One of the things I hated missing because of a recent hospitalization was the opening of Indianapolis Public Library's latest branch at Fort Ben.
Whether you call this area Fort Ben, Fort Harrison, or Fort Benjamin Harrison, this Indy/Lawrence location has become quite the neighborhood and the Fort Ben Branch is a great addition to it.
While I'm not yet driving post-surgery, I was able to make the trip with a friend to finally check out this cool new library branch.
I will admit I've wrestled with how to rate this branch library. Is this really a 5-star branch? It's probably somewhere between a 4-5 star rating, though with some of it's more unique features I'm going to go ahead and go with the 5-star.
First off, Fort Ben Branch is the first Indianapolis public library to be named a Certified Autism Center. This is certainly one of the most disability friendly branches within the system and it's exciting to see all the ways it has been made more inclusive. Bathrooms are very accessible and there's even a comfort room here available for nursing mothers or those who need a calmer environment.
The 22,000 square foot Fort Ben Branch also includes:
Engaging and functional spaces for children, teens, and adults
Computer access along with additional technologies; Microsoft Office on computers
Early learning computer stations
Free wifi
Self Checkout
Document Scanner
Color Printer
Outgoing Fax
Exam Proctoring
Walk-up Book Return
Bike Rack
Color Copy Machine/mobile printing
Group study rooms/tutoring spaces
A community room with a capacity of 100 persons
Energy and resource conservation
Roof-top solar photovoltaic system
The library worked with Easterseals Crossroads to create an accessible workstation. This means:
height-adjustable desk
large-key keyboard
large-print keyboard
trackball mouse with programmable buttons and arm supports
Software on the workstations include:
text reading app
Live transcription app
math app
magnification app
screen reading app for blind and visually impaired-individuals
These tools can "read" information to patrons, respond to voice commands and help people with learning disabilities and mobility limitations complete tasks like writing a document or accessing the internet. These workstations are available for all patrons, with shorter use periods than other stations to decrease wait times.
These accessible work stations will eventually be in all branches (and are already in some).
Like all branches, Fort Ben hosts a variety of events - from teen D&D events to story hours and much more.
I'm so excited to have a library that is a certified autism center that I simply refuse to go less than 5 stars here. This is relatively close to my home (Glendale is slightly closer) and I can't wait to visit here often. read more