Muncie Public Library

09/18/2026

MPL is out and about in the community--sometimes at events where we host a table to tell people about all the resources and events at MPL and sometimes, just to enjoy other happenings in Muncie or nearby communities!

Recent events include an employee at the New Castle-Henry County Public Library to meet authors Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro who debuted their new co-written book, “Wayfarers,” a Work It Out Wombats event in partnership with Ball State PBS at Kennedy Library, an employee (who is also a talented musician) performing at a recent Muncie Three Trails Music Series concert, an info table at Longfellow Elementary, also at MadJax Muncie during a recent First Thursday, another at the East Central Neighborhood End of Summer Party, and yet another at a recent Ivy Tech Community College Muncie Health & Wellness Fair. There really is so much to do and to discover! (Photo credit to Matt Howell for the First Thursday picture and the concert photo of MPL employee Stuart Cotton.)

09/17/2026

– September 17 is known as Citizenship Day, and it marks the beginning of Constitution Week! That makes it the perfect day for our third and final post about immigrants who came to call Delaware County home.

Kurt and Judith (Schnitzler) Bernhardt were both born in Germany – Kurt around 1917 in Berlin and Judith in 1927 in Cologne. They each escaped the N***s in 1934 and 1936 respectively and sought refuge in Israel along with 250,000 other Jews as part of a mass migration known as the Fifth Aliyah. Kurt, during his time there, served both in the British and Israeli Army, fighting in World War II as well as the Arab-Israeli War of 1948.

After the war, Kurt and Judith met and married in Haifa around 1947. Their son Gideon was born soon after, and then, the Bernhardt family immigrated to the United States, settling in Muncie in July 1950. Prior to the move, Kurt worked as a mechanic. He continued in that trade when he came here, working first for Guy-Grady, Inc. and then Plank Bros. as both a maintenance man and wrecker driver. Judith remained home and cared for the children Gideon, Ray, and Susan.

In 1955, Muncie Public Schools offered a citizenship course, the first since 1943, that would prepare its students to pass the government exam necessary to become legal citizens. Kurt was one of eighteen who signed up stating that he wanted to “become an American because of the great freedom here and the equal opportunities. Too many Americans do not realize what freedom is and that there is no other nation that can be like America. Too many do not believe what happened in Europe and are neglecting their right to vote” (“Muncie Evening Press,” p.02-26-1955). He completed the course in April of that year. The family consisting of Kurt, Judith, and Gideon took the oath of citizenship and received their papers on April 26, 1956.

The “Muncie Star” wrote an article featuring the couple for July 4th. In the article, they reiterated that they were proud to be American citizens and appreciated the kindness of the people here. In fact, Kurt and Judith loved their adopted community so much that they remained here until their deaths in 1999 and 2013 respectively.

We still have some spots available in our upcoming program “Walking in the Steps of Immigrants,” so be sure to learn more and register here: https://www.munciepubliclibrary.org/events/day/2026/09/19. If you have any questions about the event or need help registering for the program, please call Carnegie Library at 765-747-8208. Furthermore, as we wrap up our Throwback Thursday series on immigration, we'd love to hear from you! Share in the comments below any historical immigrants whose stories you think we should research and highlight.

Images:
The Bernhardt family from left to right: Gideon, Susan, Kurt, Ray, and Judith; “From Distant Shores” exhibit, Carnegie Library Special Collections

Judith, Kurt, and Gideon take the oath of citizenship administered by Judge Paul E. Leffler at the Delaware County Circuit Court (“Muncie Evening Press,” 04-26-1956).

09/16/2026

Looking for a great way to celebrate America250? Join MPL and the DAR Paul Revere Chapter Muncie, IN at Carnegie Library on Monday, September 21 at 6pm for Author Talk with Bill Clevlen, journalist and radio broadcaster, who will share his book about US presidents, complete with fun facts and road trip ideas. DAR members will also share Constitution Week info. Read all about it in the Muncie Journal here 👉

By Susan Fisher— MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Public Library (MPL) has partnered with the Paul Revere Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to celebrate two significant commemorative occasions in 2026: America’s 250th birthday and National Constitution Week, observed annually Septembe...

09/14/2026

Join us at Maring-Hunt Library this Friday for a creative and relaxing session of 2-D multi-media mandala making!

We were not familiar with International Dot Day before Maring-Hunt Information Specialist Monique put this event on the calendar. We enjoyed finding out more about it at: https://www.internationaldotday.org/, which shared the following: International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration, began when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book “The Dot” on September 15, 2009.

“The Dot” is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”. What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe.

All supplies provided and no library card needed!

09/11/2026

Visit any MPL branch to register for or to renew a card! A library card gives you a front row seat to all that today’s libraries offer, including access to books, eBooks, audiobooks, music, movies, and more. Circulation employees at Maring-Hunt Library and Kennedy Library are adding a musical note every time a MPL card is issued or renewed!
(Even without a card, you can visit MPL for free computer use, wi-fi, resume workshops, job search help, genealogy research, tech help, book clubs, story times, a variety of programs, and much more!)

09/10/2026

Don't miss your chance for a trip through Muncie's history! Saturday, September 19, you'll have two opportunities to join us on a tour of downtown as we share stories of the past and the immigrants who helped shape its future.

Register today at www.munpl.org!

09/09/2026

Dig out those photos, dust off those memories, and join us next week at Maring-Hunt Library for a relaxing scrapbooking session! 📸😎

09/08/2026

We usually think of dinosaurs as herbivores and carnivores, but from this display discovered by a Youth Services Librarian at Kennedy Library, we learned that dinosaurs were also partial to bread! The librarian said a young visitor created quite an adventure with the dinosaurs in the kitchen play area and it was so cute she snapped a picture to share! MPL is a great place for kids to be creative even when they aren't reading books!

09/04/2026

All MPL branches will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7 for Labor Day. Regular hours will continue Tuesday, Sept. 8.

09/03/2026

– Stories of Delaware County’s immigrants continue in today’s TBT post highlighting the Gyula and Livia Polcz family featured in Carnegie Library’s “From Distant Shores” exhibit now on display.

Both Gyula and Livia were born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. They married on September 21, 1940 and later welcomed two sons to their family, Gyorgy and Laszlo. Following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and its suppression by Soviet forces, the Polcz family joined thousands of other Hungarians seeking political refuge abroad. They first fled to Austria before relocating to Santiago, Chile in 1958. In 1964, Gyula and Livia permanently settled in Muncie, Indiana, where their nephew Otto Feld taught violin at Ball State and served as Muncie Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster. Gyula worked as a serviceman for Burgauer Business Machine Company before retiring by 1979 while Livia was a homemaker. They died in 1997 and 1998 respectively.

Gyula and Livia’s son Gyorgy attended Ball State University and went on to receive a medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1970. He practiced medicine here in Muncie from 1970 until his death in 2017. According to his obituary, “his patients often said that he treated them with care, kindness, and humor” (Star Press, 05-10-2017, p. 4A). Some of Gyorgy’s interests included ham radio as well as collecting and repairing antique transistor radios.

If you want to learn more about our immigrant history, especially as it relates to Muncie’s downtown, be sure to register for our upcoming program, “Walking in the Steps of Immigrants” here: https://www.munciepubliclibrary.org/events/day/2026/09/19. We will embark on a journey through downtown telling the stories of those immigrants who came to the Magic City to follow their version of the American Dream. It is a walking tour, and the distance covered will be less than a mile. If you have any questions about the event or need help registering for the program, please call Carnegie Library at 765-747-8208.

Images:
Gyula Polcz and his mother, 1917, “From Distant Shores” exhibit, Carnegie Library Special Collections

Gyula Polcz, “Muncie Star,” 11-02-1997, p. 8

Livia Polcz, “Muncie Star,” 11-16-1998, p. 8

Dr. Gyorgy Polcz, “Muncie Star,” 12-28-1997, p. 3D.