Gifts and Memorial Donations

Around 1889, the Saturday Evening Club, a literary club, began discussing the possibility of having a public library in Delphi. The seed was planted, and in 1896, the Oracle Club, an outgrowth of the Saturday Evening Club, was organized primarily for the purpose of establishing a public library. In May 1887, the honorable John L. Griffith of Indianapolis was invited to speak at a “Book Reception” on the topic of “Books and Reading.” The Oracle Club charged admission of one book per guest. The 150 books collected that evening started the collection of the Delphi Public Library and were housed in the assembly room in the high school on Monroe Street. As the collection grew, the desire to have a dedicated library building also grew.

Early in 1905, the library board received a letter from the Carnegie Foundation stating that if Delphi would furnish a suitable location and $1,000 a year for maintenance and operation, Mr. Carnegie would give $10,000 to construct a building. The library board accepted the offer and sought a suitable site for the building. The cornerstone was laid on September 1, 1905.

Through the years, the Delphi Public Library has made a commitment to serve the entire community by providing easily accessible materials, services, and programs that inform, educate, and entertain. The library offers a collection of over 60,000 books and numerous newspapers, magazines, films, and reference and resource materials. In the Indiana Room, patrons and visitors can research their ancestors and page through historic books by well-known Indiana authors. The Dial Room houses an extensive collection of books relating to art, collections, antiques, and crafts.

Today,the Delphi Public Library is well known in the community for providing educational and cultural programs on an ongoing basis. Some of these programs include a monthly coffee house with live entertainment, Stargazers Community Children’s Theatre, Red Brick Community Theatre, weekly art classes, three monthly book clubs, weekly story times and enrichment activities for children infants through kindergarten, a monthly film series, one-on-one computer classes, visiting authors, travelogues, storytellers, and special programs for children and young families.

The Delphi Public Library Memorial Program is a practical, gracious way to pay a lasting tribute to a loved one. Whether you choose to commemorate with the donation of a book, furniture item, technology equipment, or an endowment for programs in the general gift fund - the library is a great way to honor a loved one. The result is a living memorial that will endure for years.

To indicate your preferences, please complete, print, and mail the following form Forms are also available at the library.

 Memorial Form