Category Archives: Professional Development Office (PDO)

Tea Time with Librarians episode guide

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It isn’t a secret that I love libraries! My love of libraries began early on. I can’t remember that first visit because I was really young, but I remember being proud that I already  had a library card when my kindergarten class took a field trip to the library. I wish I could boast that being a librarian was what I always wanted to be, but that isn’t the case. It wasn’t until I was in college and starting my sophomore year that I realized I could turn my love of libraries into a career!

Fast forward to 2025, and I’ve been living my librarian dreams for over twenty years! Prior to coming to work at the Indiana State Library, I worked in various positions in two different library systems in Lake County. Now, as the Northwest regional coordinator for the Indiana State Library, I have the privilege of visiting the public libraries in the Northwest region. I have to tell you that public libraries all over Indiana are doing incredible things!

Libraries and library staff are the champions in their communities. Libraries are not just buildings that house books. Libraries are so much more! It was from my work in public libraries and my library visits that Tea Time with Librarians was born. I wanted a way for libraries to be able to brag, boast and shout to the world what they are doing. Tea Time with Librarians is an interview program that debuted in November 2024. The purpose of the program is to talk about all the amazing things that Indiana libraries and library staff are doing for their communities.

The Tea Time interviews are typically under 30 minutes, therefore not eligible for LEU’s. If you’re interested in being a guest on Tea Time, please send an email to me. You don’t have to be a librarian to participate.

Tea Time with Librarians episode guide
Episode one of Tea Time with Librarians features Kara Cleveland, Professional Development Office supervisor at the Indiana State Library. She talks about what the professional development office does, what State Library services she would like Indiana libraries to know more about and current projects she is working on. At the time of the interview, she was reading “Our Kind of Game” by Johanna Copeland. This episode was published to YouTube on Nov. 12, 2024. You can watch episode one here:

Episode Two of Tea Time with Librarians features Jennifer Clifton, Library Development Office supervisor at the Indiana State Library. She talks about what the Library Development Office does, discusses her “why” for working in libraries and what motivates her most in her position. At the time of the interview, she was reading “Best of Europe” by Rick Steves. This episode was published to YouTube on Dec. 10, 2024. You can watch episode two here:

Episode three of Tea Time with Librarians features Courtney Brown, Evergreen Indiana coordinator at the Indiana State Library. She discusses what she found to be surprising about her position, projects that she is excited about and the most rewarding part of her job. At the time of the interview, she was reading “Tell Me What You Did” by Carter Wilson. This episode was published to YouTube on Jan. 14. You can watch episode three here:

Episode four of Tea Time with Librarians features Jane Feyl, with Andrew Laverghetta, from the Eckhart Public Library. Feyl is a genealogy librarian at their Willennar Genealogy Center and Laverghetta is their tech guru. Feyl tells us about their Facebook shows, “Cemeteries of DeKalb” and “Memories of DeKalb.” Feyl and Laverghetta also discuss how other libraries can start similar shows. At the time of the interview, Feyl was reading “Dewey” by Vicki Myron, Laverghetta was reading the “Magic Tree House” books by Mary Pope Osborne with his child and I was listening to “Onyx Storm” by Rebecca Yarros and reading “The Beyond” by Agnes Stone. This episode was published to YouTube on Feb. 11. You can watch episode four here:

Episode five of Tea Time with Librarians features Judy Gray, supervisor of Talking Book and Braille Library at the Indiana State Library. She talks about all the wonderful services that Talking Book and Braille Library provides, what service she would like for Indiana libraries to know more about and what motivates her in her position. At the time of the interview, she was reading “Cartographers” by Peng Shepherd. I was listening to “The Woman in the Garden” by Jill Johnson. This episode was published to YouTube on March 11. You can watch episode five here:

Episode six of Tea Time with Librarians features Dr. Michella Marino, deputy director of the Indiana Historical Bureau, a division of the Indiana State Library. She gives a history of the Indiana Historical Bureau and discusses their many services. She sheds light on a service that she would like for Indiana residents to know more about and discusses what her biggest wish is for the Indiana Historical Bureau. At the time of the interview, she was reading “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut and had just finished “First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston. This episode will be published to YouTube on April 8.

New episodes are published to YouTube on the second Tuesday of the month. I hope you’ll be watching!

This post was submitted by Lacey Klemm, Northwest regional coordinator at the Indiana State Library.

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. 

Summer reading 2025: Color Our World!

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During the summer of 2025, many public libraries across Indiana will explore all aspects of the arts through the summer reading theme “Color Our World.” This national theme, selected by the Collaborative Summer Library Program, will encourage library patrons to celebrate summer through painting, drawing, music, textile arts, theater, writing, storytelling, photography and more! If you work at a library, I’ve compiled some helpful resources to assist you with planning.

Webinar: In January of 2025, I offered a webinar that highlights the 2025 “Color Our World” program and shares a variety of resources that should help you with program planning. You can view the webinar here.

Resource website: The resources shared during the above webinar can be found on Indiana State Library’s website.

Program ideas: Library staff are always seeking new and exciting ways to offer programming for their community members, so I collected program ideas from library staff who attend my in-person summer reading workshops (these workshops take place around the state in December and January ever year) and posted them under “Summer Program Ideas for Current Year” on the State Library’s website. You can also view program ideas from past years here. Of course, you can use most of these ideas year-round!  I recommend bookmarking them in your browser for quick access.

Collaborative Summer Library Program website and manual: The CSLP Online Manual is a treasure trove of summer planning resources and program ideas, so don’t forget to browse through it! To access the manual, go to www.cslpreads.org, then to “Manual Downloads,” and select “2025 Color Our World.” You’ll be prompted to enter the manual code, and once you do, you’ll have access to the artwork and manual! The online manual code was sent to directors via email in October of 2024, but Indiana public library staff may also request the code through this form through May 30, 2025.

Collaborative Summer Library Program Summer Symposium: The CSLP Summer Symposium is a national, virtual and free mini-conference that takes place in December. This year’s symposium featured a keynote from Mychal Threets and sessions on marketing summer, process art and sustainability. The recordings from the fourth annual symposium are available to watch and are eligible for one LEU per one hour session. View them here.

Summer 2025 should be a colorful celebration of the arts in our communities. I wish you all “happy planning!”

This blog post was submitted by Beth Yates, children’s consultant at the Indiana State Library.

Upcoming What’s Up Wednesday trainings to focus on AI

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With the rise of artificial intelligence in our society, library staff may have concerns and questions surrounding AI and the best practices to apply when it comes to using AI. Did you know that the Professional Development Office at the Indiana State Library has four upcoming What’s Up Wednesday webinars that will focus on AI and how to incorporate AI in public libraries? Continuing education is an important part of a professional librarian’s success, and it is equally important that they are provided training and knowledge that will provide them tools for their success. Lacey Klemm, Northwest regional coordinator, and Meg Adams, Central regional coordinator, have partnered with professionals to deliver AI training to public libraries.

Below, you will find dates and information for the upcoming What’s Up Wednesday AI trainings and a link to a recently-completed AI webinar that took place on Jan. 29. Some of these webinars are still finalizing details, but stay tuned to the Indiana State Library’s LibCal events calendar to view the updated information as it becomes available.

July 30
“What’s Up Wednesday – Debunking and Understanding the Fears of AI”
This webinar will help debunk the fears surrounding AI, while providing how we currently use AI in our daily lives.

Stay tuned for more information and a registration link!

Presented by Dr. Treg Hopkins, national director of administration and leadership of Connectable Education.

Aug. 27
“What’s Up Wednesday – How to incorporate AI for Professional and Library Use”
Our presenter, Dr. Treg Hopkins, will teach librarians and staff how they can incorporate AI in their jobs and within their library.

Stay tuned for more information and a registration link!

Presented by Dr. Treg Hopkins, national director of administration and leadership of Connectable Education.

Sept. 10
“What’s Up Wednesday” – Dr. Treg Hopkins program
This program will share information on what types of AI could be beneficial for libraries to use, to serve and to provide for their communities.

Stay tuned for title and a registration link!

Presented by Dr. Treg Hopkins, national director of administration and leadership of Connectable Education.

Oct. 8
“What’s Up Wednesday – Creating Library Programming with AI”
This program will demonstrate how libraries can use AI capabilities to create library programming.

Stay tuned for more information and registration link!

Presented by Dr. Treg Hopkins, national director of administration and leadership of Connectable Education.

Additionally, on Jan. 29, the Indiana State Library presented “What’s Up Wednesday – Artificial Intelligence in Libraries.” Presenters Michael Acsbok and Nicaris Daniels-Porter discussed advances in artificial intelligence and how the coming decade could bring transformations comparable to those witnessed over the past century.

Click here to view the Indiana State Library’s LEU policies, including how to document LEUs for live and archived virtual conference sessions or webinars.

This post was submitted by Meg Adams, Central regional coordinator at the Indiana State Library.

Save the date! What’s Up Wednesday schedule for 2025

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Save the Date!

The Indiana State Library’s Professional Development Office is excited to tell you about the upcoming What’s Up Wednesday webinar schedule for 2025. We are still finalizing details for some of the webinars but we wanted to share what we do have.

Jan. 8, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – Empowering Libraries to Support Caregivers: Essential Resources and Strategies”

Caregivers often face overwhelming physical, emotional and mental challenges while balancing caregiving with their own well-being. In this session, librarians will learn how to support caregivers by connecting them with trusted health resources from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, and other key organizations. Participants will explore effective strategies for making libraries welcoming, resource-rich spaces for caregivers and gain practical tools to help prevent caregiver burnout within the community. Join us to strengthen your library’s role as a supportive hub for caregivers, fostering resilience and connection.

Presented by Bobbi Newman, Region 6, NNLM.

Jan. 29, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – Artificial Intelligence in Libraries”

Stay tuned for description and registration link!

Presented by Mike Acsbok.

Feb. 12, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – ‘Sorry, I Don’t Speak Librarian’: Finding Your Voice and Writing for Your Audience”

Stay tuned for description, presenter info and registration link!

Feb. 26, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – School Care Team”

Shane Presley and Rebekah Enzler will be doing a presentation on their organization, School Care Team. With years of experience in education, the School Care Team works alongside schools and community partners to nurture cultures of care.

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by Shane Presley and Rebekah Enzler.

March 12, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – ILF and Advocacy”

Stay tuned for description and registration link!

Presented by Vanessa Martin and Julie Wendorf.

March 26, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday: 2025 State of the Child with Indiana Youth Institute”

To improve the lives of all Indiana children, Indiana Youth Institute provides access to reliable data and resources to empower, educate, and equip those who impact youth. Join us for a dive into the recently released 2025 Indiana KIDS COUNT® Data Book during this State of the Child presentation! Learn and engage with the best and most recent information on child well-being, to inform leaders, policymakers, youth workers and advocates, like you, with go-to sources for critical data to create positive change for youth in your community.

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by the Indiana Youth Institute Data Team.

April 9, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – Indiana Collection at the Indiana State Library”

The Indiana Collection at the Indiana State Library offers a wealth of published material about our great state. Among the most widely used are local daily newspapers, maps, local histories and state agency documents, including historical laws. Our collection includes historical runs of many titles, essential for researching the past and preparing for the future.

In this webinar, you’ll be introduced to fascinating items within the collection, receive tips for exploring the resources, discover where to find online materials and learn how you can help us grow this unique collection.

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by Monique Howell, Indiana Division supervisor, Indiana State Library.

April 30, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – Start Your Community’s Journey to Information Literacy”

In 2024, the Institute of Museum and Library Services launched a new website to resources to teach about the different types of literacy there are including information literacy, digital literacy, financial literacy, health literacy and science literacy. The website includes programming resources to help develop skills in using and understanding information in a quickly changing world. In addition, the website includes training resources specifically for professionals, funding opportunities to promote information literacy, ready-made lesson plans, evaluation tools and more.

Presented by Kara Cleveland, Professional Development Office supervisor, Indiana State Library.

May 14, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – Small Adjustments for Big Change”

Hear about the programs that have influenced one library’s community, including diversifying collections, creating spaces for different age groups, implementing food security programs, getting outside of library walls, implementing 24-hour book pickup and offering take-home crafts, all on a small budget in a small building. We’ll look at how some of the programs were planned and work together as a team to share successful programs and identify other ways to make big changes with small adjustments.

Presented by Brenda Hornsby Heindl, director and librarian, Liberty Public Library in Liberty, North Carolina.

May 28, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – Video Game Collections in Libraries, Pt. 3”

Stay tuned for the description and registration link!

Presented by Chris Baker, Jenna Gilles and Jamie Hein.

June 11, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – Invisible Faces”

The presenter will provide the information on human trafficking and its forms, the risks, the language, unacknowledged victims, identification and myths.

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by Bridgette Spann-Edwards.

June 25, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – A Trauma Informed Care for Grieving Families”

Objectives of this webinar are to learn how grief affects children at different developmental stages; the Do’s and Don’ts of trauma informed responses; and how to best support grieving youth and families.

Presented by Lindsy Diener-Locke, LSW – Ryan’s Place in Goshen, Indiana.

July 9, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday – Presenting the Autism Center”

Learn about the Autism Center at the new Fort Benjamin Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library.

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by Shelby Peak, Indianapolis Public Library.

July 30, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday”

This webinar will help debunk the fears surrounding AI, while providing how we currently use AI in our daily lives.

Stay tuned for presentation title and registration link!

Presented by Dr. Treg Hopkins, national director of administration and leadership of Connectable Education.

Aug. 13, 2025″
What’s Up Wednesday – Adult Programming Made Easy, Part 2″

Need more adult programming ideas? I’ve got you! I have gathered 12 more programming ideas, complete with instructions, for your library to use. These programs are adaptable to any budget.

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by Lacey Klemm, Northwest regional coordinator at the Indiana State Library.

Aug. 27, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday”

Our presenter will teach librarians and staff how they can incorporate AI in their jobs, and within their library.

Stay tuned for presentation title and registration link!

Presented by Dr. Treg Hopkins, national director of administration and leadership of Connectable Education.

Sept. 10, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday”

Share information on what types of AI could be beneficial for libraries to use, to serve and to provide for their communities.

Stay tuned for presentation title and registration link!

Presented by Dr. Treg Hopkins, national director of administration and leadership of Connectable Education.

Sept. 24, 2025
Stay tuned for the title, description and registration link!

Oct. 8, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday”

Demonstrate how libraries can use AI capabilities to create library programming.

Stay tuned for presentation title and registration link!

Presented by Dr. Treg Hopkins, national director of administration and leadership of Connectable Education.

Each webinar is eligible for one LEU for Indiana library staff. Check the Indiana State Library’s events calendar for all of the latest training info, including the details about the remaining webinars when they become available!

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

Library gaming resources, an award and the Platinum Play Hall of Fame

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As a regional coordinator with the Professional Development Office here at the Indiana State Library, I love making library visits in the fall. With the leaves beginning to change, and the weather turning colder, I like to use the drive time to reflect on all of the things that I can enjoy in the fall and winter months, like reading a good book – borrowed from my local library – while drinking a warm beverage and the start of basketball season. However, some of my favorites, of course, are games. One of the best months for games in libraries is fast approaching, International Games Month, which is celebrated every year in November.

I have been asked recently by many libraries how they might go about starting a game collection if they don’t currently have games. Just like any other library resource, to answer questions like this you need to consider many things about your community and library to best answer them. Is the library or the community most interested in a circulating collection? Is the library hoping to use games for programming and community building? Some of the resources I have suggested to libraries in the past can be found here. Unfortunately, there is no established “first purchase list” for games as a library collection, partially because games as a type of library collection are still relatively new, and because the answers to the above questions can play an outsized role in developing the collection.

To begin developing lists to help libraries, the Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association formed a new committee a few years ago and began developing an award. This year during IGM, the Awards Committee of ALA’s GameRT will be announcing the first class of inductees – the Platy’s – into the Platinum Play Hall of Fame. The Hall was first announced this past January with a list of classic games that work well in library settings. Each year we plan to add newer games to this Hall with the focus remaining on games well suited for libraries. At the end of November, the nomination window will open for next year’s Platy’s. Once the nomination window opens, I will be announcing it on the Indiana Games Roundtable Listserv. If you are not currently a member of that listserv it is a growing community of Indiana library employees who use, collect and work with games of all types in their libraries and we would love to have you join that conversation. Details about joining this – or any Indiana library – Listserv can be found here.

This post was written by George Bergstrom, Southwest regional coordinator, Professional Development Office, Indiana State Library.

How the Indiana State Library supports state correctional facilities

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Did you know that one of the responsibilities of the Indiana State Library’s regional coordinators is visiting correctional facilities within their region? Our newest Southwest regional coordinator Meg Adams and I will be visiting one of these institutions this coming Friday. I like to accompany new regional coordinators, or ask one of the other coordinators to go with them on their first visit, because it can be a bit intimidating.

Most correctional facilities don’t employ librarians with a Master of Library Science degree, so the regional coordinators visit the correctional facilities in their region to consult with the person who oversees the library and see if they need any support from the Indiana State Library. They also send a letter to the library staff after confirming their visit which is required so the facility can maintain their accreditation through the American Correctional Association.

Another ACA requirement for library staff in correctional facilities is to obtain a certain number of continuing education credits. To help with this, the Indiana State Library’s Professional Development Office has planned the last two Institutional Workshops to share Indiana State Library resources as well as bring in outside presenters to speak about other topics of interest related to their jobs.

Last year, we invited representatives from the Integrated Reentry and Correctional Support – or IRACS – to speak. This program works directly with the institutions to provide peer support and community resources to make reentry easier for those who are leaving incarceration. IRACS started in 2022 as a pilot program with the Family Social Services Administration for Indiana in five counties – Blackford, Daviess, Dearborn, Delaware and Scott. Services have continued for the original five counties, and they have added Clark and Fayette counties. There are an additional 12 counties in progress and eighteen other counties who are interested in IRACS. Visit this map to see if your county is one of these counties. You can learn more about the re-entry program and how it works by visiting their website. Indiana is making great strides by offering this program because 62.5% complete the program and the recidivism rate is 13%.

Indiana State Library also offers interlibrary loan services to institutions so they can request books to supplement their collections. Another service the Indiana State library offers is the Read to Me literacy program facilitated by Terry Black. It provides children’s books, cassette tapes, CD-ROMS, CD Sleeves, mailing envelopes and postage for mailing the tapes/CD-ROMs with cases, and books to the facilities that participate. The Read to Me program provides a chance for the child and their parent to have a shared reading and learning experience.

The Indiana State Library is committed to supporting correctional facility libraries and enhancing the educational opportunities for both staff and inmates.

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

Watermelon, baked beans and picnics… oh my!

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When I found out that this article would be posted near July 4, I knew I wanted to talk about holidays! So, then began my research into what holidays are in July. The most known American holiday in July, of course, is the Fourth of July! The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day or July Fourth, became a federal holiday in 1941. Celebrating the Fourth of July dates back to July 2, 1776, when the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence. Two days later, delegates for the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4 has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with celebrations like parades, cookouts, picnics and fireworks!

Did you know that there are hundreds of daily, weekly and monthly holidays in July? I sure didn’t! The unique national month-long holidays in July that caught my eye are National Baked Beans Month, National Blueberry Month, National Hot Dog Month, National Ice Cream Month, National Picnic Month and National Watermelon Month! When I think about the Fourth of July, all of these things come to mind, but I’m going to talk a little about the history of picnics.

The English word for picnic comes from the French word “pique-nique.” The French word originally referred to a meal where everyone paid for or contributed a share of the food, but it later came to mean a meal eaten outdoors. In England and France picnics became popular in the 18th century among the upper class, but they were held indoors. It was closer to the 19th century when picnics were taken up by the emerging middle class and moved outdoors. The outdoor picnic then made its way to the United States. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that outdoor picnics prevailed over indoor. During that time picnic baskets started being produced for the mass market.

Will you be celebrating the Fourth of July at a picnic eating hot dogs, baked beans and watermelon? I’ll be at my family cookout with this blueberry cake and vanilla ice cream! Happy Fourth of July!

The following recipes are from “Celebrating Indiana Hospitality Picnics, Potlucks & Prizewinners with 4-H Families and Friends” (ISLI 641.5 P597P).

Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (yield six servings)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups half and half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions: Combine the condensed milk, half and half and vanilla in the ice cream freezer container and mix well. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instruction.

Berry Batter Cake (yields six servings)
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries or blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries
¼ cup lemon juice
1 ¾ cups sugar, divided
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 or 9-inch square or 7×11 inch baking dish. Arrange the berries over the bottom of the dish. Drizzle with lemon juice. Combine ¾ cup of the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix well. Add the milk, almond extract and vanilla, stirring just until blended. Spread evenly over the berries.

Combine the remaining one cup sugar and cornstarch and mix well. Sprinkle over the batter. Pour boiling water over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

This blog post was submitted by Lacey Klemm, Northwest regional coordinator in the Professional Development Office of the Indiana State Library.

Resources
“July 2024 Official, Fun, Crazy and Bizarre Holidays” (brownielocks.com)
“Fourth of July – Origins, Early Celebrations & Traditions” | HISTORY\
“Celebrating Indiana Hospitality Picnics, Potlucks & Prizewinners with 4-H Families and Friends” (ISLI 641.5 P597P)
“The Picnic Book; 100 Outdoor Recipes” by Marian Tracy (ISLM 641.5 T762P)
“The Picnic: a History” by Walter Levy (ISLM GT2955 .L48 2014)

Register now for the 2024 Difference is You Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Session 3 – 2:45-3:45 p.m.

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

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

Pro tips for attending conference:

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

Click here for a map to the parking areas.

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

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

INLLA 2023 is a wrap!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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