By: Dave Bowman

The Montpelier Library was established in 1907 through a $10,000 donation from Andrew Carnegie.  The library was completed and opened in 1908.  Indiana has the largest number of Carnegie libraries of any state with Blackford County having two Carnegie libraries, as there is also a Carnegie library in Hartford City.  When the Montpelier Carnegie library donation was accepted in 1907 to build the new library the community had to agree to raise taxes to support the yearly operations.  The city council approved a resolution to establish the property tax collection to fund the yearly operations of the library.  It was estimated that property owners would pay from 2 cents to 30 cents per year to support the new public library.  Quite a bargain.    

  The Montpelier Library is on the National Registry of Historical Places, making it a great asset for Montpelier, especially with much of the original wood work and furniture still in use.  The original oak circulation desk is a beautiful piece of woodworking craftsmanship.   It is astounding how much building and furnishings the community received for the $10,000 donation.

Over the years the Montpelier Library has been governed by a seven-member library board which has been a good steward for the past 111 years.  The board has made several improvements, including an addition being constructed for additional space, the replacement of original windows, and renovations to the basement.  While implementing these improvements the library was able to incorporate much of the old furniture into the new spaces and to continue to use the wonderful hardwood cabinets, tables and chairs from over 100 years ago.

Operation and Programing at the Montpelier Library

The Montpelier Library is under the supervision of Librarian Cathy Leas.  She is assisted by four part-time associates.  These associates are Amy Palmer, Debra Penrod, Abby Stallsmith, and Kim Twibell.  They provide a variety of opportunities for the over 1,000 patrons of the library.  

During the summer there are game days on Mondays and Thursdays.  Also on Thursday, a community lunch is served at the library.  On Tuesdays there is a pre-school program for 3-to-5-year olds.  On Wednesdays there is a summer reading program for school age children and toddlers accompanied by parents.   

Additionally the library offers Evergreen Indiana, an inter-library loaning system that allows patrons of the Montpelier Library to borrow books and other materials from participating libraries.  This is in addition to the 22,863 print books and the 51,097 e-books the library has available on site or through the consortium.  They also have an online Ancestry Library Edition available to patrons who are researching genealogy.     

The Montpelier Library hours are Monday through Thursday 10:00 to 7:00, Fridays 10:00 to 5:00, and Saturdays 10:00 to 2:00.  You can also visit their website at MHTPL.Lib.in.us for further information.