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Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Indianapolis Public Library and Enlace Academy provide students with library cards 

NORAL PARHAM
NORAL PARHAM
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.

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The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL) teamed up with Enlace Academy, a K-8 charter school, to provide free library cards to all its students. 

Circulation manager at IndyPL Cordia Watkins believes the collaboration opens a new book of possibilities (pun intended). 

“This brings us one step closer to our goal of providing a gateway to lifelong learning for every student in Marion County,” Watkins said. “As we continue to grow our World Languages Collection, it is an honor to support a school where more than 100 languages are spoken. We are proud to help equip the next generation with the knowledge and tools to succeed.” 

Enlace Academy serves 685 students, 442 of whom previously did not own library cards. Through the partnership, every student at the school now has access to the library’s vast collection of resources. 

Child reading a book from his home library. (Photo/Getty Images)

The collaboration is part of the library’s eResource Card campaign, an initiative ensuring that every public-school student in Marion County has access to essential library resources. 

The eResource Card allows students to borrow e-books and audiobooks, stream music and videos and utilize over 80 databases. The card also includes limited borrowing privileges for physical materials, with the option to upgrade to a full library card by visiting any library branch with a parent or guardian.   

Reading interventionist at Enlace Academy Sarah Marot avidly supports the new partnership. 

“I use the TumbleBooks app weekly for afterschool tutoring sessions,” Marot said. “We read stories in English and explore titles in LOTE4Kids, particularly in Spanish and Haitian Creole, which are primary languages for many of our students. Getting library cards removes barriers and provides access to free, high-quality literature and digital resources. Getting our kids library cards is the most amazing thing ever.” 

Enlace Academy emphasizes language diversity, with 87% of its students speaking a language other than English. 

For more information about the partnership, visit indypl.org.


Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more news from the Indianapolis Recourder, click here.

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