Rushville Public Library

Mission :

The Rushville Public Library strives to maintain a well-balanced collection of materials for information, reference and research, and recreation. The Library hopes to support the democratic process by providing materials for the education and enlightenment of the community. The Library will also provide recreational materials.

History :

Library services in Rush County began with the private collection of Dr. William B. Laughlin in 1822. He loaned his books to city and county residents at a small fee per book. In 1910, a library was created thanks to the Rush County chapter of the D.A.R. The library was located in the County Courthouse. Then, in the late 1920's, a combination of public and private monies funded the building of the present Rushville Public Library. The firm of McGuire and Shook designed our Gothic-style library (no, this building has never been a church) on the site where the depot of the I & C Traction Line stood. In August of 1930, builders laid the cornerstone and on January 16, 1931, the beautiful Bedford limestone library opened! In 1988-89, our library underwent a complete renovation. New lights, air conditioning, flooring, and walls were installed and improved. Lower level rooms for meetings, technical services, and genealogy were created. Workmen excavated areas under the Library and made areas for the storage of periodicals and craft and cleaning supplies.

The Rushville Public Library is funded through city property tax dollars, as well as fines, fees, and private donations. Indiana state law dictates that our library must charge a fee to those who do not reside or own property within the city limits. There fore, the Library charges a fee to non-residents which is calculated using a formula provided by the State Library. These county fees are $75 per year per family; $55 per year per individual; and $5 per year per enrolled student.

Today, the Rushville Public Library holds more than 40,000 books, over 1500 videos and DVDs, 1000 spoken-word cassettes and CDs, as well as collections of puppets and statues. Extensive genealogy and local and state history resources can be found in our Indiana Room. A special Wendell Willkie collection is also housed in our Indiana Room. Willkie, whose wife Edith Wilk was once a Rushville librarian, headquartered his 1940 presidential campaign in the famous Durbin Hotel here in Rushville! Services at our Library include homebound delivery, color copier, laminator, meeting room, FAX, computers and access to the Internet, and interlibrary loan.

The Library is staffed by six full-time and three part-time employees. The Library is administered by a seven member Board of Trustees: President Marti Mullis; Vice-president Hank Anderson; Secretary Ashley Stiers; Treasurer Wilma Jo Kile; member Brian Bess; member Rob Hadley; and member Margaret Niedenthal.