Alexandria-Monroe Public Library
🏢 Evergreen Indiana · Alexandria, Indiana
Alexandria-Monroe Public Library
The Alexandria-Monroe Public Library has occupied its Carnegie-funded building at 117 East Church Street since 1903 — the same year the dedicated library board secured a $12,000 gift from Andrew Carnegie after a correspondence campaign launched in 1902. The library serves Alexandria and Monroe Township, Madison County, and has been a fixture of civic life for more than 120 years.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–5pm |
| Thursday | 9am–7pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 117 E Church Street, Alexandria, IN 46001
Phone: (765) 724-2196
Website: alexlibrary.net
Plus Code: 86GP787G+8H (Alexandria, IN)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Alexandria-Monroe Public Library
The Alexandria-Monroe Public Library traces its origins to 1896, when a group of citizens donated 200 books to start a community reading collection in the Alexandria Bank building on Harrison Street. By 1898 the collection had moved to the basement of a newly built high school, then to the I.O.O.F. Hall above the post office on West Church Street. In the spring of 1902 the library board wrote to Andrew Carnegie, whose secretary James Bertram negotiated a $12,000 donation for a permanent building. The new library at 117 East Church Street was completed and dedicated on December 3, 1903, and it remains the library's home today — making it one of Madison County's longest-serving Carnegie structures still in continuous library use. The library is a member of Evergreen Indiana, granting patrons access to more than six million items across the consortium's member libraries. It offers an active outreach program to bring library services directly to community members who cannot visit the building, and hosts a regular adult book club, Booked for Tuesdays, that meets every third Tuesday.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1896 with 200 donated books; moved into its Carnegie-funded building on December 3, 1903 — over 120 years of continuous service
- Carnegie building secured through a direct correspondence with Andrew Carnegie in 1902, resulting in a $12,000 gift
- Evergreen Indiana member — one library card unlocks six million items across Indiana's largest library consortium
- Library Outreach Program delivering library services to Madison County residents who cannot visit in person
- Booked for Tuesdays adult book club meets every third Tuesday, 1–2 pm
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Alexandria-Monroe cardholders can read, stream, and research free through Indiana's statewide and consortium digital resources:
📚 Services
- Library Outreach Program — library services delivered to patrons who cannot visit in person
- Booked for Tuesdays adult book club (third Tuesday, 1–2 pm)
- Public computers, printing, copying and free Wi-Fi
- Interlibrary loan through Evergreen Indiana (6 million+ items statewide)
- Purchase requests — patrons may suggest titles for the collection
- Reference and readers advisory assistance
🎸 Programs
- Booked for Tuesdays adult book club, every third Tuesday 1–2 pm
- Children's storytimes and youth programming
- Summer reading program
- Community outreach events and school partnerships
- Friends of the Library activities and fundraisers
📍 Nearby Libraries in Madison & Grant Counties
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Alexandria · Browse all Indiana libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Alexandria-Monroe Public Library get its Carnegie building?
In the spring of 1902, the library board wrote to Andrew Carnegie seeking funds for a permanent building. The correspondence with Carnegie's secretary James Bertram resulted in a gift of $12,000. The new building at 117 East Church Street was completed and dedicated on December 3, 1903, and the library has occupied that same Carnegie structure ever since — more than 120 years of continuous service.
When was the library founded, and where did it start?
The library was founded in 1896 when citizens donated approximately 200 books. It first occupied the Alexandria Bank building on Harrison Street, then moved in 1898 to the basement of the newly built high school, and later to the I.O.O.F. Hall above the post office on West Church Street, before settling into its current Carnegie building in 1903.
What is the Evergreen Indiana consortium and how does it benefit Alexandria-Monroe patrons?
Evergreen Indiana is a shared catalog and resource-sharing network of public, school, and institutional libraries across Indiana. Alexandria-Monroe cardholders can borrow from a pool of more than six million items held by member libraries statewide, and can return items at any Evergreen branch — dramatically expanding access beyond the local collection.
What are the library's hours, and does it offer evening hours?
The library is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9 am to 7 pm, and Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. It is closed on Sundays. The three evenings until 7 pm are ideal for after-work or after-school visits.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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