The Montgomery County Community Foundation awarded Crawfordsville District Public Library with a grant for Programmatic Environmental Support for Public Art Collections and Meeting Rooms. The grant, which was awarded last year, was made possible by the Herbert, Genevieve & Marian Morrison Fund and the Paul and Irmingard McKinney Fund.
The library exhibits artworks from its own collection on the second floor of the library along with a collection of art loaned by members of The Art League of Montgomery County. In the past, the art pieces were hung on the walls with nails and hooks, which resulted in a somewhat static display and damaged walls.
The MCCF grant provided funds to purchase an art hanging system, installation of which was recently finished. The art hanging system will allow the art to be rearranged quickly without damage to walls and provides a more professional look to the collection. Being able to adjust the art so easily will allow the library and Art League to create thematic and seasonal displays, make room for new artwork, or switch out art for cleaning or repair.
“The Art League would like to add some current artwork to our collection, and the new hanging system will allow us to place additional pieces of artwork with this flexible hanging system,” said Art League of Montgomery County President Kathy Steele.
Two floors below on the basement level, the library contains a conference room and four meeting rooms that the library staff use to provide public library programs and the community uses for meetings and events. In 2025, over 800 meetings and events took place in the meeting rooms with over 10,600 attendees. After 20 years of similar use, the carpet had become badly stained, and attempts to clean it or find replacement carpet tiles were unsuccessful. Library patrons and staff complained that the meeting rooms did not look clean or pleasant for programs or community events.
The other portion of the MCCF grant assisted with replacement of the carpet in the four meeting rooms, which occurred at the end of 2025. The carpet was chosen for durability and stain resistance, and the carpet designs were chosen for vibrancy and the ability to help hide stains in the far future. Carpet cleaning training and supplies were a part of the package.
Positive comments have been received by library patrons who attend programs or who have reserved the rooms for their own events, including, “Bright, but cheerful and nice looking” and “I really love the new look of the Donnelley Room with the blue carpet!”
The library board and staff members are grateful for the grant funds to make these enhancements to the library’s programming spaces and thank the MCCF and the kind folks behind the Herbert, Genevieve and Marian Morrison Fund and the Paul and Irmingard McKinney Fund for their support of the library and the community.
Visit the library’s website at crawfordsvillelibrary.in.gov or call 765-362-2242 to learn more about the library’s services and programs. The library’s summer open hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Theresa Tyner is the Director of Library Services for Crawfordsville District Public Library.
