Category Archives: Professional Development Office (PDO)

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.

Indiana authors spotlight 

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I love books! As a librarian, that probably doesn’t surprise anyone. I credit my love of books to my mom. She began reading to me as a baby. By the age of two, I had my Little Golden Books memorized and could “read” them to myself. I was very proud to be the only kindergartner that already had a well-loved card when we went on a field trip to the library to get our first library card. Long before I decided to pursue a career as a librarian, I knew I wanted to be writer. I had stories to tell, like all my favorite authors!

I can’t remember I time that I wasn’t writing. A notebook and pen graduated to a typewriter, then to a desktop computer and now a laptop. Five years ago, I decided to get serious about making my dream of holding in my hands a book that has my name on the cover a reality. I had no clue how to accomplish that. I turned to posting my work on platforms like Wattpad and Archive of Our Own and building up a community of support. The friendships that I cultivated gave me the courage to take that next step, self-publishing, but I still didn’t have a clue. Thankfully, I had a friend from high school that knew what she was doing and lead me on my journey to publishing my first book.

What a journey it has been! One of my favorite parts has been participating in local author fairs at libraries and other events around Indiana. Not only have I met some amazing readers, but many wonderful Indiana authors. I’m excited to cast a spotlight on three of these authors in this article.

Ben Oneal

Ben Oneal is the author of The Benjamin Kroh Series, The Serpent’s Gift Series and multi-genre short stories. Oneal started writing down his thoughts in his early 20s, but it wasn’t until he was older that he decided to get serious about turning those thoughts into books. His favorite part about being an author is the storytelling and sharing his stories with the world. Oneal tried in the beginning of his career to traditionally publish but soon decided to self-publish.

The Benjamin Kroh Series books are crime thrillers that follow Agent Benjamin Kroh of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit as he tracks down serial killers in various parts of the country. The first book finds him in Central, Indiana. For this series, Oneal said that he has always been interested in why people do the things they do. When he worked at General Motors in Anderson he worked with the man that was dubbed the Indiana Bluebeard. He killed his mom, probably his dad and three wives. Oneal actually dated the sister of the third wife that Bluebeard killed. That caused an interest in the mindset of serial killers.

For The Serpent’s Gift Series, Oneal was inspired by his love of the game “What If” to fuel the words that poured from his mind. For his short stories he was able to explore genres that did not lend themselves to novels. Oneal has had a lot of fun exploring the genres of horror, environmental, romance, and many more.

For more information on Ben Oneal, check out his website.

Mark Edward Langley

Mark Edward Langley is the author of the Arthur Nakai Mysteries and The Skye Roanhorse novels. Langley realized he wanted to be an author after reading Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series and Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee series. It stirred something inside him that told him this is what he needed to do. His favorite part of being an author is doing the research for each novel. He lives for delving deep enough into finding exactly what he needs to create the novel he is beginning and make his readers feel as though they were a part of it. Langley’s first two books were traditionally published and he then self-published his third book. His latest book, “Bloodlines: A Skye Roanhorse Novel” is being submitted by his new agent to the “big five” publishing houses.

Langley’s novels are contemporary southwestern mysteries. His Arthur Nakai series follows Arthur, who is a former Marine and CBP Shadow Wolf who now runs his own outfitting business in Northwest New Mexico. Between giving tenderfoots back country rides, he focuses on helping the Navajo people where they police and FBI cannot.

The Skye Roanhorse novels follow Skye Roanhorse. Roanshorse is a man with a troubled past. Three years ago, as the result of an officer involved shooting, he lost not only his position as a sergeant in the New Mexico State Police, but also his family and, ultimately, himself. Two-and-a-half years later, after being given a second chance by his close friend and deputy director of the New Mexico Livestock Board, Troy Riggs, Skye is assigned to remove three horses from a crime scene where a Hopi elder was found murdered. A few days later and 50 miles from that location, a prostitute is found murdered in the same way. Putting the elements of those two cases together Skye begins to put the facts together and comes to believe the murders may have a somewhat darker connection to the death of a renowned horse racing trainer in Santa Fe. As he navigates the facts of the three cases, his old intuitions and instincts reignite, leading him to reveal the killer’s identity and an even bigger revelation. “Bloodlines: A Skye Roanhorse Novel,” book one, is coming out this year.

For more information on Langley’s books, check out his website.

Amy Brailey

Amy Brailey is the author of The Ideal Courtship Trilogy, a young adult series. Brailey won her first author contest in fourth grade and was able to go to the Young Author’s Conference. It was an amazing experience, and really fueled her love of writing. She’s always been a reader and thinks that being a reader and writer, to a degree, goes hand in hand. Brailey’s favorite part of being a writer is hearing from readers about how her books have impacted them. Brailey says that it is an amazing experience when readers share something meaningful or connects to her writing in an emotional way. There is truly nothing like it when readers take the extra time to share their experiences with her.

When Brailey decided to publish, she did consider traditional publishers, but when friends who were published shared how editors had changed the words and intent of their writing, she decided the message of the series was too important for someone else to have any control over. She does have future projects in mind that she would consider publishing traditionally because she isn’t tied to specific wording. For her, it will be a book-by-book decision.

Brailey got the idea to write The Ideal Courtship Trilogy when an eighth grader in her class was pregnant. It was around the time when all the young adult books like “Twilight,” “Hunger Games” and “Divergent” were coming out. All portrayed romance as making out in bed and in the books that is where it ended. In real life, not so much. She felt society was in part to blame for presenting that concept of romance to young girls. She wanted to write something romantic that wasn’t so sexual and really looked at our choices.

Brailey’s other books include a book about George Washington in the French Indian War that she wrote for boys who aren’t interested in history. She also wrote a parallel Shakespeare for use by teachers. She has a collection of “finish the stories” she’s working on for English teachers to use to prompt Free Write Fridays. Additionally, she is working on a collection of the hilarious and true things junior high students have said. The Ideal Courtship series is the only one currently out – she’s finishing the third book in that series – and then she will have time to pursue getting the others out there.

For more information on Brailey’s books and future projects you can follow her on Facebook.

I had a chance to ask each author this question, “What advice would you give an aspiring author?” This is how they replied.

Ben Oneal: “Keep writing. Believe that what you have to say, is important. Find an editor that you trust. One that will not just tell you what you want to hear but will edit your work in the most professional way possible. You may have the greatest story the world has ever known, but too many mistakes turn off even the most loyal reader. Just put your heart and soul into your words, trust your editor and keep writing.”

Mark Edward Langley: “Never give up. It is your dream; your goal. Do not let anyone talk you out of living it. Also, know that even if you have an agent and a publishing house, it is still up to you to market your book. Find a qualified publicist and let them promote your novel.”

Amy Brailey: “Write the books you want to read. John Green talked about the fact that you don’t write for everyone. You write for a specific group that will love what you do. I’m paraphrasing; his quote is better. But, I agree. Not everyone will like what you write. But, for those that do, it will dramatically impact them. Most importantly, write for yourself. Write because you have a voice and something to say. Write what you’re passionate about. And I’m cheering for you!”

To find more Indiana authors and their books visit, Indiana State Library: Indiana Center for the Book.

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

Summer reading 2024 resources

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The year has just begun, but library staff are already looking toward summer reading 2024. The Collaborative Summer Library Program theme this year is “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” and libraries are excited to plan adventures of all types for their communities. I’ve put together several resources to help with public library staff’s summer planning.

Webinar: The best place to start is with the webinar I did in January 2024. This webinar covers updates about the 2024 Adventure Begins at Your Library program and highlights a variety of resources that should help you with program planning. You can view the webinar here.

Resource Website: Speaking of resources, I pulled together some of the most helpful resources for planning your summer reading program here. Included are all of the resources discussed in the above webinar, tutorials on navigating the online manual and planning summer reading, a list of adventure-themed topics to jump-start your creativity and much more.

CSLP Website and Manual: I highly recommend taking a look at the 2024 CSLP Online Manual for a ton of fully developed, ready-to-go program plans revolving around adventure. To access it, visit the CSLP website, go to “Manual Downloads,” and select “2024 Adventure Begins at Your Library!” You’ll be prompted to enter the manual code (Indiana public library staff may request the code here), and then you’ll have access to this wonderful resource!

CSLP Shop: Need shirts, decorations, incentive items and other gear with the trademarked CSLP artwork? Visit the CSLP Shop. CSLP is a nonprofit, and all of the money earned from shop sales go back into what the shop can sell next year. Just note the timelines – you must order by March 1 to receive your items by May 1.

Program Ideas: This winter, I’ve been facilitating workshops across the state about the “Adventure Begins at Your Library” theme, and at each training I collect program ideas from the participants. I post those program ideas under “Summer Program Ideas for Current Year,” so check them out if you need help with your own idea creation. 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.

CSLP Summer Symposium: The CSLP Summer Symposium is a national, virtual, free mini-conference which takes place in December. The third annual symposium took place on Dec. 7, 2023, and the recordings are now available! There were four one-hour sessions, each worth one LEU, that may be helpful to you; the topics were simplifying summer reading, manual highlights, promotion and outdoor programming partnerships. You can view the recordings and access the supporting materials here.

As you begin to plan for summer 2024, I recommend keeping things simple for you and your patrons. Summer reading programs can be organized in a million different ways, so do what’s best for your community, but try not to over complicate it. You’ll thank yourself once summer rolls around. Happy planning!

Submitted by Beth Yates, Indiana State Library children’s consultant.

Remaining 2023 Indiana State Library LEU opportunities

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Believe it or not, 2023 is coming to a close, but we still have many opportunities for you to get LEUs this year, in-person and online.

“Every Child Ready to Read & School Readiness in Storytime” – in-person:
Dubois County Public Library – Jasper Branch, Nov. 17, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EST
Talking, singing, reading, writing and playing! Parents who do these five things (while sprinkling in early math & science skills) can set their children up for success in school. This workshop will introduce attendees to the Every Child Ready to Read program, as well as the basic tenants of the Reimagining School Readiness program, and will discuss ways to encourage reading and school readiness during storytime. Join us for this interactive workshop that will provide you with concrete examples for using ECRR in your library.

Note: This workshop includes a lot of crowdsourcing and brainstorming! If you are a storytime practitioner, please reflect on your storytime favorites (books, songs, rhymes, etc.) before the workshop and come prepared to share!

Webmaster Roundtable – virtual:
Nov. 28, 2-3 p.m. EST
Would you like to connect with other library staff members in Indiana who are tasked with their library’s webpage? This roundtable shares skills, brainstorms and mentors each other.

“What’s Up Wednesday – Anatomy of a Book Challenge” – webinar:
Nov. 29, 10-11 a.m. EST
As the pressure to remove and censor books from our libraries increases, librarians have to be prepared to defend everyone’s right to read. Learn how one school corporation has dealt with several recent challenges to their school library collections and has been able to educate their staff and community on the tenants of intellectual freedom. While challenges can be stressful situations, the presentation will offer you several tools, resources and guidance to help you find some unintended positive outcomes when these contentious situations find their way to your library.

Adventure Begins at Your Library – CSLP 2024 Training & Roundtable – in-person:
Lawrenceburg Public Library District, Dec. 1, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. EST
Warsaw Community Public Library, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. EST
Porter County Public Library – Valparaiso Branch, Dec. 15, 10:00 a.m.-12 p.m. CST
Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library, Dec. 18, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. EST
Brown County Public Library, Dec. 19, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. EST

Get started planning your 2024 Summer Library Program by attending one of our Collaborative Summer Library Program trainings/roundtables across the state!

Join the Indiana State Library for this training where you will be introduced to and receive updates about the 2024 CSLP Summer Reading Program “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” followed by a round table discussion of programming ideas.

What does this mean? Bring your program ideas! Each participant should bring at least one program idea to share with the group. Program ideas may or may not be related to the CSLP theme “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” and can be geared for any age. We want to hear what your library is up to and what you’re excited about!

CSLP’s Summer Symposium (FREE National Virtual Conference on Summer Reading) – virtual:
Dec. 7, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EST
The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) will host the third annual CSLP Summer Symposium on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023! This half day FREE & virtual offering is for public library staff to connect, learn and collaborate as we plan for summer library programming around the upcoming theme of Adventure Begins at your Library.

Sessions will include:
“Simplifying the Adventure of Summer Reading: Observations from a Seasoned Storyteller,” presented by Jenifer Strauss.
“2024 Manual Highlights: Adventure Begins at Your Library!,” presented by Alyssa Graybeal and manual committee chairs.
“Once Upon an Adventure: Practical Tips for Gathering Stories to Promote Your Library,” presented by Angela Hursh.
“Taking Adventure Outdoors: Programming and Partnerships,” presented by Amanda Raiche.

“Navigating Privacy Issues in the Public Library” – webinar:
Dec. 12, 10-11 a.m. EST
The library is a public place where individuals go to seek information and resources for reasons and purposes that they may want to keep private. It’s no surprise, then, that privacy issues arise every day in the public library. In this webinar, we will answer some common questions about privacy, including: What patron or employment records must be disclosed and to whom? Can a citizen take video of staff and other patrons – and the materials they are accessing – in the library without their consent? Can a staff member post cute photos of children participating in library programming on the library’s social media? This webinar will provide you with an overview of various state and federal laws that address privacy in the library and considerations for crafting related library policies.

Don’t forget, you can also earn LEUs for watching Indiana State Library archived webinars. Information on how to obtain your LEU from the recordings can be found on our Continuing Education site under LEU Policies.

This blog post was written by Courtney Brown, Southeast regional coordinator from the Indiana State Library’s Professional Development Office.

International Games Month

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International Games Month 2023 is fast approaching, and Indiana has already played a big role in shaping this year’s activities! The annual November event is presented by the American Library Association’s Games and Gaming Round Table. Not only am I the chair of the committee again this year, but I am currently serving as the Round Table president. I am joined this year on the committee by Matthew Stephenson from Pendleton – who also serves as a member-at-large for GameRT – and Jennifer Taylor from Hagerstown, who is the GameRT treasurer. I also want to thank Danielle Acton of the Hamilton East Public Library who will be joining me for a webinar about IGM on Oct. 11. Those reading after Oct. 11, 2023 should be able to find the webinar on the archived webinar section of the Indiana State Library’s continuing education website, or in the playlist on YouTube with all the games related webinars.

What is IGM? Well, it is a celebration of games and gaming in libraries. GameRT encourages libraries to play, talk about, teach, promote and even create games during November each year. We work to connect libraries and their patrons with free resources that can found on our website. We also strive to get sponsors to give games away to libraries. While the deadline has passed to be registered for the giveaways of physical games, there is still time to register for the drawings of discount codes from some of our sponsors. If you are interested in registering, you can use the following form.

This year we will also be announcing a new initiative during International Games Month, the creation of a Library Gaming Hall of Fame and an award for games that are inducted into this hall of fame! I know how Hoosiers love a good sports hall of fame debate, so hopefully this will generate good discussion. The Round Table is looking to create a list of top tier games for use in libraries. We will be calling on everyone to submit nominations to this hall of fame, so stay tuned for all of the exciting details.

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

Indiana Library Leadership Academy 2023 wrap-up

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The Professional Development Office, along with the Professional Development Committee, recently wrapped up the 2023 Indiana Library Leadership Academy. We had 13 participants and five coaches this year. Our facilitator for the Academy was Cathy Hakala-Ausperk, who has written several books about library leadership. She also teaches for the iSchool at Kent State University in Ohio.

The five coaches shared their library leadership journey with the participants and gave tips for growing as a leader. The 13 attendees will be working on and completing a project they have chosen to help their library and community. There will be three check-in meetings with the coaches and attendees where they can share their progress as well as ask for advice, if needed. The attendees were divided into groups and each group worked with one coach. These relationships will be ongoing as they work on their projects throughout the year. I feature the projects in additional blog articles as they complete them as well as our Indiana Library Leadership Academy webpage. The projects are due by May 2024.

The Indiana Library Leadership Academy participants come from all over the state of Indiana and allow valuable networking experience, not only with their coach but also the other INLLA participants. These relationships last and the benefits to the Indiana library community are great as they grow in their career. We have had several participants go on to be library directors or managers and the ripple effects and benefits of the Indiana Library Leadership Academy continue long after the program is finished.

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

Solar eclipses on the horizon

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The coming year is a big one for astronomy enthusiasts – the United States will see two solar eclipses in the span of just six months! An annular eclipse will occur on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, and a total eclipse will occur on Monday, April 8, 2024.

An annual eclipse takes place when the moon is further away from the earth in its orbit, and it cannot completely cover the sun. In this case, while most of the sun is covered, there will be a bright ring around the moon. This October, the western U.S. will be in the path of this annular eclipse; in Indiana, it will appear as a partial eclipse, meaning a large portion of the sun will always be visible.

2023-24 eclipse map, courtesy of NASA.

In April 2024, however, Indiana is directly in the path for a total eclipse. A total eclipse takes place when the moon is just the right distance from the Earth, and it covers the entire sun when it moves between the sun and Earth. In this case, the path of the total eclipse will move from Northeast to Southwest Indiana; just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time, Indianapolis will experience the total eclipse. See what time the eclipse will occur over your town, as well as whether it will be a total or partial eclipse from your position, on this website.

Eclipses capture the attention of everyone, young and old alike, and many libraries want to offer programming surrounding this exciting event. STARnet, part of the Space Science Institute, has created a program called SEAL (Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries) to assist with this. Funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, SEAL is offering in-person and virtual trainings that highlight activities libraries can do with their patrons.

While Indiana’s in-person SEAL training is now full, library staff can access virtual resources provided by SEAL in several places:

Additional resources include:

  • This webpage about the eclipses on NASA’s website.
  • Info on the eclipses, including an eclipse simulator, can be found on the Eclipse2024 site.

No matter where your library is located within Indiana, you’re sure to have patrons interested in the eclipses. With STARNet’s resources, your library’s programmers can “shoot for the stars!”

Submitted by Beth Yates, Indiana State Library children’s consultant.

Helpful tools for libraries

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As a library employee, do you ask yourself these types of questions:

“I wonder what website development software other libraries are using?”

Or…

“I know I heard about a new tool for tracking reading logs – what was the name of it?”

Or…

“What are some platforms for e-books, e-magazines and digital videos?”

We all know that in this ever-changing technological world, it is hard to keep up. Especially, if you have a zillion things on your to do list. And you might hit a brick wall when doing a Google search for library-related tools.

I was having a hard time keeping up with of all of the new techy tools. I had an idea brewing in my head – kind of a one stop shop for a list of techy tools. So when the world stopped meeting in person back in 2020, I had some extra time to put my idea into practice.

In August of 2020, I started the Helpful Tools for Libraries webpage on the Indiana State Library’s Continuing Education page.

This is a list of tools that might be helpful to your library. I wanted to curate a list in one place of these tools. It has since broadened to include things like a link to library internships, library security videos and much more. These tools aren’t endorsed by the Indiana State Library and there are certainly other tools out there that I don’t know about. Some of the tools are free and some have a cost. But, they are used by many libraries in Indiana.

This list is not meant to take the place of the library Listservs. Those are invaluable to being able to ask questions in real time and to collaborate with other library staff.

If you know of a tool that you have found to be useful in your library job, just let me know and I might add it to this list. I can be reached via email.

Enjoy the tools!

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