Allen County Public Library has several locations, and this address is for the main library. At this library, visitors may check out books, movies, music, and more. It also has meeting and study rooms as well as programs for children and adults, and its Genealogy Center is the largest public-library family-research center in the United States! Here I attended a genealogy presentation. It cost me nothing, it started on time, and I learned a lot from the knowledgeable presenter. I feel interested in learning more about the Genealogy Center's international collection of physical and digital resources and free access to databases. read more

I'm in the process of gathering documentation to join the DAR and I made a trip from Indy to the Allen County Public Library Genealogy area this week (March 17). I was challenged to confirm that an ancestor was the granddaughter of a Rev. War veteran. After weeks of searching, I wasn't having any luck to find acceptable docs and my mentor in the DAR is fantastic but this stumped her too. Census rolls and marriage licenses weren't enough. I met with Jeff Garver, a genealogist at the Allen County Public Library. Before my arrival, he had already done some research and he provided much help, but we still needed definitive proof of the lineage. Then he suggested checking an 1800s "Deed Book" from Monroe County, where my ancestors primarily lived. In the book, Jeff found a deed written by the parents of my 3rd Great-grandmother where they sold property to their daughter. The deed document is witnessed and signed by the magistrate of the time and clearly identifies the parents of my ancestor (of whom both respective fathers fought in the Rev. War) as their daughter. It was like bells went off, and hopefully the final piece of the puzzle for my DAR application. I never would have thought of looking at deeds and now know why the Allen County Public Library and its Genealogy Dept. are so highly regarded. Am so appreciative to have such an excellent research source in Indiana with equally excellent professionals. Everyone in the genealogy section was highly trained and helpful - special kudos to Jeff Garner. read more

I specifically visited the Library to see The Rolland Center for Lincoln research. This was very well done. At first it appears small, but I soon learned there was so much to discover in each interactive exhibit. It was well worth the trip. I also enjoyed learning about Lincoln's descendants. What a great tribute to an amazing American figure. read more

Allen County Public Library - Libraries Near Me - Fort Wayne, Indiana

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This review is going to focus solely on the children's wing of the library -- just an FYI. I never even made it to the other parts of the library, because my kids had a lot of fun in the children's area and didn't want to leave. There are so many cool things about this library. There's a big blue and orange structure in the middle of the children's section, which looks like a playground climbing structure. It's not though -- it's a reading tower for kids ages 7 to 12. In the tower, kids can cuddle up and read a book in a cozy nook. In a different room in the children's area is a place for kids 6 and under, with toys, games and other things to play with. My son spent a good amount of time "washing" clothes in the toy washing machine and playing with the toy kitchen. This area -- which is behind locked doors and requires a librarian to let you in -- is a "no phone zone." This means that they want you to put your phone away and be present for your child. OK! Whatever you say. I don't agree that you can't be present for your child if you're on your phone, but whatever. Speaking of rules: The children's area has restrooms, but you need a key to go inside. I'm not sure why, as there are also restrooms outside of the children's area that are open to everyone. So interesting! But: The restrooms in the kids' area have changing areas, so that's nice. Oh, and there is a designated breastfeeding area in the children's wing! Yes, women can legally breastfeed their children everywhere, but some women like having a space to just chill and feed their children (like I did). So, there is a breastfeeding nook that's separated by a curtain, where you can nurse in peace. My children were impressed by the huge bank of aquariums in the children's area, with lots of different types of fish. It's pretty awesome to have so many aquatic friends in a library setting, so kudos to this library for doing this! Wifi is free here, and it's a nice, cool place to play and rest, read and enjoy books. read more

Amazing library. Large, impressive, helpful genealogy center. Abraham Lincoln displays and research center. Maker facility.

Fun place to come! Fancy Library up here at the downtown location. They got a Dunkin donuts up in this joker. Nice place for sure. Place is swell. All kinds of books and such! dvd's, video games, Cd's. You name it this joker gots it. I like it , it's a little bit artsy farts being downtown! Not far from the greats such as Coney island, Powers sliders shop and much much more. Hell the Gas house is right up the street! They went all out on this Library for sure. Nice Security staff, very helpful and work hard up in here. Just down the road from stoners fun house, Riegals tobacco , Head waters and much much more. read more

Great cities are known for great architecture. The age of our young city means that not many buildings have old influence or a long story, but that just means that what we build today will leave its mark on our city tomorrow. And we alongside the aging edifices of our town, we can construct beautiful new buildings to enjoy. So that's the big picture. The small picture is this: The main Library is a gorgeous building that shows off Fort Wayne. It's fantastically modern, open, light, airy and a pleasure to spend time in. The library has a great collection of books, periodicals and DVDs. There have only been a handful of films I haven't been able to find there and the staff was able to order them in for me at no charge. Like the previous posters have mentioned, because of the open layout of the building, parts of it can get rather loud. If you are looking for a place to study, make sure you head to a private conference room or to the very back rooms. Unlike Indianapolis, we have our building designed to be a beautiful example of modern architecture. The open atrium and front entry area are perfect for events or for just lounging around with a good book and a cup of coffee. I believe that a lot of people are frustrated by Indianapolis's the "Emperor's New Clothes" saga they watch unfold before them in disbelief, unlike most everyone else on the planet that think it's better than a free trip to Disneyland. What has brought on my disdain of the Indianapolis library? First of all, I did ask a few who people tried to do research there. There is a vast collection of materials both in microfilm and behind bars in the "Indianapolis Room," but getting to use these resources would try the patience of anyone. Our "new" Fort Wayne design is practical and saves taxpayers gobs of money to heat and cool since it's essentially a giant eco friendly design. And this after so much of the cost of building was federally funded. Our taxes where saved by this grossly under budget built (courtesy of the Tom Henry administration) design. The most important advantage our library has? Free parking, featuring two lots. And free parking on the streets in the evenings and weekends. And then they topped off Fort Wayne. The Indianapolis Public library will not even offer free 1/2 hour parking. The very genesis of the creation of libraries is being desecrated there. Way to go, Indianapolis--I didn't think it was possible for me to dislike your library, but I was wrong! read more

Allen County Public Library - Even the ducks like the library. 1 0f 2 - Libraries Near Me - Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Pretty nice library with a lot of updates. Quite a bit of security, which surprised me. I'll start with the things I liked: Very clean open lobby; Nice bathrooms; Friendly staff The things I don't like: There are very few study rooms; and you have to pay to park in the garage unless you have a library card. Not being from Fort Wayne and just needing a quiet space for a meeting and wifi, I was disheartened by having to pay for parking at a public library. It is also a little confusing to get to as I don't really understand the navigation of downtown Fort Wayne. I was also frustrated by there only being 4 study rooms in such a huge library. There are 2 on the first floor, 1 in the "business center" and 1 in the "teen center". And you can only use the one in the teen center if you are meeting with a teen or are a teen. Also the study rooms aren't completely closed in, in some areas. There are walls and a door, but the walls don't attach to the ceiling which means you can hear everything going on in the lobby. They warn you of this when you go into one, but basically hint that they aren't going to quiet down the outside area if it's too loud. The wifi is fast and easy to access. read more

We drove up to the library to attend a genealogical seminar for the weekend. We were not disappointed. This is the finest library for genealogy research other than the LDS in Salt Lake City. There are so many research opportunities that it would take months or even years to explore. The genealogy department has everything one would want if you were just starting out or a pro genealogist. They have banks of computers, film readers, printers. And the people behind the desk are eager to help. Everything is free except the copier and it's only $.10 a copy. Parking is underground and only $7.00 a day for non-library folks. We spent 3 days from open to close and only scratched the surface. I would highly recommend this beautiful facility to anyone. Can't wait to go back. read more

I received a response from the library and they in no way addressed the problem. Their only solution was for me to check first before coming to make sure there were no high school groups scheduled to attend. How silly of the library to not accept responsibility and acknowledge the fact that they do not teach young students to be respectful of others in a library. I don't want to seem old fashioned but aren't people supposed to be quiet in a library? read more

Could not imagine how a public library could rank as a top sight to see, but a can now. What an asset for not only Fort Wayne, but the nation. Large children's section, massive media (music, movies, etc) an unbelievable genealogical center and a 3D printing room! I will return when I have more time. So glad my curiosity led me there. read more

HUGE library. Fort Wayne is very fortunate to have a place like this in the middle of downtown. A great coffee shop, genealogical records galore, areas for the kids to play and I kid you not when I say I've actually gotten lost in here. You've got to stop by when you get a chance! read more

I'd heard of the Genealogy Center at the Library when doing research for regional travel stories at Midwest Guest, so I put it on my list of places I wanted to see when we visited Fort Wayne. Visit Fort Wayne hooked us up with the center's manager, Curt Witcher who gave us a great tour of the place and its resources. Folks may not know (as I didn't) that this is the largest public genealogy collection in the U.S. and second in size only to the privately-owned Salt Lake City genealogy collection in the nation. Things seemed well-organized, and the staff at the center seemed very interested in helping folks conduct their research. I'm not a genealogist myself, but I can also see how the center could really help researchers at all levels of genealogists (beginners to advanced), as well as for anyone researching subjects in regional history. Witcher's enthusiasm for history and helping folks do research on their own families was pretty infectious...he and his staff really seemed interested in making sure visitors knew the resources available to them and helping people make the best use of them. read more

What an incredible place!!! If you are doing genealogy research, this is the place to go. We spent 4 hours there before a Tin Caps game, found a ton of stuff, and didn't even get to 1/100% of their resources. There are entire sections from every state and countless shelves devoted to veterans' information going back to the Revolution. They also have computers available to supplement the collection. We will be back for 2-day trips several times a year to continue our research. read more