Allen-county-public-library

Building a Community Book by Book

 
Creating interest in a city’s downtown isn’t always easy. New York, Boston, Chicago…the names speak for themselves. Other smaller cities have a bit more work to do. When revitalizing a downtown many people think nightclubs or restaurants or ballparks. While those are all worthwhile ideas, there is something else that doesn’t often make the list but can have just as large of an economic impact: libraries.

 
The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) in downtown Fort Wayne is a perfect example of that. The new library greatly increased downtown foot traffic and spurred a desire for other businesses and attractions to surround this buzzing establishment.

 
The buzz has traveled a state over and now Dayton, Ohio is looking at ACPL as an example for its downtown redevelopment. Read the full story here.

 
We couldn’t be prouder of all the libraries throughout our region. Our libraries are inspiring young minds, providing resources scholars and creating community centers that strengthen our region. How about picking up a book to read poolside this summer?

 
“The richest person in the world – in fact all the riches in the world – couldn’t provide you with anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library.”  -Malcolm Forbes

Photo by: Johanna Ljungblom