The library as civic actor

1920–2022

The work: The library's civic weight has always run past its book stock. In 1920 it was already carrying deposit stations inside three factories and school-room libraries in nine outlying districts, and a children's library with its own reading room — the service that produced fixtures like Katherine Croxall, the "Story Lady" of the library's photographs, reading to rooms of children. Under Director Francis the summer reading program ended its season with a film at the Indiana Club for the children who finished it. The mature system's scale stands in the Common Council's 2015 accounting of the library's holdings as of 2012: 540,900 print materials, 78,020 physical audio titles, 64,772 physical video titles, and over 1,100 programs, 630 of them for children. The 2021 annual report shows the texture at branch level: the Tutt Branch guided patrons through more than 400 social-service appointments — financial support, assistance, jobs — in a year; the LaSalle Branch handed out 2,940 after-school snacks; the Centre Branch served 2,206 patrons at a drive-up window; and the library's doors stayed open to the homebound through home delivery. In December 2021 the library announced it would eliminate all late fees and wipe every past overdue fine from the books; the change took effect with the new year, and the library's history records it simply: "The Library rang in the new year by going fine-free in January" 2022.

Sources:

1. Brown, The Story of South Bend (1920), ch. XIV — the factory deposit stations and school-room libraries; the children's library and reading room.
2. Indiana Memory, Library History collection — Katherine Croxall, "The Story Lady"; Director Roger B. Francis and the summer reading program's Indiana Club film.
3. City of South Bend Common Council, Resolution 15-54 (2015) — the holdings and program counts as of 2012.
4. St. Joseph County Public Library, 2021 Annual Report (May 2022) — the branch figures: Tutt's 400 social-service appointments, LaSalle's 2,940 snacks, Centre's 2,206 drive-up patrons; the December 2021 fine-free announcement.
5. St. Joseph County Public Library, "History of the St. Joseph County Public Library" — fine-free in January 2022; home delivery among the present services.