WARSAW — Warsaw Community Public Library is now making available to its patrons free access to seven high-profile destinations across Indiana.

The new plan was unveiled Monday at the library's board meeting and is the result of a partnership with Museum Key, a service that allows patrons to reserve passes on the library's website for specific attractions by using their library card number and PIN.

 The passes provide free admission to the following:

• Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis
• Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum, Elkhart
• Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis
• Potawatomi Zoo, South Bend
• Science Central, Fort Wayne
• The History Museum, South Bend
• Wellfield Botanic Gardens, Elkhart

Library Director Heather Barron said the service is another attempt to support patrons while outside of the physical library.

"We think it's really important to lower access barriers for families to be able to get together, to learn," Barron said. "This is one new way that a lot of libraries are trying to give their patrons access to different things."

Barron said Erica Bennington and Jacob Shriner, who are both part of the library's Adult Services Department, researched the issue before assembling the plan.

"They researched quite a few libraries to find out which passes worked for them, and who they partnered with, and then we looked at how far our patrons might be willing to travel and what they might be interested in," Barron said.

The South Bend Zoo appears to be one of the more popular choices, and officials hope to eventually include the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo as well.

The Library remains open to other destinations, Barron said.

Many of the destinations have specific rules and limitations that patrons will need to review ahead of time.

Online, the Experience Passes can be found under the "Books, Movies, & More" tab near the top of the home page.

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South Bend’s Potawatomi Zoo recently acquired two okapi from Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo. They’re expected to go on display later this month.

Both are males standing about 5 feet tall. They’re related to the giraffe but sport shorter necks, similar long ears and a long tongue.

Zoo executive director Marcy Dean calls 4-year-old Corky and 2-year-old Will “the boys” and says zoo staffers are enamored with them.

Dean tells The South Bend Tribune the okapi are a coup for the zoo because no other zoo in Indiana or Michigan has them.

She says only about 20 to 25 other U.S. zoos exhibit okapi.

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All of the names have either a Chicago Cubs or South Bend flavor to them. The choices are Addison, Avanti (Studebaker Model), Belle, Brizzo (as in “bri-zoe”, which honors both Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant), Fergie, Ivy, Kris, and Loni (a Pokagon Indian princess).

Voting has begun on the Potawatomi Zoo’s website. The two winning names will be announced on July 1.

The two cubs were born last July and the twin girls are the daughters of Pearl and Sergei, who live permanently at the zoo. Their arrival means that nine Amur Leopoard cubs have been born at the Zoo since 2007. This is important because the species is listed as “Critically Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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