Category Archives: Communications

Even on vacation; the Central Library of the Austin Public Library system

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Most people don’t want to think about work when they’re on vacation. After all, that’s kind of the point of going on vacation. After attending the 2017 Library and Marketing Communications Conference in Dallas on Nov. 16 and 17, I decided to take a short road trip to Austin, Texas to round out the week. I hadn’t been on vacation in years, so taking a three-day jaunt to a highly-praised and boisterous city, with no set-in-stone agenda, seemed like a good way to relax and unwind; especially after all of the usual to-the-minute schedule wrangling that comes with attending a conference.

Austin is a very friendly city. In fact, a lot of restaurants and cafes there have community seating, which is fairly uncommon in Indiana. Basically, if you don’t want to wait 15 to 20 minutes for a table, you can sit with strangers. On Saturday morning, I had breakfast at the Bouldin Creek Cafe and chose the community seating option. I had a nice hour-long breakfast conversation with complete strangers and once I mentioned that I worked in a library I heard, for the first of many times, “You have to see the new library downtown!” I already knew I wanted to visit Barton Springs, Zilker Park, various record stores, specific music venues, McKinney Falls State Park and as many restaurants as possible, so did I want to visit a library, a place where I spend five days a week, especially right after a two-day library-related conference? Of course I did. I penciled in some time Sunday morning and hoped for the best.

Central Library of the Austin Public Library system

The Central Library of the Austin Public Library system opened less than three weeks earlier, on Oct. 28, 2017, and did not disappoint. The library is located in the Seaholm EcoDistrict on César Chávez St. downtown. In addition to the Central Library, the Austin Public Library system consists of 20 branches, a mobile library, two bookstores and a history center. Not unlike the Indianapolis Public Library’s (IndyPL) Central Branch here, “the Central Library serves as the backbone of the Austin Public Library system.” A recent article from UT News praised the new Central Library in Austin as an example of the library of the future and it’s easy to see why. According to UT News, “In some respects, it is the library of the future and will meet a multitude of needs including shared learning spaces, the technology petting zoo, the innovation lounge, the children’s creative commons and the reading porches. In a nutshell, libraries must rebrand themselves as technology-rich learning centers.”

Welcome!

The library itself is amazing. If libraries need to rebrand themselves as technology-rich learning centers, then the Central Library in Austin is doing a tremendous job. Obviously, I knew I was walking into a library, but it didn’t feel like a library. It felt like more than a library. The six-story building has an open design, not unlike IndyPL’s Central Branch, and, of course, there are shelves of books, but most libraries do not have digital concierges greeting you as you walk in. The library is replete with this kind of technology and includes several stations where patrons can check out, for two hours at a time, laptops and tablets, including Chromebooks, iPads and MacBook Airs. The Shared Learning Rooms have video conferencing ability, via Google Hangouts, and are even set up to connect Apple devices to TV screens via AirPlay. All of this is in addition to the aforementioned technology petting zoo, the innovation lounge and the children’s creative commons and it’s all free-of-charge, of course.

Check out these MacBook Airs… literally.

In addition to the technology on display, the library also does a fantastic job of representing the humanities. The art exhibit area, dubbed The Gallery, “features rotating art displays from local and national artists.” This area is part of what makes Austin’s Central Library feel like more than a library. At this library, patrons can check out books about fine art and also see an entire fine art exhibit. This allows patrons from all walks of life to enjoy a museum-like experience.

The Gallery

Also striking is the massive art piece created by international artist Christian Moeller. The piece, titled CAW, is “a 37-foot-tall kinetic sculpture resembling a gigantic cuckoo clock overtaken by blackbirds.” My first thought was that this piece was strictly influenced by Edgar Allan Poe, as it consists of blackbirds and a pendulum. While Poe’s “The Raven,” was an influence, the piece also drew inspiration from Greek god Apollo and Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Overall, it’s a representation of the blackbird’s presence and influence in art, literature and mythology. In this video, recently recorded at the Central Library, Moeller discusses his influences and how he created the piece.

CAW by Christian Moeller. Look to the left; that’s a person.

Finally, my favorite part of the library: The rooftop garden. The sixth floor of the library hosts the Roof Garden, which offers stunning views of the city of Austin. The space is phenomenal and really gives one a sense of “hanging out,” which is very important, especially in light of the preconceived notions people might have about libraries. There is nothing musty about the garden area and no one will “shush” you. Of course, people were posing for pictures, enjoying the plants and just admiring the view, but patrons were also reading books, working on their computers, using the checked out tablets and having small meetings. This space really ties together everything the library has to offer and shows why the Central Library of the Austin Public Library is indeed a library of the future.

The Roof Garden, enjoyed by all.

So, next time you think you might not want to mix work with vacation, I urge you to reconsider. At the very least, if you don’t work in a library, I highly recommend putting a library visit on your vacation agenda. A lot of libraries even offer tours. You can learn how to set up a tour of the Central Library in Austin here and you can also tour the Indiana State Library by following the instructions posted here. Now, which library to visit next?

This blog post was written by John Wekluk, communications director, Indiana State Library. For more information, email the communications director.

‘Hoosiers at War!’ reception to take place at Indiana State Library

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Visit the Indiana State Library on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, from 4:30 to 7 p.m., for a special open-house reception to coincide with the “Hoosiers at War! From the Homefront to the Battlefield” exhibit that is currently on display throughout the library.

Over 150,000 people from Indiana answered the call to serve when the United States entered the Great War on April 6, 1917. “Hoosiers at War! From the Homefront to the Battlefield” showcases publications, correspondence, diaries, photographs and other materials detailing the experiences of Hoosiers during World War I, both at home and abroad.

The installation process.

The library will present artifacts of every day Hoosier heroes from the Great War, as well as some specially-selected treasures from the library’s collections. Library tours will also be available and light refreshments will be provided. Click here to register for this free event. Registration is encouraged, but not required.

The library is located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. Parking is available in the Senate Ave. parking garage across from the library for $10 beginning at 4:30 p.m. The garage accepts credit cards only. No cash payments will be accepted. Street parking is also available.

This blog post was written by John Wekluk, communications director, Indiana State Library. For more information, email the communications director.

Bicentennial Commission holds final meeting at Indiana State Library

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On Thursday, June 30, 2017, the Indiana Bicentennial Commission met for the final time at the Indiana State Library. The commission, which included former First Lady Karen Pence and former Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, who served as co-chair, set “the direction of the planning and funding of a strategic plan to implement a cost-effective, inclusive [and] realistic celebration of Indiana’s 2016 bicentennial.” Started under the guidance of former governor Mitch Daniels in 2012, the commission worked for five years planning and implementing the state’s bicentennial celebration.

Executive Director Perry Hammock detailed one such endeavor. The statewide Bison-tennial Public Art Project, which was sponsored by the United Way, aimed at placing five-foot-tall fiberglass bison in every county in the state. Even though a small handful of counties did not display a sponsored bison, the art project was a rousing success.

When Indiana turned 200 on Dec. 16, 2016, the Bicentennial Commission had carried out several major events and completed many major celebratory projects, such as the construction of the Bicentennial Plaza outside of the statehouse, the building of Statehouse Education Center in the Indiana State Library and the execution of the torch relay, which saw a bicentennial torch carried through all 92 of Indiana’s counties.

Even though the commission has disbanded after a very successful five years, the Indiana State Library is still seeking materials related to Indiana’s bicentennial for archival purposes.

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

Pianos in the library

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When people think about pianos they might think about Bach, Beethoven, grandiose concert halls, Elton John, 1989’s “Great Balls of Fire!” film or even where Slash decided to stand and play his guitar solo in the Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” video. One place that usually doesn’t come to mind, however, is libraries.

Despite being known as quiet places, libraries all over the world house pianos and maintain piano practice rooms. The Toronto Public Library, for example, has multiple pianos and several practice rooms. Libraries do not keep pianos solely for the purpose of practice, though. The Woodstock Public Library, in Woodstock, Ill., “welcomes accomplished and talented pianists to play the piano at [their] library.” In this case, the piano is to be played in order to provide pleasant background music for library patrons. No “Chopsticks,” though!

Strictly forbidden at the Woodstock Public Library:

Indiana is no exception to the piano rule. Several public libraries in Indiana have their own pianos.

“I’m not sure how our upright piano made its way to us, it’s been here at least as long as I’ve been here and that’s been over twelve years,” said Mary Schons, head of information services at the Hammond Public Library in Hammond, Ind. The piano at the Hammond Public Library is primarily used for two programs, the long-running “Welcome to the World of Music,” with Florian Bolsega, which takes place every Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m., and their new program, “Sing Along with Rich,” which happens every last Monday of the month at 10 a.m., in the library’s community room. “While the singalong is for everyone, Rich Boban specializes in working with people who have Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. In January, a mother stopped by with her adult son who has a stroke and is aphasic. The music is helping him recover,” Schons added.

Rich Boban, singalong coordinator at the Hammond Public Library

The Adams Public Library System, (APLS) which serves the communities of Decatur and Geneva in Indiana, also has a piano used for programs. APLS hosts monthly Mid-Day Music events, featuring different musicians. As for the piano itself, Kelly Ehinger, director of APLS said, “The piano was a gift to the library and restored by a volunteer.” The piano is also used for special events outside of the regularly-scheduled Mid-Day Music events.

The Adams Public Library System piano being enjoyed by local pianist Karen Fouts

Over a decade ago, the West Lafayette Public Library (WLPL) in West Lafayette, Ind. purchased their Sohmer baby grand piano solely with gift funds. The fundraising effort brought together local music teachers, a generous public and the estate of a Purdue University physics teacher. “Since its debut at the library, the Sohmer is in active use by residents who have offered numerous piano, and other musical, recitals each spring and late fall. The piano is an active part of public presentations by both the library and community groups being played for art receptions, donor gatherings and the like,” said WLPL director Nick Schenkel. “Perhaps most of all, the baby grand urged our library board president at the time of the piano’s arrival to proclaim that WLPL is a special part of our community because of its ABC focus on arts, books and culture; a proclamation we gladly trumpet to this day,” Schenkel added. WLPL’s baby grand sits proudly in the library’s main meeting room suite awaiting use.

West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel at the library’s Sohmer baby grand piano

While the thought of a library might not conjure up images of Jerry Lee Lewis rockin’ out, it can’t hurt to check with your local public library to see if they do, indeed, own a piano or house a piano practice room. Just remember to cool it on the “Chopsticks.”

This blog post was written by John Wekluk, communications director, Indiana State Library. For more information, email the communications director at communications@library.in.gov.

Connect with the Indiana State Library on social media

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Perhaps you’ve stumbled upon this blog via the Wednesday Word, the Indiana State Library’s (ISL) weekly statewide newsletter. Perchance you’ve ended up here as the result of a good ol’ fashioned Google search. Maybe you’re even here because of a social media referral. Well, now that you’re here, we’d like to invite you to connect with the state library on any, or all, of our social media accounts.

Instagram

The state library’s Instagram account often contains pictures of the library’s architecture and showcases exhibits, displays, interesting items from our collections, the Indiana Young Readers Center and rare books and manuscripts.

The Great Hall – Posted to Instagram on Jan. 4, 2017.

Feel free to follow and don’t forget to tap the heart.

Facebook

Ah, Facebook. We all love it, right? In addition to sharing some of the same content we post to Instagram, we also share library-related stories from all over the state and country and often let you know what’s going on with our friends at the Indiana Historical Bureau (IHB). In fact, very recently, IHB shared this incredible video of early 20th century Indiana.

 

Give us a thumbs up!

Twitter

Twitter is where you’ll find info about library closings and re-tweets of interesting library related tweets from all over the country, like the story about Daliyah Maria Arana, the four-year-old who has already read over 1,000 books. It’s also where you might find re-tweets about us.

Dec. 22, 2016 – We’re not opened on Christmas and we hope you have a great holiday!

Re-tweet and like.

YouTube

ISL’s YouTube channel is for patrons and librarians alike. This is where the state library archives webinars and training sessions that can help librarians earn LEUs. We also, occasionally, feature digitized video from our vast Rare Books and Manuscripts collection, like this astonishing video of Irene Dunne and Will Hays at the 30th Annual Banquet of the Indiana Society of Chicago on Dec. 13, 1941.

 

We’re currently re-vamping the channel, so be sure to subscribe and check in often.

Pinterest

Pinterest is another social media account for both library employees and patrons. You can peek in and get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into library programming and you can also see pins of pictures of the state library itself. There’s something for everyone.

Check out our boards.

Be sure to follow and pin.

We hope this overview guides you in the right direction when it comes to your social media needs. What would you like to see from the state library’s social media accounts? We’re all ears.

This blog post was written by John Wekluk, communications director, Indiana State Library. For more information, email the communications director at communications@library.in.gov.

Fair Use Week: Feb. 20 – Feb. 24

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Everybody loves “Weird Al” Yankovic. Okay, maybe not everybody, but most people can find humor in his parody songs like “White and Nerdy” and “Amish Paradise.” Well, almost everybody not named Coolio. Word on the street is that “Weird Al” is a nice guy and gets permission to parody songs from the original artists. However, he is not legally required to do so thanks to fair use. A 1994 court case, Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, 510 U.S. 569, ruled that parody qualifies as fair use.

Photo by Kyle Cassidy

In the United States, fair use permits the restricted use of copyrighted material without obtaining permission from the rights holders. This allows everything from “Weird Al” parody songs to movie reviews to certain “Saturday Night Live” skits to exist. Fair use is even the reason we’re allowed to use DVRs. So, if you DVR “Saturday Night Live” it’s double the fair use. Of course, there are academic applications relating to fair use, too. Try writing a scholarly paper without quotations. Thanks, fair use.

Fair Use/Fair Dealing Week, a week dedicated to celebrating the doctrines of fair use and fair dealing, is in full swing, running from Feb. 20 – Feb. 24, and is commissioned by the Association of Research Libraries. According to the Fair Use Week website, the event “is designed to highlight and promote the opportunities presented by fair use and fair dealing, celebrate successful stories and explain these doctrines.”

So, next time you try to imagine a world without “Addicted to Spuds,” research papers, movie reviews or an “SNL” cold open, remember that fair use makes it all possible.

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

Do you want books from all of the libraries? A PLAC card might be for you

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Have you ever wished you could pop into a local library to check out a book to read while lounging on the beach at the Indiana Dunes State Park, even though your Indiana home library is hundreds of miles away? Perhaps you live in southern Indiana and you have to go all the way up to Allen County for a business trip. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to check out a DVD from the library near your hotel? If these situations strike a chord with you, a Public Library Access Card (PLAC) is the perfect solution.

PLAC is the statewide library card program enacted by the Indiana General Assembly in 1993 (Indiana Code 4-23-7.1-5.1). The PLAC program allows individuals to purchase a card which allows them to borrow materials directly from any public library in Indiana.

Any individual who holds a valid Indiana public library card may purchase a PLAC card which is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. The cost of the card is reviewed and adjusted annually by the Indiana Library & Historical Board (ILHB). The fee for 2017 is $65.00. The Indiana State Library collects the revenue from the sale of these cards distributes it back to libraries on the basis of net loans.

What a deal!

Here are some frequently asked questions regarding the PLAC card program:

Q: Are public libraries required to participate in the statewide PLAC program?
A: Yes. According to Indiana Code 36-12-3-2 and Indiana Code 36-12-7-2, all public libraries “shall comply with and participate in the statewide library card program.”

Q: What types of materials are eligible for loan in the PLAC program?
A: Books and select non-book materials. Each public library will annually determine what types of materials will be loaned to PLAC cardholders, but at least books that normally circulate must be available for loan.

Q: Does the PLAC include access to eBooks, databases and other online resources?
A: No. eBooks, databases and other online resources are licensed locally for the home users of that library and are not available to PLAC holders.

Q: If I later decide that I don’t need my PLAC, can I get a refund?
A: No. PLAC fees are not refundable.

Q: Who is eligible for a PLAC?
A: Anyone who holds a valid library card issued by a public library in the state may purchase a PLAC. In order to receive a PLAC card individuals must have a valid “resident” or a non-resident library card.

Q: How is the PLAC used?
A: Individuals need to present the PLAC on their initial visit to the library and go through the registration process for that particular library.

Q: When does my PLAC expire?
A: The PLAC expires one year from the date of application for the card. At that time, the PLAC cardholder would need to reapply and pay for a new PLAC card.

Q: Must materials borrowed on a PLAC be returned to the lending library?
A: Yes. PLAC cardholders should be informed that they are expected to return materials borrowed using a PLAC to the lending library.

Q: May anyone in my family use the PLAC?
A: No. According to IC 4-23-7.1-5.1 the PLAC is always issued to an individual.

For even more questions and answers about the PLAC program click here. If you have other questions, please contact StatewideServices@library.in.gov.

This blog post was written by John Wekluk, communications director, Indiana State Library. For more information, email the communications director at communications@library.in.gov.

Indiana State Library’s ‘Race into Reading’ bookmark design contest now accepting entries

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The Indiana State Library, in conjunction with the Indiana Center for the Book, is pleased to announce the return of its annual bookmark contest. This year’s theme, Race into Reading, was chosen to coincide with Indiana’s book choice to represent the state at the Library of Congress’s National Book Festival’s Pavilion of the States in September, “Race Car Count” by Rebecca Kai Dotlich.

Race into Reading is a fun theme that celebrates speed, acceleration, racing and Indiana.

Sampling of last year’s entries, including the grand prize winner and three additional top five finalists.

The contest is open to all students in Indiana schools, from kindergarten to third grade. The first-place winner will have their bookmark printed in color and distributed to libraries throughout the state, their school will receive a supply of the winning bookmarks and, starting on July 1, 2017, their school or local library will receive one year of the InfoExpress library delivery service. Four honorable mentions will receive the same perks as the grand prize winner, except for the year of InfoExpress service. Bookmarks will be judged on artistic quality, use of color and use of theme.

Additionally, the winning designs will be featured at Indiana’s booth at the Pavilion of the States during the National Book Festival in Washington, DC. The Indiana Center for the Book gives away thousands of bookmarks to festival participants each year. The festival is free and celebrates the joy of books and reading and features authors, illustrators and poets of all ages.

For more information, contact Michael Hicks, InfoExpress Coordinator, Indiana State Library.

This blog post was written by John Wekluk, communications director, Indiana State Library. For more information, email the communications director at communications@library.in.gov.

Happy New Year, guest blogs and the future

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Do you fancy yourself the next Perez Hilton? Well, this post probably isn’t for you then. However, if you are an Indiana library employee and you would like to write a guest blog post for the Indiana State Library’s blog, the floor is all yours.

Is your library opening an awesome new lab? Are you booking a big-time guest presenter? Would you like to illustrate the day-to-day operations of your bookmobile? Have you successfully executed a social media campaign? I want to hear from you. Because libraries cover such a wide range of duties, the possibilities are endless.

The state library is unique in the fact that we provide services to state government employees, house very specialized collections and help develop and train librarians all over the state. Therefore, we don’t necessarily function in the same way a traditional public library functions. Of course, we are opened to the public, and provide some of the best genealogy and Indiana-related resources in the state, but we’ve never suffered a mad rush when a new “Harry Potter,” “Twilight,” or “Hunger Games” book was released. Our friends a few blocks away at the Indianapolis Public Library are the experts when it comes to handling popular new fiction releases.

As the communications director here at the state library, moving forward, I’d like to offer libraries from all over the state a chance to have their say. We’ll also be highlighting more of what the state library does in this blog, by featuring blog posts from members of our Professional Development Office (PDO) and Library Development Office (LDO) in addition to continuing to bring you posts by all of our divisions, such as genealogy, rare books and manuscripts and talking books and Braille.

So, if you have a topic you’d like to cover that appeals to other librarians, library patrons or both, feel free to get in touch with your idea via the email address below. Just remember, no celebrity gossip.

This blog post was written by John Wekluk, communications director, Indiana State Library. For more information, email the communications director at communications@library.in.gov.