The Hamilton East Public Library Fishers Branch officially opened its renovated Youth Services area Tuesday afternoon with a ribbon cutting. It wasn’t a quiet event.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness joked it was the first time he had ever yelled in a library. He had plenty of company. Youngsters roamed the space during the ceremony, trying out the new features as fast as they could find them.
The library invited children to explore the renovated area, which includes cozy treehouse-inspired reading nooks, an updated play area, additional seating and renovated children’s program rooms. Families will also find special toys selected for the new space.
Library Director Melissa Loiselle welcomed the crowd and thanked those who helped make the project happen.
The opening marks the end of many years of construction at the downtown Fishers library, which sits next to the Nickel Plate Trail and the Fishers Municipal Center.
The library’s makeover started in 2018 with the opening of Ignite Studio, an arts-focused makerspace in the lower level formerly occupied by Launch Fishers. Major construction followed in 2021. That phase moved the main entrance to a new two-story lobby on the north side of the building, expanded parking and reworked traffic flow and connections to the Nickel Plate Trail. Plans at the time also called for improvements to the youth services areas, including the children’s and teen spaces.
Supply-chain problems slowed the work. In 2023, library officials put the cost of the Fishers renovation at $16.1 million, including a new roof for the entire building, and said the project was designed to serve the community for the next 20 years.
Patrons have worked around fences, detours and closed entrances for much of that time. On Tuesday, the payoff was easy to see — and hear — in the faces of the kids who got the first run of the place.
The Hamilton East Public Library serves residents of Fishers and Noblesville, and one library card works at both branches. A third library building is in the works on Olio Road in Wayne Township.
Here are a few photos of young people enjoying the new space.
