A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Dave Fink
- By: Claire Kenney
- Last Updated: July 23, 2026
Dave Fink has served as the youth services librarian and assistant supervisor of the Youth Services Department at Michigan City Public Library for 15 years.
Fink grew up in Michigan City, but left in the mid-1990s to earn his undergraduate degree at Indiana University (IU) Bloomington, where he later earned his master’s degree as well. His studies focused on music and, prior to his career at Michigan City Public Library, Fink was a teacher.
“His work at the library helps make a significant difference in the educational growth of children in our community as well as fosters a love of reading in them,” said one local community member.
Fink runs different programs at the library, including Story Time and STEAM Ahead.
Story Time is programming designed for children up to 5 years old that integrates reading, crafts, songs, and activities.
“I started to put some of the stories on YouTube, and now there’s a teacher in California that uses them in her daily preschool curriculum,” said Fink. “I put the book ‘Trashy Town’ to music and narration. The book details a garbage truck’s journey picking up trash in a town.”
The teacher’s students recently sent Fink fan mail, including a “Trashy Town” poster they made and other individual drawings.
“I am going to create a version of the story where the truck drives through their town in California,” said Fink. “I’m thrilled that the students love the story videos. It’s neat to think about a school halfway across the country learning from what we’re doing at Michigan City Public Library.”
Fink also wants to create a “Trashy Town” story version that is focused on Michigan City and incorporates its iconic businesses and attractions, like the East Pierhead Lighthouse.
“We have a lot of children attending story time this summer,” said Fink. “We average around 65 people at each weekly storytime. It’s really been a popular program at the library.”
STEAM Ahead is targeted for kids ages 6 and up, and parents and adults often attend with their children. STEAM Ahead programming leverages robots, 3D pens, LEGOs, and other materials to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math. The sessions typically have around 15 students weekly.
Outside of work Fink enjoys watching basketball, mainly reruns of old 1980s and 1990s games on YouTube. He also loves jazz and performed professionally for 10-15 years.
Fink has several favorite restaurants in the area. These include Albano’s Villa, Miller Pizza by the Beach, and Lakeshore Coffee.
“Michigan City’s community is valuable,” said Fink. “I’ve met a lot of people here since I moved back 15-16 years, even firefighters and police.”
Throughout his programming, Fink is always very intentional about creating a collaborative learning environment where children engage and share ideas.
“I love the moment when it all clicks for the kids,” said Fink.
To learn more about Fink’s storytelling, visit mclib.org/parents/story-time. To learn more about his STEAM Ahead programming, visit mclib.org/kids/steam-ahead-kids. For a full list of Michigan City Public Library events visit mclib.org/events.