Category Archives: Indiana Young Readers Center

The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book celebrates the National Book Festival

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The National Book Festival, presented by the Library of Congress, took place on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The event was free and open to the public. Each year, the Affiliated Centers for the Book participate in the National Book Festival. Each Center for the Book Affiliate staffs a booth in the festival’s Roadmap to Reading area to promote reading, libraries and literacy in their state. The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book, housed at the Indiana Young Readers Center at the Indiana State Library, was happy to attend this year’s festival.

Woman in dress in front of sign.

Indiana Young Readers Center librarian Tammie in her 1850s period dress, ready for the National Book Festival!

More than 80 of the nation’s best authors, poets and illustrators discussed their work and answered questions at the festival. Featured guests participated in author talks, presentations, storytimes and panel conversations. Featured authors from Indiana included Meg Cabot, Craig Fehrman and Caroline Brewer. A selection of programs were livestreamed online, and videos of all programs were available shortly after the festival.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is a community of 56 Affiliated Centers for the Book existing to promote reading, libraries and literacy across the country. There is an Affiliate Center for the Book in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas. The centers elevate and advocate for each state’s unique literary heritage – developed by writers whose works reflect distinctively American places. Rooted in the nation’s extraordinary diversity of people and geography, the authors’ stories, novels, essays, poems and other written works are regularly featured in programs supported by the Affiliated Centers for the Book. Often, these programs are connected to the Great Reads from Great Places program.

Display booth full of promotional items.

Ready for almost 4,000 visitors!

Annually, Affiliated Centers for the Book choose two Great Reads from Great Places selections. In most cases, these books – one for youth and one for adults – are written by authors from their state or territory, take place in their state or territory or celebrate local culture and heritage. The titles are featured at each state’s Roadmap to Reading booth at the National Book Festival. In addition, this year, in honor of America’s 250th Semiquincentennial, affiliate centers were encouraged to choose a title that connects to that theme in some way.

This year, in celebration of the National Book Festival, the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book hosted two “Book Festival Near You” programs featuring the state’s selected Great Reads from Great Places authors, Candace Fleming and Ryan L. Cole. Fleming and Cole were the selected youth and adult authors, respectively. The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book worked with Indiana Humanities to select the titles. “Book Festival Near You” celebrations took place across the Centers for the Book network.

Leading up to the festival, on Saturday, Aug. 8, Fleming visited the Indiana State Library and presented both live and virtually. Fleming’s book, “Imogene’s Last Stand,” illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, was 2026 Great Reads from Great Places youth selection. The book fit perfectly with the America’s 250th Semiquincentennial celebration theme, as it highlights how young people, like Imogene, can make a difference in their communities. In the book, Imogene fights to preserve history and save the local historical society from demolition.

Woman presenting at podium in front of audience.

Author Candace Fleming visits the Indiana State Library on Saturday, Aug. 8, as part of the “Book Festival Near You” programs.

Fleming is the author of more than 50 books for children and young adults, including the 2021 Sibert Medal-winning “Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera” and the 2021 American Library Association YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award-winning “The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh.”

After the National Book Festival, Cole visited the Indiana State Library on Saturday, Sept. 12, and also presented both live and virtually. Cole’s book, “The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic” was 2026 Great Reads from Great Places adult selection. The book also fit with the America’s 250th Semiquincentennial celebration theme, as it recounts when the Marquis de Lafayette returned to the United States in 1824, as an aging hero of the American Revolution. Lafayette was welcomed with the grandest celebration the young republic would ever stage as he traveled to every state in the union and was met with parades and delirious crowds.

Man standing at podium presenting program.

Author Ryan Cole visits the Indiana State Library on Saturday, Sept. 12, as part of the “Book Festival Near You” programs.

Cole is also the author of “Light-Horse Harry Lee: Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero.” He has delivered talks at venues such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon and the Library of Congress. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal.

At this year’s Roadmap to Reading booth at the National book Festival, the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book stamped 3,456 maps, which were provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This number is up 17.5% from last year. Since not all of our visitors had a map, this means we were visited by more than 3,500 people in one day! Whew! We also had the pleasure of being joined by Cole at our booth. He stayed throughout the entire day talking to visitors about his book and helping us stamp those nearly 3,500 maps! The Roadmap to Reading Booths could not greet all of these visitors alone. More than 1,000 volunteers from the Washington, D.C. Junior League supported us throughout the day.

Man holding book.

Author Ryan Cole graciously lends a hand at the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book’s Roadmap to Reading booth… and shows off his book.

As visitors traveled from booth to booth, they were able to get a sticker or a stamp from each state. They were also able to collect swag, such as bookmarks, stickers, keychains, squishies, temporary tattoos, fans, pencils, pens, beads, erasers, brochures, state literary maps, travel guides, sticky notes, journals, posters, zines, buttons, pins, beach balls and, of course, books. At the Indiana booth, we were visited briefly by authors Cabot, Fehrman and Brewer between their featured author presentations.

This year, the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book was able to give away books to 15 children who visited the Indiana booth. Additionally, the Politics and Prose bookstore was on hand to make all of the Great Reads from Great Places choices across all states and territories available for purchase. The Indiana children’s book sold 14 of 20 copies and the adult book sold out of all 20 copies!

While the Affiliated Centers for the Book were in Washington, D.C., the Affiliate Centers for the Book Network took advantage of our time together in person and held its annual meeting, titled “Idea Exchange” this year. The meeting was held at the Library of Congress James Madison Building the day before the National Book Festival. The annual meeting traditionally includes discussions about common issues among centers, strategic planning and reporting to move the network forward. Centers also have time to share current projects and best practices and to network with one another.

Large group of people posing.

The directors of the Centers for the Book.

This year, the directors of the Centers for the Book had to opportunity to visit the Library of Congress’ newest area, the Source. The Source is a place “Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery.” It is especially designed for kids and teens, ages 8-15. Visitors to this experiential gallery at the Library of Congress, with their families or school groups, can explore hundreds of primary sources from the library’s collections. Interactive exhibits feature text, images, film and sound as ways to learn about the past.

Picture of old record player with the word Sound on the wall.

Area of the Source at the Library of Congress.

Person standing in front of display that says Image.

Area of the Source at the Library of Congress.

Finally, the Library of Congress held a reception for the Center for the Book Affiliate Network the day before the National Book Festival. The annual event is primarily a celebration of the network and allows center directors, staff and contacts to meet other centers directors and staff from the Library of Congress. It also allows attendees to interface with local authors and broaden their professional network. Centers usually have the chance to meet the Librarian of Congress face-to-face and often get to meet with other national leaders in literary spaces, such as national leaders from humanities or library organizations.

People standing in a room.

The reception in full swing.

The Library of Congress released free tickets to the public and more than 45,000 people attended the festival this year. Overall, the National Book Festival was an exciting week in Washington, D.C. for the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book!

This blog post was submitted by Indiana Young Readers Center librarian Tammie Buchanan.

Indiana State Library to celebrate 10 years of Indiana Young Readers Center

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The Indiana State Library is inviting the public to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its Indiana Young Readers Center. A Legacy Project of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, the center was officially opened on Oct. 6, 2016, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Modeled after the Young Readers Center in the Library of Congress, the room is dedicated to Indiana authors and illustrators. The center houses interactive exhibits featuring famous Hoosiers, such as Jim Davis, Norman Bridwell, Meg Cabot and John Green.

Graphic with date and time of celebration. On Saturday, Oct. 10, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., the Indiana State Library will celebrate the anniversary with author visits, activities, story times, a writing workshop, community information tables, a special presentation and surprise guests.

Dori Graham, author and library media specialist at Fort Wayne Community Schools, will read her children’s picture book “Brave Miss Muffet.” John David Anderson, best-selling author of several critically acclaimed novels for young people, including “Posted” and “Ms. Bixby’s Last Day,” will lead a writing workshop for teens and will also give an author talk. Each author will be available for a meet and greet and a book signing.

Photo of Indiana Young Readers Center. A special presentation about the history of the Young Readers Center with Christy Franzman, the Young Readers Center’s first librarian, and Suzanne Walker, former Young Readers Center librarian and current Center for the Book program manager at the Library of Congress, is scheduled. The presentation will also feature 2025 Statehood Essay Contest winner Marichka Khakhula, who will read her winning essay, and Lincoln Heddleston, 2024 Letters About Literature contest winner, who will read his letter to John Green.

The program is free and will take place at the Indiana State Library. Registration is not required. The Indiana State Library is located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.

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

The 2026 National Book Festival is near and Indiana will be there!

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It’s August, and that means that the National Book Festival, presented by the Library of Congress, is right around the corner. The National Book Festival will take place in person on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 9 a.m.-8 p.m., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees must have a ticket to enter. Tickets can be reserved for free here. A selection of programs will be livestreamed online, and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the festival. If you love books and reading, then this festival is for you!

Decorative graphic of National Book Festival. Over 80 of the nation’s best authors, poets, illustrators and more will discuss their work and answer questions at the National Book Festival. Featured authors from Indiana include Meg Cabot, Craig Fehrman, Elana Arnold and Caroline Brewer.

You can find the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book from the Indiana State Library at the festival by visiting the Roadmap to Reading area of the festival. Representatives from all of the Affiliate Centers of the Book from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Island, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas will be available to talk to visitors about their community’s local literary heritage.

Each year, the Affiliated Centers for the Book participate in the National Book Festival. Each Center for the Book Affiliate will staff a booth in the Festival’s Roadmap to Reading area to promote reading, libraries and literacy in their state. The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book is housed at the Indiana Young Readers Center at the Indiana State Library. The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book has several exciting programs that Hoosiers can get involved with to promote literacy. We jury the Firefly Early Literacy Book Award; we have interactive displays and kiosks to teach about the Library of Congress and literacy; we host the Indiana Statehood Day writing contest and the Letters About Literature writing contest; we manage a program to offer story time, STEAM, book, Lego and escape experience kits for teachers and librarians across the state; we host events and author visits; we created the Indiana Literary Places Map; and we support a collect of materials for young people written and illustrated by Indiana authors and illustrators.

Annually, these Affiliated Centers for the Book select Great Reads from Great Places books. Each affiliate chooses two titles. In most cases, these books – one for youth and one for adults – are written by authors from their state or territory, take place in their state or territory or celebrate local culture and heritage. In addition, this year, in honor of America’s semiquincentennial, affiliate centers were encouraged to choose a title that connects to that theme in some way. The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book works with Indiana Humanities to select titles.

Indiana is celebrating two books at this year’s festival. “Imogene’s last Stand” by Candace Fleming is the youth selection from Indiana and “Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic” by Ryan Cole is the Indiana selection for adults. Cole will be present at the Indiana booth at the festival.

Book cover showing girl waving flag.Fleming is the author of more than 50 books for children and young adults, including the 2021 Sibert Medal-winning “Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera” and the 2021 American Library Association YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award-winning “The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh.” Fleming’s book, “Imogene’s Last Stand,” illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, fits perfectly with the America’s semiquincentennial theme. It highlights how young people, like Imogene, can make a difference as she fights to preserve history and save the local historical society from demolition.

Book cover showing man standing.

Cole, an Indiana University graduate, has delivered talks at venues such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon and the Library of Congress and his writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal. “Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic” also fits perfectly with the semiquincentennial theme. When the Marquis de Lafayette returned to the U.S. in 1824, the aging hero of the American Revolution was defeated politically and distraught over the fate of liberty in Europe. He set sail one last time from France for America after an absence of 40 years. He was welcomed with the grandest celebration the young republic would ever stage as he traveled to every state in the Union and met with parades and delirious crowds.

Headshot photo of woman.

Candace Fleming.

In addition to attending the National Book Festival, the Indiana State Library Affiliate Center for the Book will be hosting two Festival Near You events at the Indiana State Library! Fleming will be visiting the library on Saturday, Aug. 8. Fleming will read from her book and share her passion about storytelling, writing and history. She will offer time for questions and a book signing following her presentation. Books will be available for purchase.

Photo of man standing and crossing arms.

Ryan Cole.

Cole will visit the library on Saturday, Sept. 12. Cole will discuss “The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic.” He will offer time for questions and a book signing following his presentation. Books will be available for purchase.

Both events will be live streamed and in person. Click the author’s names for more information about each event.

The Indiana booth at the National Book Festival is always exciting. Last year, Indiana had a “stars” theme to celebrate Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s book, “The Night War.”

Selfie of woman in front of banner with stars.

Suzanne Walker, former director of the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book, at the 2025 festival.

Please reach out to Tammie Buchanan, director of the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book, with any questions or queries you might have about the National Book Festival and happy reading!

This blog post was submitted by Indiana Young Readers Center librarian Tammie Buchanan.

2026 Indiana Great Read youth and adult selections announced for National Book Festival

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The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is a community of 56 Affiliated Centers existing to promote reading, libraries and literacy across the country. There is an Affiliate Center for the Book in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas. These Centers elevate and advocate for each state’s unique literary heritage – developed by writers whose works reflect distinctively American places. Their stories, novels, essays, poems and other written works, rooted in the nation’s extraordinary diversity of people and geography, are often featured in the programs supported by the Affiliated Centers for the Book. These Centers engage, inspire and inform diverse audiences through author talks, web-based programs, podcasts, videos, writing challenges for young people, book festivals and other events designed to advance appreciation of the written word.

Decorative National Book Festival logo. The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book is housed at the Indiana Young Readers Center at the Indiana State Library. The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book (ICB) has several exciting programs that Hoosiers can get involved with to promote literacy. We jury the Firefly Early Literacy Book Award; we have interactive displays and kiosks to teach about the Library of Congress and literacy; we host the Indiana Statehood Day writing contest and the Letters About Literature writing contest; we manage a program to offer storytime, STEAM, book, Lego and escape experience kits for teachers and librarians across the state; we host events and author visits; we created the Indiana Literary Places Map; and we support a collect of materials for young people written and illustrated by Indiana Authors and Illustrators.

Each year, the Affiliated Centers for the Book participate in the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Each Center for the Book Affiliate will staff a booth in the Festival’s Roadmap to Reading area to promote reading, libraries and literacy in their state. Annually, these Affiliated Centers for the Book select Great Reads from Great Places. Each affiliate chooses two titles. In most cases, these books – one for youth and one for adults – are written by authors from their state or territory, take place in their state or territory and/or celebrate local culture and heritage. In addition, this year, in honor of America’s 250th Semiquincentennial, affiliate centers were encouraged to choose a title that connects to that theme in some way. The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book works with Indiana Humanities to select titles.

The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book is delighted to announce its Great Read titles for 2026! The Center has chosen “Imogene’s Last Stand” written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter for the 2026 Great Read Youth Selection. This book fits perfectly with the America’s 250th Semiquincentennial. It highlights how young people, like Imogene, can make a difference in their communities as we read about Imogene fighting to preserve history and save the local historical society from demolition.

Imogene's Last Stand book cover. “The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic” by Ryan L. Cole is the 2026 Great Read Adult Selection. This book also fits perfectly with the America’s 250th Semiquincentennial. When the Marquis de Lafayette returned to the U.S. in 1824, the aging hero of the American Revolution was defeated politically and distraught over the fate of liberty in Europe. He set sail one last time from France for America after an absence of 40 years. He was welcomed with the grandest celebration the young republic would ever stage as he traveled to every state in the Union and met with parades and delirious crowds.

The Last Adieu book cover.

The Great Read books are recognized each year at the National Book Festival. The Library of Congress will host the 2026 National Book Festival on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Washington Convention Center. Check out the Library of Congress website for details.

The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book invites Hoosiers to read “Imogene’s Last Stand” and “The Last Adieu,” available at your local library.

For more information, visit the Indiana Center for the Book website and check back for local “festivals near you” events this fall, right here in Indiana!

This blog post was submitted by Indiana Young Readers Center librarian Tammie Buchanan.

Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book celebrates National Library Week with Library of Congress card catalog kiosk at Indiana Young Readers Center at the State Library

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The Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book has received one of 56 card catalogs brought out of retirement by the Library of Congress and distributed through its Center for the Book affiliate network. All 50 states and six territories have received a catalog. The card catalog has been transformed into a Library of Congress information kiosk to help remind library patrons – especially during National Library Week – that the Library of Congress is a library for all.

Photo of card catalog.

The kiosk in the Indiana Young Readers Center is one of 56 distributed throughout the U.S. and its territories.

Every card catalog kiosk features signage indicating the card catalog was once in active use at the Library of Congress and explaining its history and original purpose. The front of each drawer includes the name of a Library of Congress service or program. Inside each of the 15 drawers is a card containing a brief description of the featured initiative, along with a QR code leading to the page on the library’s website that contains more information.

The 15 Library of Congress services and programs highlighted are:

“We’ve had many people stop by and look through the drawers and share that there are many things that they didn’t realize the Library of Congress did or offered,” said Tammie Buchanan, Indiana Young Readers Center librarian and director of the Indiana Center for the Book. “The kids have enjoyed using a parent’s phone to scan the QR codes and then they discuss what they find. It’s great way to celebrate National Library Week!”

About card catalogs
Card catalogs were a familiar sight to library users beginning in the middle of the 19th century and lasting for decades. Every drawer contained hundreds of individual cards that featured information about each item in a library’s collection. Arranged by title, author and subject, the cards helped people find materials and helped libraries to keep track of their collections. In the 1970s, the digitization of library catalogs began, and soon the physical card catalogs cases were retired. The Library of Congress catalog – once held in card catalog cases – is now available online.

About National Library Week
National Library Week was established in 1958 by the American Library Association to encourage, support and promote library use while acknowledging the essential contributions of libraries and staff in strengthening communities. National Library Week runs April 19-25. This year’s theme is “Find Your Joy.”

About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the U.S. – and extensive materials from around the world – both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Researchers can explore collections and reference services, plan a visit, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information and register creative works of authorship.

About the Library of Congress Center for the Book
The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is a community of 56 Affiliated Centers, promoting reading, libraries and literacy through the Library of Congress and its Affiliated Centers across the country. These Centers also elevate and advocate for their state’s unique literary heritage – developed by writers whose works reflect distinctively American places. Their stories, novels, essays, poems and other written works, rooted in the nation’s extraordinary diversity of people and geography, are often featured in the programs supported by the Affiliated Centers for the Book.

There is an Affiliate Center for the Book in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas.

These Centers engage, inspire, and inform diverse audiences through author talks, web-based programs, podcasts, videos, writing challenges for young people, book festivals and other events designed to advance appreciation of the written word. They also play a role in the annual Library of Congress National Book Festival by naming a book to the Great Reads from Great Places program, and they send representatives to the festival to promote their state’s literary heritage to thousands of festivalgoers. In addition, they help to promote the activities and initiatives of the Library of Congress, the Center for Learning, Literacy and Engagement, as well as those of the other Affiliated Centers for the Book.

“We are very grateful for the Library’s Affiliate Centers for the Book,” said Lee Ann Potter, director of Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives at the Library of Congress. “Not only does this community of 56 organizations regularly help the Library of Congress promote reading, libraries and literacy across the country, but all of them played an important role in finding fabulous homes for the card catalog kiosks in their states or territories. The responses we are getting from the Affiliate Center directors have been inspiring.”

About the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book
The Center for the Book promotes interest in reading, writing, literacy, libraries and Indiana’s literary heritage by sponsoring events and serving as an information resource at the state and local level. The Center supports both the professional endeavors and the popular pursuits of Indiana residents toward reading and writing.

Indiana’s card catalog kiosk
The Indiana card catalog information kiosk can be found at the Indiana State Library in the Young Readers Center. The State Library is at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. The library is open from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on some select Saturdays. Email or call 317-232-3700 for more information about the kiosk. Click on the links for more information about the Indiana State Library, the Indiana Young Readers Center and the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book.

This blog post weas submitted by the Library of Congress and edited by the Indiana State Library.

Explore Indiana in an Essay Contest for fourth graders

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The Indiana Center for the Book is excited to once again host an essay contest for Indiana’s fourth graders to commemorate Indiana’s 209th Statehood Day on Dec. 11. The theme of this year’s contest is “Explore Indiana!” Judges are looking forward to seeing students’ interpretation of the theme. Exploring can encompass all kinds of things, like exploring Indiana’s different counties, expansive roadways, beautiful landscapes, rich history or even exciting sports teams. Three winners will be selected. Winners will receive an Indiana529 deposit of $529 made possible by the Indiana Education Savings Authority.

Decorative Statehood Day Essay contest logo. The competition is open to any Indiana fourth grade public, private or homeschooled student, in the 2025-2026 school year. A panel of judges from the Indiana Statehouse, Indiana State Museum, Indiana State Library and the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center will choose first, second and third-place winners. Essays should be well organized, reflective of the “Explore Indiana!” theme and must range from 100 to 300 words, handwritten or typed.

Essays must be submitted with an entry form. Individual entries should use a 2025 Individual Entry form. Class sets should use a 2025 Group Entry Form. In addition, the following information should be included on each essay for class sets: student name, teacher name, and school name. For individual entries, the following information should be included on each essay: student name, school if applicable, and hometown. All information on how to enter can be found on the contest website.

The submission deadline is Oct. 20. If you have questions, please email the Indiana Center for the Book.

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

It’s the 25th year of the National Book Festival and Indiana will be there!

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It’s August, and that means the National Book Festival, presented by the Library of Congress, is right around the corner. This 25th annual festival will take place in person on Sept. 6 from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public. A selection of programs will be livestreamed online, and videos of all programs will be available shortly after the festival. If you love books and reading, then this festival is for you!

National Book Festival 2025 logo. Over 90 of the nation’s best authors, poets and illustrators will discuss their work and answer questions at the National Book Festival, including Indiana authors like John Green, Leah Johnson and Susan Choi. In addition, you can find the Indiana State Library at the festival by visiting the Roadmap to Reading area of the festival where representatives from all 50 states  – plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas – will be available to talk to visitors about their community’s local literary heritage.

Indiana is celebrating two books at this year’s festival. “Everything is Tuberculosis” by John Green is the adult selection from Indiana, and “The Night War” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is the Indiana selection for children and teens. Explore the program guide for more resources for these two titles plus a wide array of program ideas to support the National Book Festival.

Book cover of The Night War.Book cover of Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green.

The Indiana booth at the National Book Festival is always exciting to set up. Last year Indiana had a “map” theme to celebrate Gabrielle Balkan’s book “What a Map Can Do.” Pictured below (left to right) is Anna Bowman, communications manager at Indiana Humanities, and Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book, at the 2024 festival.

Two people at a booth at the book Festival.

Please reach out to Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book with any questions or queries you might have about the National Book Festival and happy reading!

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

Borrow interactive kits from the Indiana State Library

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The Indiana State Library’s kit booking program has recently received a facelift. Librarians and teachers in Indiana can now book kits from the new online system powered by SpringShare.

While easy to use, two videos have been created to teach users how to interact with the new system. The quick version covers all the basics including navigating the system, booking different kinds of kits and learning how to use the availability grid. The longer version covers all that in more detail and includes booking limitations and deeper explanations. Additionally, an instructional webinar was offered on March 25. Click here to view the video.

The new system allows users to book kits from the Indiana Young Readers Center including Storytime kits, Lego & Duplo kits, Book Club kits and our new Indiana Escape Experience kits. The Indiana Young Readers Center kits can be booked out a year and a half in advance to accommodate future planning.

There are also a variety of kits available from the Professional Development Office, including NASA kits, Breakout Box kits and Tech kits. Kits from the Professional Development Office can be booked out a year in advance.

Both teachers and librarians in Indiana are welcome to use this system, however it is essential that teachers work closely with their public libraries to book their kit as all kits are delivered through the Indiana State Library’s InfoExpress courier service for Indiana libraries.

Questions? Suzanne Walker in the Indiana Young Readers Center can answer any questions you might have about the Indiana Young Readers Center kits. You can reach Suzanne via email. Kara Cleveland in the Professional Development Office is the contact for the Professional Development Office kits. Kara can be reached via email.

The new system is easy to use. Book your first kit today!

This post was submitted by Suzanne Walker and Kara Cleveland of the Indiana State Library. 

Call for entries for Indiana Statehood Day Essay Contest

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The Indiana Center for the Book is hosting an essay competition to commemorate Indiana’s 208th Statehood Day. This year’s theme is “Learning IN Indiana.” The Statehood Day Essay Contest takes place annually in the fall and is open to all Indiana fourth graders.

Essays should be well organized and reflective of the theme “Learning IN Indiana.” Judges are looking forward to seeing students’ interpretation of the theme. The theme can encompass all kinds of learning, like travel, reading, experiences, passions and more. The committee hopes that the theme will build awareness and appreciation for the Hoosier state.

Winners of the essay contest will be honored on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at in-person ceremonies at the Indiana Statehouse and the Indiana State Museum. The winners will be expected to record their essays as well.

Each winner – first place through fourth place – will receive a CollegeChoice 529 deposit of $529 made possible by the Indiana Education Savings Authority.

The essay contest rules are as follows:

– The competition is open to any Indiana fourth grade public, private or homeschooled student in the 2024-25 school year.

– A panel of judges, including Indiana State Library staff and volunteer educators, will choose the first, second, third and fourth place winners.

– Essays must range from 100 to 300 words; handwritten or typed and must be submitted with an entry form.

– Individual entries should use the 2024 individual entry form and class sets should use the 2024 class entry form. The following information should be included on each essay for class sets: student name, teacher name and school name.

– All entries may be mailed or emailed and must be received by Friday, Oct. 25.

– Mailed entry forms can be sent to: Indiana Center for the Book Indiana State Library 140 N. Senate Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46204.

– Emailed entry forms can be sent to this email address as an attachment.

Click here for more information about the 2024 Statehood Day essay contest, including lesson plans for teachers, and to view the 2023 winning essays.

Please contact Suzanne Walker, Indiana Center for the Book director, with any questions.

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

2024 National Book Festival and Indiana author event!

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The Library of Congress is once again presenting the National Book Festival. The 24th annual festival will take place in-person on Aug. 24 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., but you don’t have to go all the way to Washington to experience the festival. Indiana is having a National Book Festival Event in downtown Indianapolis on Aug. 10th!

Each year the Indiana Center for the Book chooses two authors to feature during the festival, one who writes for children and one who writes for adults. This year we are proud to highlight Gabrielle Balkan’s picture book “What a Map Can Do” and Kaveh Akbar’s novel “Martyr!”

The Indiana Center for the Book is partnering with Indiana Humanities to host a program with Balkan in-person at 1 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the Indiana State Library. Please join us for this family-friendly event featuring a talk from Gabrielle Balkan and mapping activities for kids. Kids Ink will be on hand to sell books, and you can park for free at the State Garage across the street from the Indiana State Library. Bring your ticket into the library to get it validated.

In addition to these two authors, Indiana author Candace Fleming will also be at the festival in-person. Fleming’s book “The Enigma Girls” is featured in a toolkit put together by Indiana Humanities and Indiana Center for the Book. Use the toolkit to develop your own local programs related to these authors or the National Book Festival. If you do a local program, Indiana Humanities wants to hear about it. Fill out this form to share your local National Book Festival related programs.

Last year at the National Book Festival, Sammy the Interviewing Toucan was in attendance and got to speak with Kim Howard, Indiana author of the award-winning book “Grace and Box,” featured at the festival in 2023. It was a dynamic day full of people, books and conversations. Enjoy the video here.

Each year the National Book Festival is a time to celebrate our Hoosier literary heritage on a national scale. We hope you can participate by either coming to the festival in person, attending our Gabrielle Balkan author event, or interacting with the program guide. Indiana’s authors are definitely something to celebrate!

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