Cleo Rogers Memorial Library

The Cleo Rogers Memorial Library, also known as the Main Library, is the flagship library of the Bartholomew County Public Library system. It includes a branch in Hope, Indiana, and a bookmobile that serves the county. The building was designed by I. M. Pei & Partners and constructed by Dunlap & Company, completed in 1969, and dedicated in 1971. It is notable for its design of red brick with concrete details and its Library Plaza, an urban space punctuated by the sculpture, "Large Arch" by Henry Moore. It is named for Cleo Rogers (1905-1964) who was the county librarian for 28 years and assistant librarian for nine years.HistoryIn 1899 a library in the county first began occupying two rooms inside the original Columbus City Hall at the southwest corner of Fifth and Franklin Streets. The library's immediate popularity led the community to request funds from the well-known philanthropists, Andrew Carnegie, who was widely known for financing the construction of libraries throughout the United States. While Columbus has always contained the main branch of the Bartholomew County system, a branch has existed in Hope, Indiana in various locations at the same time. In 1966 a rented space was acquired on the town square and in 1998 a dedicated branch was opened that was designed by Deborah Berke & Partners Architects.The Carnegie libraryThe first library in Bartholomew County stood on the corner of what was then Fifth and Mechanics Street . This plot of land was donated to the county by Columbus resident Joseph I. Irwin. The original building was designed by John W. Gaddis of Vincennes, Indiana and dedicated on June 1, 1903. The construction cost was $19,200 with $15,000 coming from a donation from Andrew Carnegie and the remaining $4,200 obtained from taxation. This library was then known as the "Carnegie Library," but after 1923 became known as the "Columbus-Bartholomew County Library" with service to the entire county.