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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

Self-Services
Bike Rack
Outgoing Fax
Exam Proctoring
Walk-Up Book Return
  • Walk-up book return available 24/7
Seed Library
  • Open for seed checkout during regular library hours (March-October)
Zine Collection
Upcoming Events at East 38th Street
Now + Next: Connection Table

Now + Next: Connection Table

East 38th Street Branch

Drop-in to for a brief conversation with a staff member about the future of the library and our 2025-2027 Strategic Plan. Complete the Now + Next Survey or answer some interactive questions to help build a plan for what the library should do next!

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.

Gaming for Adults

Gaming for Adults

East 38th Street Branch

Adults are invited to get together at The Library to play games of all types: boardgames, card games, roleplaying games, or video games. The group will choose from our collection and instruction will be provided.

Branch Manager
Naomi Allensworth

Naomi Allensworth

Hi, I'm Naomi Allensworth, Branch Manager for East 38th Street. I love to read romance and YA books, some of my favorite authors are Sylvia Day and Tayari Jones. I hope you’ll visit our location soon. For questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. We are always happy to help!

Contact Naomi