Category Archives: Administration

2025 Indiana State Library end-of-year reflection

Posted on by

As we close out the Indiana State Library’s Bicentennial year, a huge thank you goes to all our hard working staff, not only for their persistent diligence and dedication throughout the year, without which our programs and services would not be as successful, but also for their extra effort on our Bicentennial projects and events.

We went about our regular business of Vision Expo, Discovery to Delivery, the Different is You conference, DNA workshops, Genealogy for Night Owls, Evergreen Indiana library migrations and updates (and everything that goes along with those), summer lecture and lunch and learn series, web archiving born digital state publications, digitizing and uploading collections to the Indiana State Library Digital Collections, assisting other libraries with creating their own collections hosted by the Indiana State Library, etc. In addition to that, we celebrated the Indiana State Library’s Bicentennial with multiple programs and even a publication!

As part of our Bicentennial festivities, the library published “Laying the Foundation,” a book showcasing 100 items from the library’s vast and remarkable collection. The items featured cover a wide array of topics and span centuries.

Picture of Laying the Foundation book. In addition to the publication that the library’s staff worked on, the Indiana State Library also hosted a Bicentennial reception on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 200 years to the day that the General Assembly established the Indiana State Library. The reception was a celebratory reflection on the collections, history and services of the Indiana State Library. A festive occasion was held with refreshments, music by a string duet from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, tours of the library, exhibit displays and a talk by Lisa Hendrickson, the granddaughter of Edward Pierre of Pierre and Wright, the architects of the Indiana State Library and Historical Building.

Picture of Bicentennial celebration attendees in Great Hall of Indiana State Library. Several other Bicentennial programs were held, including escape rooms and trivia games during the lunch hour; a “Ghostly Gathering” that, along with fun stuff for the kids, also provided a chilling peek at spooky and creepy items from our collections; and a Bicentennial Lunch and Learn followed by a marker dedication. Capping off a year of programming related to the Bicentennial, the library held a marker dedication, dedicating a new state historical marker commemorating the Indiana State Library.

Picture of historical marker outside of Indiana State Library. While these are only a sprinkling and highlights from a year full of programs and services well-done, the staff at the Indiana State Library pulled together to ensure the year of the library’s Bicentennial was both commemorated and would be remembered as we celebrated 200 years in 2025. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication!

This blog post was written by Stephanie Asberry, deputy director of public and statewide services at the Indiana State Library.

Updated 2025 database collection now available on INSPIRE

Posted on by

Beginning Friday, Aug. 1, a new resource package from EBSCO is available via the Indiana State Library’s INSPIRE website. The suite includes essential information covering career development, business, psychology, history, religion and more. The following EBSCO databases are now available:

INSPIRE logo with text "Lifelong Learning Library for Hoosiers."Academic Search Elite includes 1,329 active full-text journals and magazines covering the social sciences, humanities, general science, multi-cultural studies, education and more. It also includes 60,000 videos from the Associated Press.

Business Source Elite offers 492 active full-text journals and magazines covering business, management, economics, banking, finance and accounting. It includes Harvard Business Review, Academy of Management Journal, MIS Quarterly, Forbes and others.

Consumer Health Complete provides 274 active full-text journals and magazines, plus more than 330 animations with audio narration and 3,746 health reports.

Consumer Health Reference eBook Collection delivers 481 e-books covering diseases, weight management and exercise, allergies, senior care, social emotional health and more.

ERIC contains 1,900,000 records, covering education literature and resources. It includes 590,000 links to full-text documents.

Health Source: Consumer Edition provides access to 68 full-text consumer health magazines and reference materials covering fitness, nutrition, diabetes, aging and more.

Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition delivers 167 active full-text journals and magazines covering pediatric nursing, critical care, nursing management, medical law and more.

Job &Career Accelerator gives job seekers tools, including resume builders, interviewing tips, career advice and more.

LearningExpress Library Complete includes academic skill-building, test prep for entrance exams, military, U.S. citizenship and more.

MAS Ultra was designed for high school libraries and contains 459 full-text magazines covering history, science, health and more. It includes more than 55,000 full-text primary source documents, plus videos from the Associated Press.

MasterFILE Elite was designed for public libraries and contains 929 full-text magazines and journals, plus reference books and images covering business, health, general science and multicultural issues.

MasterFILE Premier Reference eBook Subscription contains 500 reference books encompassing a rich selection of titles covering architecture, literature, cooking, health and wellness, science, self-help, religion, current events, sports, travel and more.

Middle Search Plus was designed for middle schools and provides 176 popular full-text magazines plus thousands of primary source documents and videos. Subjects include history, current events, science and sports.

Middle Search Reference eBook Subscription delivers 320 full-text e-books and reference books from leading educational publishers. Topics include social studies, math, history, language arts, technology, geography, culture and science.

Military & Government Collection offers 289 full-text journals and periodicals pertaining to all branches of the military and government. It is designed to offer current news to military members, analysts, policy makers, students and researchers.

Newspaper Source provides cover-to-cover full text for 522 national (U.S.), international and regional newspapers. In addition, it offers television and radio news transcripts from major networks.

Primary Search is designed for elementary school libraries. It includes full text for 103 of the most popular children’s magazines, e-books and easy-to-read encyclopedic entries.

Primary Search Reference eBook Subscription includes reference e-books from top children’s publishers including Cricket Media, Sleeping Bear Press and more.

Professional Development Collection delivers 451 full-text journals with information specifically for educators, professional librarians and education researchers.

Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection contains 315 active full-text journals and magazines for psychologists, counselors, researchers and students. It offers particularly strong coverage in child and adolescent psychology and counseling.

Religion & Philosophy Collection provides 134 active full-text journals and magazines covering world religions, religious history and political philosophy.

While some EBSCO databases – like Rosetta Stone and the Film and Television Literature Index – will no longer be available, INSPIRE will still provide access to TeachingBooks for libraries and schools. Additionally, the INSPIRE interface will continue to connect learners to resources like Newspapers.com, Hoosier State Chronicles, Indiana Memory and Indiana Legacy.

This blog post was submitted by the Indiana State Library administrative team. 

The Indiana State Library’s 2025 public programming lineup!

Posted on by

This year, during the Indiana State Library’s Bicentennial, we have an exciting public programming lineup, beginning with escape rooms and trivia contests that anyone can attend during their lunch break. Our first escape room event, held Feb. 20, was a huge success and enjoyed by all. Come join us for any of the following events that will take place in the Indiana State Library! The Lunch and Learn Series and the Summer Lecture Series offer both in-person and virtual attendance options.

Indiana State Library Bicentennial Programs

“Indiana Trivia Game” 
April 17 and Aug. 20, 12-1 p.m.

Gather your team and join us on your lunch break for a lively game of Indiana trivia!! What is your day missing? Trivia! How much does this cost? Nothing! It’s free! Will there be prizes? Yes! The winning team will win a gift basket filled with Indiana goodies. Will this be fun? Yes, all of our trivia is certified fun.

How do I join the fun? This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Register your team here for April 17 and here for Aug. 20! You will receive a reminder email two days before the event with parking information.

“Hoosier Women Escape Room”
May 15, 12-1 p.m.

Gather your team and join us on your lunch break for an escape room featuring amazing Hoosier women throughout history!

Step into an intriguing world where participants are tasked with unraveling the mystery behind the disappearance of a set of photographs featuring notable Hoosier women. These images were meticulously curated by the librarians at the Indiana State Library, only to be swiped by none other than Sammy, the Interviewing Toucan. This clever bird, feeling underappreciated, has taken it upon himself to stir up some excitement through his playful antics. As you navigate this immersive experience, your mission is to outwit Sammy and recover the stolen photographs, piecing together the stories of these inspiring women. Will you be able to catch the elusive toucan and restore the scrapbook to its former glory? The challenge awaits!

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Register here.

“Constitution Day Trivia”
Sept. 17, 12-1 p.m.

Celebrate Constitution Day with a lunchtime trivia showdown! Join the Indiana State Library for a fun and fast-paced trivia game focused on the U.S. Constitution, American history and civics. Participants will test their knowledge, compete with friends and coworkers and win prizes! Whether participants are history buffs or just in it for fun, this event is a great way to honor the founding document of our Nation. Registration is required. The program will take place in the History Reference Room at the Indiana State Library. Participants can join a team or gather their own dream team and register together. Register here.

“A Ghostly Gathering at the Indiana State Library”
Oct. 10, 6-9:30 p.m.

Step into the shadows of the Indiana State Library for a thrilling night of treats, tales and things that go bump in the stacks! Come in costume and don’t forget a goodie bag for trick-or-treating through the library’s stacks. Enjoy spooky stories, snacks, photo ops and a movie screening to end the evening with a few laughs and frights. Registration is required to attend this ghostly gathering, so reserve a spot before it vanishes.

Special guests, Circle City Ghostbusters, will be in attendance.

Registration coming soon.

Lunch and Learn Series

“Introduction to Genealogy at the Indiana State Library”
May 13, 12-1 p.m.

“Introduction to Genealogy at the Indiana State Library,” presented by Jamie Dunn, will highlight the resources, services and programs of the Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library. Explore the Genealogy collection, with an overview of the content and formats available in the family history collection to help you with your genealogy research. Register here for the in-person or online program.

“Indiana State Library History”
Oct. 14, 12-1 p.m.

“Indiana State Library History,” a bicentennial celebration Lunch and Learn with cake and a library tour, will be presented by Jamie Dunn. This program tells the history of the Indiana State Library from its establishment in 1825 to the present day. Starting as a small reference collection for the Indiana Legislature, over the past 200 years the library has grown into a premier research library specializing in Indiana history, state government documents, family history, newspapers, maps and more. Register here for the in-person or online program.

“Introduction to Native American Research”
Nov. 18, 12-1 p.m.

“Introduction to Native American Research,” presented by genealogy librarian Sarah Pfundstein, will cover basic methodologies of Native American research and sources in the Indiana State Library and other venues. Register here for the in-person or online program.

Summer Lecture Series

“Unlock the Power of using DNA to Enhance Your Genealogy” 
June 14, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Join the Indiana State Library for a day of discovering how to use DNA testing results. In three sessions, attendees will learn how to leverage DNA to uncover their family history, fill in the gaps of their family tree and gain valuable tips and tricks on how to apply these methods to their own research.

Session one: “DNA Ethnicities and Thrulines”
Explore DNA ethnicity estimates and Thrulines. Learn how to interpret ethnicity results and use Thrulines to discover potential connections within a family tree.

Session two: “Shared Matches”
Shared matches are key to confirming relationships and uncovering genetic cousins. Learn what a shared match list shows and how it can be used to identify relatives and confirm connections.

Session three: “Case Studies”
Pulling it all together. Discover practical techniques to analyze shared match data and help you build out a family tree with confidence. The presenter will explore case studies and show how combining traditional methods with DNA insights can lead to breakthroughs in genealogical research.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance genealogy skills and connect with the past in a whole new way! 

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register for the in-person or online sessions. Indiana library staff will receive LEUs for attending. 

Parking validation will be available for attendees who park in the Senate Avenue parking garage directly across from the library and bring their ticket in for validation. 

“The Life and Times of Madge Oberholtzer”
July 12, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

“The Life and Times of Madge Oberholtzer,” with author Charlotte Ottinger, will be presented on July 12. Join us for a compelling lecture with Ottinger, author of “Madge: The Life and Times of Madge Oberholtzer, the Young Irvington Woman Who Brought Down D.C. Stephenson and the Ku Klux Klan.” Discover the gripping true story of Madge Oberholtzer, whose courageous actions led to significant changes in Indiana. Learn about her life, tragic murder and the impact she had on dismantling the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Registration for in-person and online can be found here.

“Jonathan Knight – Pathfinder of American Roads”
Aug. 9, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Pat Chase, author of the book “Jonathan Knight – Pathfinder of American Roads,” will be giving a lecture and book signing detailing his recently-published biography. Jonathan Knight was an American who had a substantial influence in the development of Indiana – and all of American society – in the first half of the 19th century.

Knight was employed by the United State Department of War in 1825 to be the commissioner and surveyor of the National Road through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The National Road became the largest financial undertaking by the federal government prior to the Civil War. In 1827, the town of Knightstown, Indiana was named in his honor. Knight was the official who determined the route that the National Road took through Indiana. After completing his work on the National Road, he was hired to be the first Chief Civil engineer of the B&O Railroad, American’s first commercial railroad. Under Knight’s management the B&O started at the port of Baltimore passing over and through the Appalachian Mountains to the Ohio River, thus creating a major economic and cultural impact for those states that bordered the Ohio River. Knight was a brilliant self-taught mathematician; he was a devout Quaker who worked to stop the spread of slavery in the years prior to emancipation. Knight served in the Pennsylvania State Senate for six years and in 1854 was elected to the United States Congress from his home of Washington, Pennsylvania.

Registration for in-person and online can be found here.

We hope to see you there!

This post was submitted by the administration of the Indiana State Library. 

Applications now being accepted for 2025 Indiana State Library Bicentennial Research Fellowship

Posted on by

In honor of the Indiana State Library’s 200th anniversary, the Indiana State Library Bicentennial Committee, in conjunction with the Indiana State Library Foundation, will support one Indiana State Library Bicentennial Research Fellowship for 2025.

Emerging or established researchers and historians who are prepared to conduct and publish new research and scholarship with a focus on Indiana history, or a specific collection housed at the Indiana State Library, are encouraged to apply. The fellowship provides a $1,000 stipend to support in-person research for five consecutive work days at the Indiana State Library in downtown Indianapolis.

Applicants must be emerging or established historians, researchers, authors, post-docs or graduate students with proven writing skills, a demonstrated passion for Indiana history and the ability to perform in-person research at the Indiana State Library for five consecutive days, Monday through Friday, between Jan. 6-Dec. 19, 2025. Applicants can be based anywhere in the U.S., but the committee particularly encourages Indiana residents outside of Marion County to apply.

Those interested should submit a completed Indiana State Library Bicentennial Application along with a one-page research statement or proposal, a resume or CV with a maximum of three pages, one letter of recommendation and up to three writing samples. The application should be submitted via email. Writing samples may be submitted as PDF or Word files and should be no longer than 20 pages each.

The application deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 26. The Fellowship will be awarded by Tuesday, Dec. 31.

Click here to read more.

This post was submitted by the Indiana State Library administrative team. 

Indiana State Library renews INSPIRE contract; offers new learning resources for Hoosiers

Posted on by

The Indiana State Library has announced the renewal of its INSPIRE contract with EBSCO Information Services and TeachingBooks. INSPIRE, Indiana’s Lifelong Learning Library for Hoosiers, is a collection of more than 70 online academic databases and other information resources that can be accessed by Indiana residents at no cost at inspire.in.gov. The new contract enhances INSPIRE product offerings to provide a robust collection of online resources to all residents of Indiana who have internet access at school, home or work. 

Beginning July 1, residents of Indiana will have access to all EBSCO resources that have previously been available through INSPIRE, as well as a few new databases. Resources span across various research needs offering academic, business and general interest resources, including EBSCO’s distinguished Academic Search Complete™ and Business Source Complete™ resources. EBSCO databases available through INSPIRE also include medical research resources, as well as children’s and teens’ resources, e-book collections, communications and literature resources, newspapers and multilingual materials.  

New to the collection, Job & Career Accelerator™ provides job seekers with tools to explore careers, build resumes and find and apply for open positions. Rosetta Stone Library Solution Plus™, an interactive world language immersion program, will also be accessible and includes more than 50 hours of foundational instruction in each level of each language. LearningExpress Library Complete™ is also now part of the collection and provides academic skill-building, test prep and career-related resources.  

Additionally, the Indiana State Library has renewed its contract with TeachingBooks, a resource collection that includes author and illustrator interviews, video book trailers, audio book readings, book discussion guides and more. TeachingBooks can be accessed via INSPIRE.  

Indiana State Librarian Jacob Speer anticipates continued success with the wealth of resources INSPIRE provides to the residents of Indiana. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with TeachingBooks and EBSCO and to seeing the benefits that our residents gain from the comprehensive collection of resources made available to encourage lifelong learning,” Speer said. 

This blog post was submitted by John Wekluk, communications director. 

Indiana Digital Library users borrow 6.6 million digital books in 2023

Posted on by

The Indiana Digital Library has announced that its patrons reached a new milestone: 6.6 million digital books borrowed in 2023. This achievement illustrates the library’s commitment to serving all members of the community in innovative ways, including with a large catalog of e-books, audiobooks and other digital media. Indiana Digital Library is ranked fifth of all public library e-book consortia and one of 152 total public library systems worldwide that surpassed one million checkouts last calendar year. View a complete list here.

Indiana Digital Library member libraries have been providing readers continuous access to e-books, audiobooks, magazines, comic books and other digital content for several years through the award-winning Libby app, the library reading app created by OverDrive. The large collection serves readers of all ages and interests, and usage has grown throughout the years. Some of the member libraries include Plainfield-Guildford Township Public Library, Perry County Public Library, Whiting Public Library, Brownstown Public Library and Berne Public Library.

“The Indiana Digital Library has, once again, exceeded expectations. The consortium is beyond thrilled to have reached the one million digital book checkout milestone for the second consecutive year,” said Jacob Speer, Indiana State Librarian. “The State Library will continue to support the Indiana library community’s collaborative effort to bring e-book access to the public while saving taxpayer funds.”

The highest-circulating title Indiana Digital Library readers borrowed in 2023 was “It Starts with Us” by Colleen Hoover. The top-circulating genre, romance, represents the most popular in a vast catalog that also includes thriller, suspense, children and young adult, mystery and more.

The top five e-book titles borrowed through Indiana Digital Library’s digital collection in 2023:

  • “It Starts with Us” by Colleen Hoover.
  • “Verity” by Colleen Hoover.
  • “It Ends with Us” by Colleen Hoover.
  • “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus.
  • “Spare” by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.

The top five audiobook titles borrowed through Indiana Digital Library’s digital collection in 2023:

  • “False Witness” by Karin Slaughter.
  • “A Darker Shade of Magic” by V. E. Schwab.
  • “It Starts with Us” by Colleen Hoover.
  • “The Coworker” by Freida McFadden.
  • “Happy Place” by Emily Henry.

Residents of Indiana only need a valid library card from a member library to access digital books from Indiana Digital Library’s OverDrive-powered digital collection. Readers can use any major device, including Apple®, Android™, Chromebook™ and Kindle®.

Download the Libby app, or click here, to get started borrowing e-books, audiobooks and more anytime, anywhere.

Recently, Speer was in studio for an interview with WISH-TV in Indianapolis, in which he discussed the Indiana Digital Library. Click here to view the interview.

OverDrive is a mission-based company that stands with libraries. Named a Certified B Corp in 2017, OverDrive serves tens of thousands of libraries and schools in over 100 countries with the industry’s largest digital catalog of e-books, audiobooks, video and other content. Award-winning apps and services include the Libby library reading app, the Sora student reading app, Kanopy, the leading video streaming app for libraries and colleges and TeachingBooks.net, which offers one of the largest catalogs of supplemental materials that enhance literacy outcomes.

This post was written by John Wekluk, communications director at the Indiana State Library.

Discovery to Delivery 2023!

Posted on by

The Indiana State Library and the Academic Libraries of Indiana will be hosting the 13th annual Discovery to Delivery conference, a free one-day in-person conference dedicated to resource sharing. This year’s theme is “Exploring New Pathways to Sharing,” and will take place on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET.


The agenda includes updates relating to resource sharing services hosted by the Indiana State Library, including Evergreen Indiana, as well as updates by vendors, including OCLC and Auto-Graphics. Scott Garrison, executive director of MCLS, will present the keynote address “The State of Resource Sharing Today: From Pain Points Toward Potential.” During his keynote, Scott will discuss the current and potential future state of library resource sharing and will engage Indiana’s resource sharing community in a look at topics including resource sharing in Indiana and Michigan, current and emerging technology and other developments, current pain points for libraries and desired future directions.

Breakout sessions include presentations Abby Chumin from the Talking Books division at the Indiana State Library, who will discuss the different methods of delivery of library materials for library users with a print disability, and Holli Moseman and Melissa Gustafson, from Indiana State University, who will present on how ISU ILL works with other library units with the goal of providing better services to ISU patrons and other libraries.

D2D is open to all Indiana libraries – public, academic, school, special, institutional and more!

This blog post was written by Stephanie Asberry, deputy director of public and statewide services at the Indiana State Library.

Building updates at the Indiana State Library

Posted on by

Construction of the Indiana State Library began in 1932. Two years later, in 1934, the building opened its doors. In 1976, an addition was built on to the building and in 2000 a major renovation was completed. In recent years, multiple projects have been completed to keep the building up to date, including the installation of a new roof to replace the previous worn out one that leaked in multiple areas.

The Indiana State Library on Ohio Street.

Currently, work is being done to repair the façade of the building. The Indiana limestone and friezes are being cleaned and the tuck pointing is being completed to ensure the building looks great for decades to come.

Inside the building, staff areas are being refreshed with new carpet, furniture and painting. Original hardwood floors are being sanded and stained and preserved for the future. Finally, a new Indiana Historical Marker center is being developed on the first floor of the library. Coming in 2024, the Marker Center will highlight the work of the Indiana Historical Bureau’s marker program.

Future site of the Indiana Historical Bureau Marker Center.

The Indiana State Library is continually evolving and improving to meet the needs of Indiana residents today and into the future.

This blog post was summitted by Jacob Speer, Indiana State Librarian.

2022 Indiana State Library end-of-year reflection

Posted on by

As we close the book on 2022, we reflect on the many projects and services that came to fruition and were provided by the Indiana State Library, as well as the staff that continue to work so diligently to make things happen this year.

On the heels of 2021 – a year filled with many things related to, surrounding and/or as a result of COVID – we went about our regular business in 2022 with the Genealogy and Local History Fair, Discovery to Delivery, the Difference is You conference, DNA workshops, Evergreen updates and migrations/onboarding (and everything that goes along with those), web archiving of born digital state publications, digitizing and uploading collections to the Indiana State Library Digital Collections, Letters About Literature and more. In addition to regular business, the Indiana State Library had a number of projects in 2022 that went beyond the norm. Below are the highlights of some of those projects and programs.

On March 1, the Indiana Digital Library launched, creating a statewide consortium of e-books and magazines through the OverDrive platform. IDL is comprised of 203 public libraries from across the state, which have total checkouts amounting to almost 4 million since IDL rolled out. This new consortium allows access to more materials, cuts wait time, and ensures a more efficient use of funds. More information about IDL can be found here.

The Indiana Library Passport – a digital passport program for libraries across the state created to highlight features that make their library an excellent place to visit – launched in early July. This mobile passport is open to everyone, and features 140 public libraries and branches in Indiana. Patrons can visit the passport landing page to sign up. When participants check in through the Passport while they’re at the location, they will be entered into a quarterly drawing for a prize package!

On July 1, a new librarian certification portal was unveiled. The new certification portal was designed in-house specifically for librarian certification, allowing the process to be more streamlined and customizable for future use. Over time, the types of transactions that can be completed through the portal will increase. Changes include a new credit card service with lower fees, correspondence almost entirely done through email, a public lookup for librarians and in-house troubleshooting.

In August, the Indiana State Library presented “The Mystery of the Darlington Bible,” a program in which the focus was a 14th century medieval Bible held in the collections at the library. Professor David Gura of the Medieval Institute, and curator of ancient and medieval manuscripts at the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame, investigated and presented on the origins of the book, including the production techniques, magnificent illuminations and movement from Medieval Spain to Indiana.  Though the circumstances of its travels remain something of an enigma, we hope to bring more of its history to light as Dr. Gura continues his research on the Darlington Bible, the existence of which was previously unknown to the medieval scholars’ community.

Following the release of the 2020 census data, Indiana State Library staff, along with the assistance of the Indiana Business Research Center, worked to reevaluate Indiana’s public library districts and classes by compiling 2020 census data and examining that data in conjunction with public library survey data. This is an arduous and lengthy process, but population changes must be reflected since, in turn, they can affect a library’s class size, causing the need to reexamine service models to accommodate any changes. The Library District Interactive Map on StatsIndiana is updated with the most recent boundaries after 2020 census redistricting.In October, it was announced that the U.S. Government Publishing Office named the Indiana State Library as the 2022 Federal Depository Library of the Year for its preservation and promotion efforts of the Federal Documents Collection. “This is the first Library of the Year I am awarding since beginning my role as GPO superintendent of documents, and I can’t imagine a more deserving library,” said GPO superintendent of documents Scott Matheson. “Indiana State Library’s long-standing dedication to promoting and preserving government information is something to be admired. Through its much-loved Government Information Day and other crucial efforts, [the] Indiana State Library has played an important role in helping GPO realize its vision of an America Informed.”

Brent Abercrombie, Indiana State Library federal documents coordinator.

In late November, we learned that we were awarded a $30,000 grant from the Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Foundation, which will be used for the purpose of funding a six-month termed conservator position to stabilize and treat a collection of mid-19th century rare wall maps housed in the Indiana Division of the Indiana State Library. Currently, these maps are restricted due to their condition. Treating these maps will allow them to be digitized and made available to researchers.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but highlights from a year well done! With other exciting projects that received a jumping off point in 2022, we’re excited to see what 2023 brings! Thank you for a great year!

This blog post was written by Stephanie Asberry, deputy director of public and statewide services at the Indiana State Library.

Indiana Digital Library, Indiana’s new statewide e-book consortium, launched

Posted on by

The Indiana State Library has announced the formation of a new statewide e-book consortium, the Indiana Digital Library, that launched on March 1. Nearly 200 public libraries in the state will all share the OverDrive platform to create a statewide consortium of e-books and magazines. This new consortium – made up of libraries that serve populations under 150,000 – will benefit libraries, taxpayers and library users. Patrons of consortium member libraries will have the ability to borrow materials from both their own library’s collections and the member library collections. The State Library is paying the platform fees for the consortium and 100% of the member libraries’ fees will be spent on materials.

A volunteer library team will also assist with collection development for libraries and will help ensure the efficient usage of the consortium’s funds. Libraries may either purchase titles for their collection on their own or may chose to assign their funds to the collection development team.

The new Indiana Digital Library consortium will be a great service and benefit to Indiana libraries and the customers of Indiana libraries. This collaboration is a great example of Indiana libraries working together to provide high quality services to library users.

More information about the consortium may be found on the consortium’s website.

Additionally, users of the OverDrive app should be aware that, as of Feb. 23, the app is no longer available for download from the Apple App Store, Google Play or the Microsoft Store. Moving forward, Libby will be the primary way for users to enjoy OverDrive’s digital library and the name OverDrive will refer to the company that provides libraries with the digital reading platform. The current OverDrive app will remain in use until the end of 2022 when users will be migrated to the Libby app.

Click here to read more about the transition from the OverDrive app to the Libby app.

This blog post was written by Jacob Speer, Indiana State Librarian.