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East 38th Street


5420 East 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46218

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East 38th Street Hours

Mon - Tue 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Wed - Fri 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sun Closed
East 38th Street

The first library to serve the neighborhood opened in 1957 as the Emerson Branch. This frame house near East 38th Street and North Emerson Avenue soon became too small to meet the neighborhood's needs, leading to construction of a 7,500-square-foot branch at the same location in 1962. The Emerson Branch closed its doors in 2003 when the current 16,000-square-foot library opened as the East 38th Street Branch.

Traffic Notice:

Lane closures and restrictions due to construction of IndyGo's new Purple Line on East 38th Street will impact your route to East 38th Street Branch. Take special care when driving through the area. The Branch is open and there will be at least one open route to the parking lot available during the construction period. Learn more about the project.

38th Street west bound closure: Shadelend Ave/46th Street/Emerson Ave
Amenities & Services

Internet Access

  • Public computers with Microsoft Office
  • Early learning computer stations
  • Free Wi-Fi

Meeting Space

Accessible Workstation

Digital Creativity Workstation

Zine Collection

Exam Proctoring

Self-Services

Bike Rack

Outgoing Fax

Exam Proctoring

Walk-Up Book Return

  • Walk-up book return available 24/7

Seed Library (March-October)

Upcoming Events at East 38th Street
Storytime at the East 38th Street

Storytime at the East 38th Street

East 38th Street Branch

Preschoolers ages 3-5 and their caregivers are invited for stories, songs, and fun!

Baby ArtsPlay

Baby ArtsPlay

East 38th Street Branch

Little ones will be engaged through stories and songs with sensory play and body movement activities! Help your 6 month-36 month child with their motor skills, emergent language, spatial awareness, and object permanence in this workshop with teaching artist Amauunet Ashé from Arts for Learning.

Career Center at East 38th Street

Career Center at East 38th Street

East 38th Street Branch

Adults needing help with creating a resume, searching for a job or career online, or filling out an online job application are invited to receive free one-on-one assistance.

Branch Manager
Bambi Pea

Bambi Pea

Hi, I'm Bambi Pea, Branch Manager for East 38th Street. My all-time favorite author is Tiffany D. Jackson. I also enjoy other books and movies in the horror or romance genres. I hope you’ll visit our location soon. For questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. We are always happy to help!

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