Warren). The page does not state the joint member's residence or a Lakeville mandate, and none is printed.