blog.library.in.gov Open in urlscan Pro
208.119.1.69  Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

GET https://blog.library.in.gov/

<form method="get" id="searchform" action="https://blog.library.in.gov/">
  <label for="s" class="assistive-text">Search</label>
  <input type="text" class="field" name="s" id="s" placeholder="Search">
  <input type="submit" class="submit" name="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search">
</form>

GET https://blog.library.in.gov/

<form method="get" id="searchform" action="https://blog.library.in.gov/">
  <label for="s" class="assistive-text">Search</label>
  <input type="text" class="field" name="s" id="s" placeholder="Search">
  <input type="submit" class="submit" name="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search">
</form>

Text Content

INDIANA STATE LIBRARY


THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE INDIANA STATE LIBRARY

Search


MAIN MENU

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
 * Home
 * About
 * Indiana State Library


POST NAVIGATION

← Older posts



‘IN WAR, TRUTH IS THE FIRST CASUALTY’

Posted on June 13, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

Any account of the first World War is grim. Battles lasted months and soldiers
died by the thousands while “attacking” between enemy trenches, but for the
United States Army Signal Corps – the official photographers of the American
Expeditionary Forces – their task was to present the conflict in such a way that
it bolstered morale both in the trenches and back home.

The thousands of images retained by the AEF suggest a history at odds with the
realities of the war. The Indiana State Library houses four small scrapbooks of
labeled photographs, all taken by the Signal Corps, that appear to focus on the
lighter aspects of the conflict while glossing over the darker aspects of the
war.

These posed images…







…stand in stark contrast to the few action shots captured from the front lines.



During the less than two years the AEF saw action in Europe, 50,000 US soldiers
died in combat and over 200,000 troops were injured, yet photographs of No Man’s
Land and the wounded are scarce.

There are, however, plenty of photographs of men playing volleyball, sorting
mail and repairing holes.







Along side the United States Signal Corps, and despite being forbidden by their
governments to do so, soldiers also photographed the war, many using a Kodak
Vest Camera that really could fit into a pocket and even enabled photographers
to scribble notes on the back of the film before it was developed. Photographs
taken by these troops bear witness to a different conflict.

Promoting the image of a necessary and successful war, the Signal Corps also
turned its lens on women serving donuts, entertaining the troops and
embroidering.







There are also snaps of women more immediately involved in the conflict, French
women assisting with camouflage and the Hello Girls commissioned by General
Pershing to handle communications as female operators were significantly faster
than their male counterparts.

The thousands of images taken by the Signal Corps to document The War to End All
Wars are worthy of attention for a host of reasons, and perhaps one of those is
to remind us that every picture tells a story, if not a complete one.

This blog post was written by Kate Mcginn, reference librarian, Indiana State
Library.


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Reference & Government | Tagged Photographs, War, world war i, wwi


REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2024 DIFFERENCE IS YOU CONFERENCE

Posted on June 7, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

The Professional Development Committee of the Indiana State Library has a
mission to support all libraries – academic, public, special and school – and
offers events for library workers at every level to learn, teach, share and to
make connections with others in the library world of Indiana.

The theme of this year’s Difference is You Conference is “Grow Your Garden” and
we hope you can develop and cultivate what you learn at this event and that you
can expand upon this knowledge at your own library. Friday, Sept. 20 is the date
of the conference and it will run from 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Eastern Time at the
Indiana State Library, located at 315 W. Ohio St. in Indianapolis.

The Difference is You Conference is the only statewide conference designed
especially for library support staff and non-MLS librarians, but all are
welcome. Come get inspiration and motivation, as well as several ideas for
programming. Consider registering your staff as a group as a team-building
outing.



The cost is $30 per person, which includes a boxed lunch. There will be a
variety of options, including meat and vegetarian. A total of five LEUs are
available for the conference, if you take the Indiana State Library tour.

Click here to register before Friday, Aug. 9. Payment is due by Aug. 23. Your
library will be invoiced. Full session descriptions and presenters biographies
are found on the Difference is You Conference page.

Conference Schedule
Registration – 9-9:30 a.m. Great Hall desk.
Welcome – 9:30-9:45 a.m. Jacob Speer, Indiana State Librarian and announcement
of DIY Award Winner.
Keynote – 9:45-10:45 a.m. “Artificial Intelligence in Libraries,” presented by
Amanda Papandreou and Cassandra Jones-VanMieghem.
Session 1 – 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

 * “Building Relationships with Local Officials and Organizations,” presented by
   Vanessa Martin and Julie Wendorf.
 * “Communicating Across Generations,” presented by Amanda Stevenson-Holmes.
 * “Teen Mental Health – Taking Action and Sharing Resources,” presented by
   Jason Murray.

Lunch and Indiana State Library Tour – 12:15-1:15 pm – Meet at the Great Hall
desk.
Session 2 – 1:30-2:30 p.m.

 * “Welcoming People with Disabilities to the Library,” presented by Jessica
   Minor.
 * “Services from the Indiana State Library,” presented by Paula Newcom.
 * “Teaching Technology to Your Community,” presented by Beth Gaff.

Session 3 – 2:45-3:45 p.m.

 * “Immigrants in Indiana: Data, Needs and Resources,” presented by Bekah
   Joslin.
 * “Emotional Intelligence,” presented by Amanda Stevenson-Holmes.
 * “State Data Center and Grant Data,” presented by Katie Springer.

This is a program of the Indiana State Library’s Professional Development
Committee.  Committee members include: Paula Newcom and Kara Cleveland,
co-chairs; David Eisen; George Bergstrom; Holley Nickell; Jenny Hughes; Jenny
Kobiela-Mondor; Kimberly Brown; Lacey Klemm and Susie Highley. Special thanks to
Courtney Brown.

Pro tips for attending conference:

 * Make sure you dress in layers, as some rooms are warm and others cooler.
 * Bring these items if needed – a water bottle, notebook and tote bag.
 * Make sure to bring your parking voucher in with you so it can be validated at
   the registration desk.

Click here for a map to the parking areas.

We hope you can attend this year’s Difference is You Conference. It is a
wonderful way to network with staff from libraries across the state and to be
able to explore the beautiful historic Indiana State Library.

This post was written by Northeast regional coordinator Paula Newcom of the
Indiana State Library Professional Development Office.


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Professional Development Office (PDO) | Tagged conference, difference
is you, DIY, Indiana, Library


THE ROCK HOUSE

Posted on May 30, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

The striking Rock House on State Road 252 in Morgantown, Indiana catches the eye
of many a passer-by. It started life as a home for a local businessman and his
very large family. Construction on the house began in 1894 and was completed two
years later. James Smith Knight, the builder and owner, used cement blocks more
than a decade before they became widely used in construction. He then embedded
them not only with rocks and geodes, but also colored glass, keys, coins, dice,
pottery, marbles, seashells and even doll heads. Most of the rocks came from
nearby Bear Creek. Knight’s name, as well as that of his first wife Isabelle,
were embedded into the house using small black stones. A side porch contained a
block with a tusk of a wild boar that Knight had killed. The interior of the
home included a dumbwaiter, laundry chutes and a bedroom designed for the
delivery of Knight’s 22 children born between 1891 and 1932. The second story of
the round tower was intended for the upkeep of Isabelle’s plant collection. The
total cost of the construction was $9,000 or around $328,000 today.

The Rock House, courtesy of morgantown.in.gov.

There are several legends associated with the Rock House. Family lore holds that
Knight was friends with the father of John Dillinger, and that Dillinger himself
stayed in the house for a night along with a friend. Some of Knight’s children
claimed that another man on the run from the law was hidden in the attic for
several years. Certain versions of the story state that the man was driven out
from his hiding place after he accidentally set a small fire.

James Smith Knight and his first wife Isabelle with their six oldest children:
Fred, Regina, Charles, Inez, Nadene and Garnet, in 1903. Pallas Houser
Collection, Genealogy Division.

Knight married Myrtle Settles after the death of his wife Isabelle in 1915, and
they lived in the Rock House until James’ death in 1943. More information about
Knight and his family can be found in the Pallas Houser Collection in the
Genealogy Division.

This post was written by Laura Williams, genealogy librarian at the Indiana
State Library.


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Genealogy | Tagged Genealogy, Indiana, Morgantown, Rock House


SAVE WOODRUFF PLACE

Posted on May 24, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

On Sept. 18, 1953, residents of Woodruff Place were invited to attend a town
hall meeting via a flyer proclaiming that “time is of the essence.” The flyer –
a copy of which can be found in the Small Broadsides Collection at the Indiana
State Library – provides a glimpse into the hard-fought battle that ultimately
resulted in the annexation of Woodruff Place into the city of Indianapolis.



Now a near-east side neighborhood, the town was established in the 1870s by
James O. Woodruff, best known for creating the city’s water system, and it
remained an independent town within city limits after it was incorporated in
1876. Councilman J. Wesley Brown introduced the annexation ordinance multiple
times in 1953 before it was passed in September, but it was formally enacted
only after nine years of protests and legal battles. The final blow to resistant
Woodruff Place residents came in February 1962 after the Supreme Court decided
not to review the case, the next logical step after the Indiana Supreme Court
upheld the annexation the previous year. At the time of annexation, it comprised
around 1,700 residents.

The reason for annexation cited by the city was the need for Woodruff Place
residents to pay their share of taxes, though the incorporated town did already
pay the city fees for trash, sewage, education, police, fire and the General
Hospital. Residents cited concerns over losing zoning power – which was
eventually addressed – amid increased industrialization of the surrounding area
and control over the features that typified the area, such as the iconic
fountains. The debate was often heated, with one resident in the Sept. 4, 1960
issue of the Indianapolis Star comparing the city’s views on their right to
annex Woodruff Place to “what the Russians think about the people of Hungary.”
The press could also be critical of Woodruff Place in turn. In an Indianapolis
Star op-ed supporting annexation in Oct. 22, 1953, for instance, the author
likened the city to a Roman town, referring to both as “tombs of entanglement.”

One of the fountains in Woodruff Place. From the Indiana State Library’s
Oversize General Photograph Collection.

In 1954, amid a drastic increase in service fees levied after annexation was
initially challenged by residents, the town agreed only to pay for fire and for
a period the city was only served by county sheriff’s office. Later, after it
was determined that the Indianapolis treasury could not be used to fight the
legal battle, Woodruff Place residents raised the money via donations from both
resident homeowners and renters. This fund was referred to as a “War Fund” in
the press.

With many residents now only ever knowing Woodruff Place as a charming
neighborhood, it is now perhaps best know for its flea market, which has taken
place the first week of June as a neighborhood fundraiser since 1975.

This post was written by Victoria Duncan, Rare Books and Manuscripts supervisor.


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Rare Books & Manuscripts, Uncategorized | Tagged annexation, Indiana,
Indianapolis, neighborhood, Woodruff Place


INDIANA RESOURCE SHARING UPDATE – MAY 2024

Posted on May 23, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

A lot of positive things have been happening in resource sharing these past few
months, so we wanted to provide an update on how books are currently moving
around the state.

InfoExpress courier service
We are pleased to report that the InfoExpress Courier Service, currently
operated by Indianapolis’s NOW Courier, has almost completely recovered, and
over 90% of expected stops are being made weekly. The Indiana State Library
truly appreciates everyone’s patience and willingness to help with the recovery
process, whether it was reporting missed stops, or visiting the Indianapolis
warehouse to collect items.

The renewal period is open for participation for the 2024-2025 service year,
with registrations being due June 1. Claims for lost materials are still being
collected for any materials that were lost last summer during the courier
transition. Indiana State Library staff encourage any libraries with extra
shipping bags to return those to the State Library at their convenience, as
supplies are running low. Finally, please let the InfoExpress coordinator know
if your library will be closed for any portion of the summer.

Discovery to Delivery Conference
Plans are underway for this year’s Discovery to Delivery Conference, tentatively
scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Two big changes this year will include a
change of venue – Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington – and a new virtual
attendance option for many sessions. State Library staff are happy to be working
with members of ALI and their Resource Sharing Committee on plans for the
conference. A save the date announcement will be shared widely soon, as well as
a call for proposals for conference sessions for anyone interested in
presenting.



SRCS
The current SRCS contract with Auto-Graphics, Inc. expires Sept. 30, and the
Indiana Department of Administration is currently completing the request for
proposals – also known as an  RFP –  process for the continuation of the service
which is required to be bid out periodically. A committee of State Library staff
and volunteers from public and academic libraries statewide have reviewed the
proposals, have participated in product demonstrations and have submitted
recommendations to IDOA. The results of this RFP are still forthcoming, and the
State Library will notify libraries about any upcoming changes to the service or
its providers as soon as they are known.

Evergreen
Evergreen Indiana continues to grow, most recently welcoming the
Morrisson-Reeves, Jasonville and Owensville Public Libraries, for a total of 132
of Indiana’s 236 public libraries sharing a catalog and transiting materials
between each other.

The consortium also welcomes Courtney Brown, previously the Indiana State
Library’s Southeast regional coordinator, as the new Evergreen Indiana
Consortium director. We truly thank Ruth Davis for all her years of service and
dedication to the consortium and Resource Sharing Committee, and wish her well
in Virginia!

This blog post was written by Jen Clifton, Library Development Office.


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Library Development Office | Tagged Evergreen, Indiana, infoExpress,
resource sharing


INDIANA STATE LIBRARY’S NEW DIGITIZATION LAB

Posted on May 20, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

On April 17, 2024, the Indiana State Library held an open house for its staff in
our new digitization lab. Many attended and were impressed with the new setup,
which brings all of the Indiana State Library’s major internal digitization
devices into one roomy, comfortable space.



The process started two years ago, when the Indiana State Library purchased a
new Phase One camera system, which beautifully digitizes large items such as
maps, posters and broadsheets. Our conservator, Seth Irwin, had envisioned
installing it in the old digitization lab, but its small size could not
accommodate the new camera system. One room that was for consideration was the
fourth-floor computer lab, room 428, which provided a space for state government
employees to conduct training seminars. Unfortunately, the computer lab wasn’t
going to be decommissioned in time to install the Phase One system, so we
settled on installing it in the conservation lab. Additionally, the Indiana
State Library purchased a state-of-the-art archival box making machine, which
could only be installed in the old digitization lab. That made the room even
more crowded.

Cut to last year, when the administration team of the Indiana State Library
informed Irwin, Indiana Division supervisor Monique Howell, internal
digitization librarian Chris Marshall and myself that the computers would be
removed from 428 in the spring of 2024. We were ecstatic! We were finally going
to move the digitization lab to the room we all wanted after all.

The Digitization Equipment Committee, composed of myself, Marshall, Irwin,
Howell, Rare Books and Manuscripts Division librarian Brittany Kropf and
Genealogy Division librarian Sarah Pfundstein, all began planning the move to
the new digitization lab. We decided which devices were moving, the layout of
the room, which tables and shelving we would need and any modifications of the
devices. Our three Bookeye overhead scanners, which are primarily used for
books, newspapers and pamphlets, would need larger tables to accommodate their
weight and size. Fortunately for us, the State Library decommissioned some of
the old microfilm readers on the second floor, and the tables for those devices
were perfect for the Bookeye scanners. We had Damon Lawrence, our director of
building operations, move those tables into 428. We also repurposed many of the
tables used for the computer lab, as they were sturdy and provided ample space
for the Epson flatbed scanner and the two desktop computers needed for the
Bookeye scanners.

The computers were removed on March 20, way ahead of our schedule for moving our
equipment. Once they were gone and the old microfilm tables were moved to 428,
we transferred all of the digitization equipment from the old lab into our new
one on March 28. Irwin and Marshall moved the Phase One system out of the
conservation lab into the new digitization lab on April 1, weeks in advance of
our original plan.

The new digitization lab now houses our three Bookeye scanners, our PlusTek
photographic slide and negative scanner, our Epson flatbed scanner, the Phase
One camera system and all of our other equipment we lend to libraries pursuing
digitization projects. Other than the cost of installing new locks and
self-closing mechanisms on the two outside doors, we were able to do this move
without additional costs to the Indiana State Library.

The new digitization lab will provide library staff with an opportunity to learn
more about our equipment and how they can use it for their respective divisions.
It also provides space for growth when the Indiana State Library decides to
acquire new digitization equipment, especially for audio/visual digitization, an
area where we anticipate growth in the coming years. All of us at the Indiana
State Library are proud of our new digitization lab and look forward to our
continued work digitizing the history of the great state of Indiana.

If you’re interested in learning more about our digitization division and the
services we provide, please reach out to me via email.

This blog was submitted by Justin Clark, digital initiatives director at the
Indiana Historical Bureau, a division of the Indiana State Library.


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Conservation | Tagged Conservation, digital, equipment, lab


10 YEARS OF THE INDIANA EARLY LITERACY FIREFLY AWARD

Posted on May 16, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

On Oct. 1, 2014, the Indiana Center for the Book announced their new Indiana
Early Literacy Firefly Award in the Indiana State Library’s weekly newsletter,
the Wednesday Word. Later in 2015, the first book to win the award was
announced. In the first year of the award, over 1,200 Indiana children ages 0-5
voted on one of eight books nominated by Indiana librarians and selected by the
Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Committee as being worthy of consideration for
this award. The first year, the book “Don’t Push the Button!,” written and
illustrated by Bill Cotter, took home top honors and won the award. Each year
since, a different book has won the award, based on votes from Indiana children,
ages 0-5.

Some things about the award have changed. Starting in the second year, only five
books appeared on the ballot, as it was determined that young children could
more easily choose from a group of five books versus a group of eight. During
the pandemic, remote voting was added. Also, starting in 2018, the Firefly
Committee began creating program guides to go along with the award, providing
parents, caregivers, teachers and librarians with dozens and dozens of
developmentally appropriate activities to support each title appearing on the
ballot. The program guide is what sets the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award
apart from other state book awards.

This year’s program guide includes songs, book lists, rhymes, magnet boards,
full-body activities, fine-motor activities and much more to support the program
and encourage parents and caregivers to not just read the books, but to immerse
their children in activities about the books.

Since the award’s inception, over 27,000 votes have been cast for the Indiana
Early Literacy Firefly Award. This year, the committee is hoping for another
crop of votes from young children, ages 0-5 to usher in the next 10 years of the
award. Of course, it is assumed that children ages 0-5 will need assistance in
casting their ballots. Some libraries provide voting programs where children
each get a bean bag that they put directly on the cover of their favorite book.
Other libraries provide ballot boxes that parents can use to log their child’s
vote. No matter what book wins, everyone wins when they participate in the
Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award. Why? Because it’s just the cutest book
award in the land.

Voting for this year’s award is now open. Votes can be submitted online through
the remote voting form or can be submitted through any local library in Indiana
that is participating in the award.

The 2024 nominees are as follows:

 * “Bear Has a Belly” by Jane Whittingham.
 * “Firefighter Flo!” by Andrea Zimmerman.
 * “Let’s Go Puddling!” by Emma Perry.
 * “I Was Born a Baby” by Meg Fleming.
 * “One, Two, Grandpa Loves You” by Shelly Becker.



For more information about the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award, reach out
to Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book.

This blog post was submitted by Indiana Young Readers Center librarian Suzanne
Walker.


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Indiana Young Readers Center | Tagged award, Books, children, firefly,
Indiana


THE LONGEST, SHORTEST, DARKEST RACE: THE 1973 INDIANAPOLIS 500

Posted on May 10, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

Since the inaugural race in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has provided racing fans
with fast thrills in the month of May. Some years have provided more drama than
others and 1973 was certainly such a year.

Poster advertising the 1973 time trials. Medium Broadsides Collection, Rare
Books and Manuscripts Division.

1973 was the 57th running of the race and going into it, fans were excited to
see cars possibly reach 200 mph speeds for the first time ever. Qualifications
began on Saturday, but before they could even start, driver Art Pollard crashed
on a practice run and would eventually die from his injuries. The time trials
continued with Johnny Rutherford posting the fastest time at 199.071 mph,
tantalizingly close to the coveted 200 mph, but still short.

The race was scheduled for Monday, May 28. After an initial four-hour rain
delay, the race officially started but things went horribly wrong on the very
first lap. Caused in part by a car moving extremely slow due to a mechanical
failure, a 12-car crash put an immediate halt to the race. A massive fireball
from the wreckage of driver Salt Walther’s car reached spectators in the stands
and several were rushed to local hospitals with serious burns. While he survived
the wreck, Walther would have to undergo a very lengthy recovery and, in the
process, became addicted to pain medication, a condition he struggled with for
the rest of his life until dying from an overdose in 2012. Perhaps fortuitously,
another torrential rainstorm began shortly after the wreck and the race needed
to be postponed to the next day.

Front page of The Indianapolis Star, May 29, 1973.

Racing conditions did not improve the following day. Despite over 200,000 fans
showing up for the second attempt at the race, another postponement was
announced. This was the first time in the race’s history that a race had to be
postponed two days in a row. Spirits were low among drivers, crews and fans with
some hoping the race would be completely cancelled.

Sheltering from the rain on Pit Row. Picture from the official yearbook for the
1973 Indianapolis 500 (ISLI 796.7 I388i 1973).

The third and final attempt at running the race occurred on Wednesday, May 30.
The weather continued to threaten rain but the sun came out briefly and dried
the track enough to start the race. Racing resumed and was a typical
Indianapolis 500 for over 50 laps until a wreck on the 57th lap trapped driver
“Swede” Savage in yet another huge fireball. Pit crew members from various teams
ran on foot towards the accident and one of them, Armando Teran, was
accidentally killed by an emergency vehicle which was also speeding towards the
wreck. While initially surviving the inferno, Savage would ultimately succumb to
his injuries several weeks later.

Spectators near the wreck were understandably traumatized. They had to watch
both Savage moving around in the remains of his car, desperately trying to get
out while completely engulfed in flames, followed by witnessing the violent
death of Armando Teran. Several fans, including women from the 500 Festival
court, fainted.

From The Indianapolis Star, May 31, 1973, page 19.

Once the accident had been cleared away, the race trudged on but when rain began
to fall yet again, a final red flag was flown at lap 133, 67 laps short of the
normal 200. The leader, Gordon Johncock, was named the winner and the 57th
running of the Indy 500 mercifully came to end. Only 11 of the original lineup
of 33 cars managed to finish the race.

The Indianapolis Star, May 31, 1973.

The troubles of the 1973 race and the collective anger of drivers and teams
resulted in the creation of several safety measures. Due to the numerous large
fires caused by crashes, cars were no longer allowed to carry so much fuel and
it was recommended that fuel tanks be on the left side of the car, to avoid
damage and explosions when hitting walls. Another change required pit crew
members to remain at their posts in order to keep out of the way of safety
crews.

Cover of the 1973 yearbook featuring winner Gordon Johncock.

Ultimately, it took the 1973 Indy 500 three whole days to complete a mere 332
miles making it both the longest and shortest race at the time. Even though
Rutherford came very close to reaching 200mph during qualifications, race fans
would have to wait four more years to witness a driver achieve that particular
feat, which Tom Sneva did in 1977.

This blog post was written by Jocelyn Lewis, Catalog Division supervisor,
Indiana State Library. For more information, contact the Indiana State Library
at 317-232-3678 or “Ask-A-Librarian.”


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Catalog | Tagged 1973, Indianapolis 500, Indy500, racecars


INLLA 2023 IS A WRAP!

Posted on May 2, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

The Indiana Library Leadership Academy recently held their final check-in
meeting to celebrate the accomplishments of the participants in 2023.
Participants shared how their projects were progressing and how many of them are
a work in process. Several of the INLLA participants also shared that they have
been promoted to branch managers, assistant directors and directorships in the
past year.

It is always hard when INLLA ends, but friendships and having a network of
library leaders across the state is invaluable and, because of that, the magic
of INLLA doesn’t have to end. I would like to share some of the projects
initiated by the 2023 participants.

First up is Elyssa Everling, Adult Services librarian for the Trafalgar branch
of the Johnson County Public Library, who wanted to do more outreach to share
with community members the many services that the Johnson County Public Library
offers.

“For my INLLA project, I created a program and presentation called ‘JCPL 101: An
Introduction to Your Library.’ I did this in hopes of introducing people to more
of the services that JCPL offers,” Everling said. “I’ve noticed that so many
people have no idea of the breadth of services, programs and events that we
offer. They think we’re still just dealing in books. The PowerPoint highlighted
several areas, including Project Prom, LitLoot, Authors @ JCPL, JCPL on Wheels,
as well as smaller things we offer such as wireless printing and notary
services.

“I first presented this at the local school during the teacher’s wellness day. I
had several people interested in resources, as well as two new library users. I
then took it to the local JobCorps. All the kids got library cards and will have
monthly visits to our branch, as well as visits from our JCPL on Wheels. For my
final presentation, I went along with another librarian to the twice monthly
book discussion at the juvenile detention center. I talked to two groups of
teens about all the cool things the library does and resources they can use once
they are no longer there. Overall, the program was successful, and I look
forward to taking it to other groups as needed.”



Next is Wynn Zetterberg, programming director at the Sheridan Public Library,
who offered a description of his INLLA project in addition to a new program
started recently.

“My project was to establish outreach at the Sheridan Public Library. We now
have two outreach stops within the Sheridan community and each month the program
continues to grow with more patrons using the services,” Zetterberg said.

“While I was establishing outreach, I was also working with our local Greek’s
Pizzeria and The Farmers Bank to create what we called The Sheridan Public
Library Reading Challenge. Students in our community in grades K-5 with an
active library card can read for 20 minutes a day 20 times throughout the month
and earn a free pizza. This program promotes literacy and creates partnerships
in our community. We are hoping to expand it in the future to different age
groups and into other library communities, too.”

Finally, Carmen Clark, Adult Services team leader for the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris
Public Library, took her passion for readers’ advisory and created a toolkit to
guide others to deliver great readers’ advisory services.

“The idea for my project sprouted from my experience and affection for readers’
advisory. I had been writing book reviews for Booklist and Library Journal since
2020 and I joined the American Library Association’s Reading List Committee in
February of 2024. The focus of the project is to provide library staff with
resources, training and tools in an effort to make providing readers’ advisory
more approachable, thus creating a cohesive knowledge base and team atmosphere
between reference and circulation staff. This project will continue to grow and
develop, broadening to affect collection maintenance and access, marketing
strategies and the library’s ‘What Should I Read Next’ program,” Clark said.

Stay tuned for more 2023 INLLA project updates in the future.

This blog post was submitted by Kara Cleveland, Professional Development Office
supervisor at the Indiana State Library.


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Professional Development Office (PDO) | Tagged Indiana, leadership,
Library, projects


HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT TWIN VISION BOOKS?

Posted on April 25, 2024 by indianastatelibrary

Did you know that the Indiana Talking Book Library has a robust collection of
Twin Vision braille books? The Talking Book Library houses hundreds of Twin
Vision braille books for you to enjoy, but what exactly are Twin Vision braille
books?

Here is just a small example of the many Twin Vision books we have in house.

In 1960, Jean Dyon Norris had the idea to create a way that blind children could
read with their sighted parents, or blind parents could read bedtime stories to
their sighted children. Norris found a way to create books that contained print
with pictures along with the same text in braille.

Two book in the collection: “Stack the Cats” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

“I heard this blind mother talking about her children,” Norris recalled. “She
said, ‘My children just don’t understand why I can’t read books to them.’” She
went home that night and dug out a copy of a book her son had loved as a child,
“Fuzzy Wuzzy Puppy.” Using a slate and stylus, the most labor intensive of
braille transcribing methods, she created the first Twin Vision braille book
(Colker, 1990).

The interior of “Stack the Cats.”

Norris started creating Twin Vision braille books on her kitchen table and
distributing them to friends that needed them. Her work grew into creating
libraries that included Twin Vision books. Eventually, the National Federation
of the Blind and the National Library Service followed her lead and started
manufacturing these books.

The interior of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” with the braille overlay pulled up
so it is visible.

All this history leads us to today, and our collection. We have the old classic
Twin Vision books, as well as newly-published books for kids and adults alike to
enjoy together.

If you are interested in any of our twin vision books, give us a call at
800-622-4970.

This post was written by Abby Chumin, librarian in the Indiana Talking Book and
Braille Library.

Colker, D. (1990, March 29). “Once more, with feeling: Twin vision translates
classic children’s stories into Braille.” Los Angeles Times.

 

 

 

 

 


SHARE THIS:

 * Facebook
 * X
 * 

Posted in Talking Books & Braille, Uncategorized | Tagged Indiana, Library,
Talking Books, Twin Vision


POST NAVIGATION

← Older posts



HOURS & INFO

+−
⇧
 * © OpenStreetMap contributors.

»
⤢

315 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
1-317-232-3675

Monday8am-4:30pm Tuesday8am-4:30pm Wednesday8am-4:30pm Thursday8am-4:30pm
Friday8am-4:30pm SaturdaySee website SundayClosed


STATE_LIBRARY

It's time to enjoy a long summer of swimming, just
Follow on Instagram


FIND A POST

FIND A POST Select Month June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024
January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023
July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023
December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022
June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December
2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021
May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November
2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April
2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October
2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March
2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018
September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018
February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September
2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February
2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August
2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January
2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July
2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015


ISL BLOG SEARCH

Search


RSS

 * RSS - Posts
 * RSS - Comments

Please email the Indiana State Library with any questions, comments, suggestions
or corrections.

© 2024, Indiana State Library, blog.library.IN.gov