Around the Library
Our location at 131 North Walnut Street is open:Monday through Thursday 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday (October through April) 1:00 - 5:00 pm
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Library Management
Library Director
Michael J. Kruse, MLS
Librarian Certificate 1 (LC1), Indiana State Library
Board of Trustees
Anne Amrhein
Lisa Barnett
Chris Fairchild
Autumn Hurm
Peter Mack
Ron Simons
Nance Widdowson
The Library Trustees are appointed by the Ripley and Franklin County
Commissioners, the Ripley and Franklin County Councils, and the Board of the
Batesville Community School Corporation. The Trustees meet monthly at the
library at 5:00 PM. See the
Meeting & Program Calendar
for dates.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Batesville Memorial Public Library is to help the people of
the community in their pursuit of information and education, as well as
vocational and recreational endeavors, by providing current materials, services
and programs.
Library District
The Batesville Memorial Public Library district includes the City of Batesville,
Indiana in Ripley and Franklin Counties, and that area of Laughery and Adams
Townships in Ripley County that are in the Batesville Community School
Corporation district, and all of Ray Township in Franklin County. The area in
blue on the map shows the BMPL District.
Click here to see the map.
Special Collections
The library has several special collections, including:
- The 352nd Fighter Group Memorial Aviation Collection
- The Hillenbrand Family Collection
- The Miriam E. Mason Collection
- Batesville Area Oral Histories
History of the Library
Click here
for a
history of the BMPL.
Getting a Library Card
There are several kinds of borrower's cards at the BMPL:
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Resident cards - Anyone who lives in or owns property in the Batesville Memorial Public Library district is eligible for a borrower's card. Because a portion of residents' property taxes is allocated to the library, the card can be obtained at no additional fee.
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Non-resident cards - Anyone who does not live in or own property in the BMPL district is considered a non-resident. Because non-residents don't have a portion of their property taxes allocated to the library, they pay the current annual fee for a BMPL borrower's card. This card may be used by everyone in the household. Check with the library for the current non-resident fee. This fee is determined by the Board of Trustees in accordance with Indiana State Library Law.
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PLAC - the Public Library Access Card, or PLAC, is a statewide library card. It is available to anyone with a current, valid borrower's card from any Indiana public library. The PLAC allows the cardholder to borrower materials from any public library in the state. The cost of the PLAC, as determined by the Indiana State Library each year, is posted at the library. The PLAC is valid for one year after purchase.
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Summer cards - A Non-resident who does not have a valid borrower's card at the BMPL, but wishes to take part in the BMPL Summer Reading Program, may purchase a temporary Summer card for $15.00. This card is valid only during the Summer Reading Program and is only available for purchase during the SRP sign-up period. Upon the completion of the Summer Reading Program, Summer cardholders may decide to purchase a BMPL Non-resident card to use for the rest of the year. In that case, the $15.00 card fee will be deducted from the current Non-resident fee. The library offers this deduction for a limited time after the SRP.
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Complimentary cards - Complimentary borrower's cards may be issued under certain circumstances, such as: financial hardship as demonstrated by the children of the family being in a reduced school lunch program, or other instances; or when the borrower performs some service to the library in trade. Complimentary cards are only issued with the approval of the library director and are valid for one year.
To obtain a borrower's card at the BMPL, one must show proof of identification and residence (such as a driver's license, current utility bill, or other official form). If under the age of 16, the person's parent or legal guardian must also sign the application card indicating responsibility for items checked out from the BMPL.
The library issues two versions of its borrower's card: one credit card-sized
for wallet or purse, and the other smaller one that can be attached to
a key ring or chain. These cards are mailed to the borrower usually within two
days of application and payment (if any).
Other borrowing rules and policies apply. Please contact the library for
details.