The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) Genealogy Center and the Fort Wayne German Heritage Society will mark the Society's 40th anniversary with an afternoon of genealogy, history, and German heritage celebrations. The event will highlight the cultural traditions and family stories that have shaped Fort Wayne's German community. "For 40 years, the German Heritage Society has helped keep Fort Wayne's German story alive, and the Genealogy Center is proud to celebrate that mile

What should the Hessen Cassel Branch look like in the years ahead? The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) wants to hear from the people who know it best. On Monday, October 26, the library will host two drop-in Listening Sessions as part of its ongoing Facilities Master Plan, giving residents a chance to see early ideas for the branch and weigh in on what matters most to them. The Facilities Master Plan is a long-term effort to ensure ACPL’s buildings keep pace with how peopl

Award-winning journalist and author Lois Romano joins the Friends of the Lincoln Collection for the 2026 McMurtry Lecture. Romano will discuss her acclaimed book “An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment of, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln,” offering a compelling look at one of history's most misunderstood First Ladies. Through conversation and insight, attendees will explore Mary Todd Lincoln's resilience, the challenges she faced following Abraham Lincoln's assassination,

New Haven Mayor Steve McMichael will return to the Allen County Public Library’s New Haven Branch on Wednesday, October 7, to guest host Storytime for local children and their caregivers. Following the success of his first Storytime in 2024, Mayor McMichael is once again joining ACPL librarians to celebrate the importance of reading, early literacy, and connecting families with their local library. “Storytime is one of those special opportunities where we can come together as

The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) Foundation is inviting the community to celebrate the first-ever “Give Like Dolly Day” on September 25, a global day dedicated to supporting local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Programs. The date, 9/25, is a nod to Parton’s famous song and film “9 to 5” and honors Dolly’s extraordinary legacy of inspiring children to dream big and develop a lifelong love of reading. As Dolly often said, “If you can read, you can do anything, dream a

True crime fans are used to following the clues. This September, the Allen County Public Library invites them to go beyond podcasts and documentaries and explore historical mysteries using the same research techniques genealogists use to uncover the past. Rather than solving cold cases, the focus is on using historical records to better understand crimes, mysteries, and other difficult chapters that may emerge in our own family stories. “Tracing Crime Through Time: Genealogy

As flu season approaches, the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is once again partnering with local nonprofit Super Shot to provide free flu vaccinations at library branches throughout the county. This ongoing collaboration, which began in 2021, aims to make preventive care more accessible to the community. Beginning September 21, Super Shot will be on-site at ten ACPL branches to administer flu vaccines to individuals aged 6 months and older. These clinics are open to the p

Making friends as an adult can be harder than it sounds. Between work, family responsibilities and increasingly busy schedules, many adults find themselves with fewer opportunities to meet new people. This fall, the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is creating a space where adults can take some of the awkwardness out of making new connections with two “Speed Friending” events. “Creating new friendships as an adult doesn’t always happen naturally, yet our friendships are amo

Following the death of country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton on August 25, 2026, Allen County community members and organizations continue to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Allen County through gifts that help ensure local children receive free, age-appropriate books every month from birth until age 5. In the week following Parton’s passing, more than 500 new children registered for the program, underscoring the growing demand for participation in

The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is expanding its bilingual storytime offerings with the addition of “Bilingual Mon Storytime,” creating a new opportunity for families with Myanmar heritage in Allen County to celebrate reading in their home language and English. The new addition will debut this Saturday, Sept. 12, from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Main Library StoryScape. The program will feature a traditional story from Mon culture, shared in both Mon and English, and is intende

The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) and Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) are launching a new partnership designed to ensure that every FWCS second grader has a guaranteed library experience as part of the school day. The visits are part of the FWCS Schools of Success initiative, which connects classroom learning with experiences throughout the community. Through Guaranteed Experiences, students form community connections, explore industries, and learn about local cultur

Sixty years ago, audiences first heard those famous words: “Space, the final frontier.” On September 8, 1966, Star Trek made its television debut, launching a cultural phenomenon that would inspire generations to boldly go where no one had gone before. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, the Allen County Public Library will celebrate six decades of Star Trek with a Star Trek 60th Anniversary Marathon at the Main Library Theater. The free event begins at 3 p.m. and will transport fans

The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is giving residents even more reasons to carry their library cards. In celebration of National Library Card Sign-Up Month, ACPL is releasing a new batch of limited-edition library cards featuring artwork inspired by Fort Wayne’s vibrant mural scene, while expanding opportunities for cardholders to save at local businesses through the 2026–27 Community Discount Program. Beginning September 1, library users can choose from limited-edition

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is celebrating with a little hometown team spirit. This year, ACPL is partnering with the Fort Wayne Football Club (FWFC) to encourage Allen County residents to get in the game and discover everything a library card has to offer—with a special limited-edition library card featuring Friendly the Goalrilla, FWFC’s mascot. The partnership will kick off with “Library Night at Fort Wayne F

The Allen County Public Library is inviting the community to celebrate the power of books and support young readers through two upcoming events raising awareness of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Allen County. The events will give community members opportunities to learn more about the program, connect with library staff, enroll children, and support the effort to put free books into the hands of local children. First, the Club Room at the Clyde (1808 Bluffton Rd, Fort

The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is celebrating a successful summer of learning and discovery as its annual Summer Learning Program wrapped up July 31. This year’s “Unearth a Story” theme invited children, teens and adults to explore reading, learning, and hands-on experiences throughout the summer, with thousands of community members taking part. The free program, which ran from June 1 through July 31, attracted 15,685 registered participants, including 11,795 youth an

The Allen County Public Library's Rolland Center for Lincoln Research invites the community to explore the lasting impact of Abraham Lincoln through a new temporary exhibit and the latest installment of its popular “Lincoln at the Library” virtual lecture series this August. Opening August 12, the free temporary exhibit “Carrying Lincoln's Legacy” examines the life of Robert Todd Lincoln, the president's only son to live into adulthood. As the last living connection to Abraha

Some people are looking for love in all the wrong places. At the Allen County Public Library, they’re finding it right on the shelves. In honor of National Book Lovers Day on Aug. 9, the ACPL is celebrating one of its most popular collections: romance novels. From slow burns and second chances to cowboys, vampires, hockey players, and happily-ever-afters, the library’s romance collection has become a favorite destination for readers looking to fall head over heels for a good

The Allen County Public Library's Aboite Branch is partnering with two local Girl Scouts to host a community hygiene drive benefiting area families in need. The donation drive will run through August 15, collecting essential personal care items that will be assembled into hygiene kits and distributed to local food pantries. Community members are invited to donate new, unopened hygiene products including: Toothbrushes and toothpaste Deodorant Bar soap and body wash Shampoo and

The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) and Blessings in a Backpack will host a special Backpack Giveaway on Friday, July 31, to mark the final day of an impactful summer initiative to combat childhood hunger and promote literacy across Allen County. Beginning at 10 a.m., children and families are invited to stop by the Georgetown, Hessen Cassel, Little Turtle, Pontiac, Shawnee, Tecumseh, and Waynedale branches, as well as, the Main Library to receive free backpacks filled wit