Stacks highlights the Library’s relationship with the community it has served for well over 100 years. No institution operates in a vacuum, least of all a public library: the history of the IMCPL is tied to the history of Indianapolis and the changing needs and interests of its residents. In striving to satisfy those needs and interests, the Library has been both a reflection of and a counterpoint to the various political, social, religious, and economic forces affecting American society. The Library has always been more than a source of information; it has been a center of community life. Stacks tells the story of the IMCPL’s evolution, placing it in a national content and emphasizing its role in the educational and cultural life of Indianapolis.