Mission:
The Adams Public Library System serves all people of the Decatur and Geneva communities by acquiring, organizing, and providing access and guidance to a wide variety of information and materials to help fulfill the intellectual, educational, social, and recreational needs of this community in an atmosphere that is welcoming, respectful, and businesslike.
About Us:
The Adams Public Library System was established on February 22, 2008 with the consolidation of the Decatur and Geneva Public Libraries.
After a planning committee, comprised of members of both library board of trustees as well as the librarians, met over the course of a year to develop a plan of consolidation, members of both boards signed Resolutions of Merger to form the new system. Providing a consistent level of service, enhancing programming and collections, and stability in funding were some reasons advocated by both boards.
History:
In 1819, three years after Indiana was admitted to the Union, the first cabin was erected in what is now Adams County, Indiana. Nearly 25 years before, General Anthony Wayne had secured a treaty with the Indians, thus opening the way for settlement of the area, but the low, swampy land offered little enticement to the pioneer. Among the later counties to be formed, Adams evolved from Knox, Randolph, and Allen counties, successively, as each of these larger county units was reorganized into smaller ones. The 336 square miles comprising Adams County were not surveyed until 1822. Although the first land entry came in 1825, only four known settlers had located there before 1826. In 1833 the land was formed into a new township, still part of Allen County. Adams County was created by an act of the Indiana General Assembly in 1836, and in 1838 the general rush of landhunters came. [1] The beginnings of Adams County were slow. Amazingly enough, however, by 1843 funds were set aside for a county library.
