Paula Newcom, Northeast Regional Coordinator, recently visited with the new Director of the South Whitley Cleveland Township Public Library, Vicki Builta. She has worked as a school librarian for several years. In addition she has served on the Young Hoosier Book Award Picture Book Committee (2011-2013) and served as Co-Chair of YHBA from 2014-2016.

PN: Are you from the area?  If not, where are you from originally?

VB: No, I am not from the area. Until recently, I lived in Anderson, Indiana and attended Butler and Ball State Universities. I worked for the Anderson Community Schools as a school librarian for 33 years before retiring in June, 2011. I worked as Director at Daleville Community Library from August 2011 until April 2015. Then I worked in Adult Services at Tipton Public Library from April 2015 until October 2015, and became the Director at SWCPL as of November 2, 2015.

PN: What inspired you to work in libraries?

VB: Reading has always been a passion. Being able to share that passion with other literature lovers makes working in libraries an ideal job.

PN: What is your favorite thing about working for your library?

VB: I enjoy working with a great staff that strives to provide an outstanding variety of opportunities for the South Whitley community. We have a wonderful collection of materials and host amazing programs for all ages. The South Whitley Community Public Library is a local gathering place and a vital part of the area’s educational and cultural environment.

PN: What is your favorite book?

VB: I have many. Here are a few! Favorite Classic – Jane Eyre, To Kill a Mockingbird, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Favorite Juvenile Fiction – Tuck Everlasting, Echo, The Poet’s Dog Favorite YA Fiction (for right now!) – Salt to the Sea, Code Name Verity Favorite Adult Nonfiction (again, for now) – Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, H is for Hawk, The Wright Brothers, Shakespeare Saved my Life, Best. State. Ever: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland Favorite Adult Fiction (just a few…..) – A Little Life, All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, The Nest, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, Fates and Furies, Best Boy, The Marriage of Opposites, Our Souls at Night, The Martian, A Great Reckoning

PN: If you could have dinner with any three famous people in recorded history, who would they be and why?

VB: 1. Amelia Earhart – I’d love to hear her discuss her adventures and her experiences as a woman working in a field that was dominated by men. 2. Steve Jobs – I’ve read so much about him, I’d be interested to listen to him discuss his visions for technology and the future of man’s changing relationships with it. 3. Sigmund Freud – I have always been interested in psychology and what makes humans do what they do, act as they act and say what they say. It would be fascinating to explore his work with him.

PN: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?

VB 1. Read!  2. Puzzles – sudoku, crossword, jigsaw, cryptograms, all sorts of word puzzles 3. Crafts  4. Travel

This blog post by Paula Newcom, Professional Development Librarian. For more information, contact the Professional Development Office at (317) 232-3697 or email statewideservices@library.in.gov.

Did you know that the Indiana State Library has a collection of sheet music? We have a varied and eclectic library of scores and sheet music in our Indiana pamphlet collection.  A recent visit to James Whitcomb Riley’s Lockerbie Street home reminded me that Raggedy Ann was the brainchild of Riley’s neighbor, Johnny Gruelle, an artist who lived in Indiana during most of his childhood and early adulthood.  The red-haired doll’s name, Raggedy Ann, may have been based on the poem, “The Raggedy Man” by James Whitcomb Riley.

I found this book of songs in our Indiana pamphlet collection. Raggedy Ann’s Joyful Songs (ISLH 780.8 Gru 1) is a collaboration of Gruelle’s artwork and lyrics and music by Charles Miller, a music composer and publisher.  This is one of several collaborations between Gruelle and Miller, and the pair often worked with Will Wooden, Miller’s business partner. There were several songbooks of this type published during the 1930’s. Raggedy Ann’s Joyful Songs includes sheet music paired with cheerful pictures of Raggedy Ann and her friends.

Although Johnny Gruelle was born in Arcola, Illinois in 1880, his parents moved to Gainesville, Florida shortly after his birth. When he was two or three years old, the family moved to Indianapolis, settling a few short blocks away from Lockerbie Street, where Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley lived.  Gruelle’s father was painter, Richard Buckner (R.B.) Gruelle.  R.B. Gruelle was a well-known painter in the “Hoosier Group” of painters of the late 19^th and early 20^th Century.  James Whitcomb Riley was a frequent visitor to the Gruelle home, along with a host of other contemporary artists and writers.

In 1901, Johnny married Myrtle Swann, an Indianapolis woman, whose family had lived near Johnny’s family in the Lockerbie neighborhood.   They had a daughter, Marcella, who was born in 1902 and the family moved to the Irvington area on the East side of Indianapolis.  Shortly after the Indianapolis Star newspaper was established, Johnny Gruelle was chosen as the first illustrator for the newspaper.

The tales of the origin of the character Raggedy Ann are unknown and varied, according to Gurelle biographer Patricia Hall in her book, Johnny Gruelle Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy (Ind. 927 G886h, 1993).  Johnny Gruelle’s wife, Myrtle, told several different versions of Johnny getting ideas for stories about a cloth doll and her friends from watching daughter Marcella play with dolls.  Marcella died in 1915 after an extended illness.  Family stories tell of grief-stricken Johnny keeping only one memento of Marcella in his studio:  a cloth doll with scraggly hair.  Although he had submitted a patent for Raggedy Ann prior to Marcella’s death, Myrtle Gruelle claims that Johnny got ideas for Raggedy Ann’s adventures from his life with Marcella and her brother, Worth.  Whatever the truth of her origins, Raggedy Ann made Johnny Gruelle a world-famous artist with Indiana connections.

This blog post was written by Leigh Anne Johnson, Indiana Division Newspaper Librarian, Indiana State Library. For more information, contact the Indiana Division at (317) 232-3670 or “Ask-A-Librarian” at http://www.in.gov/library/ask.htm.

Remember your roots and celebrate Family History Month by joining us for the 2016 Indiana Genealogy and Local History Fair at the Indiana State Library!
The Indiana State Library will host the annual Indiana Genealogy and Local History Fair on Saturday, October 22, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free and open to the general public. This year’s theme is “200 Years of My Indiana Home,” examining the lives and times of Hoosiers throughout the years and exploring the homes and neighborhoods in which they lived. Attendees will learn how to incorporate local history, architecture, house history, and maps and other land record resources into their family research. The following fabulous door prizes will be given away:

1 annual World Explorer individual memberships to Ancestry.com
1 annual Newspapers.com subscription
1 annual Fold3.com subscription
1 annual AncestryAcademy.com subscription
1 AncestryDNA kit
and more!

This blog post was written by Stephanie Asberry, Genealogy Collection Supervisor, Indiana State Library. For more information, contact the Genealogy Division at (317)232-3689 or “Ask-A-Librarian” at http://www.in.gov/library/ask.htm.

William Harrison Hays was born in Sullivan, Indiana on November 5, 1879 to John Tennyson Hays and Mary Cain Hays. He attended Wabash College, Lincoln Memorial College and Mount Union College, earning several honorary legal degrees (LL.D.) from 1919-1940. Hays was admitted to the Indiana Bar Association in 1900 and was a partner of the Hays and Hays law firm in Sullivan. He served on multiple Republican committees and councils during the early 1910s-1921. Notably, Hays was the Republican National Committee Chairman from February 1918-June 7, 1921 and served as the campaign manager for Warren G. Harding during 1920. Hays was also the United States Postmaster General from March 1921-March 1922. After a decade of political service, Hays became President of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) during 1922-1945. He continued to be an advisor until 1950. During his time as President of the MPPDA, Hays established the “Hays Code,” an attempt at introducing censorship to film producers. 

For more information about Hays and his collection of personal papers located within the Rare Books and Manuscripts Division of the Indiana State Library, view the finding aid here: http://www.in.gov/library/finding-aid/4382.htm.

Irene Dunne and Will Hays attended the 30^th Annual Banquet of the Indiana Society of Chicago on December 13, 1941. Dunne grew up in Madison, Indiana and was an actress and singer during the 1930s-1950s. She is best known for her performances in Cimarron, Theodora Goes Wild, The Awful Truth, Love Affair, and I Remember Mama.

The film below features Hays poking fun at several Indiana traditions, including the “Old Oaken Bucket,” a traveling trophy awarded between college football rivalries, Indiana University and Purdue University. During the second half of the film, Dunne sings, “On the Banks of the Wabash” by Paul Dresser.

In 2014, the Rare Books and Manuscripts Division digitized this video and audio found on an 800 foot, 35mm nitrate film with a separate 800 foot, 35mm nitrate optical soundtrack. Digitization was made possible by the Indiana State Library Foundation. The original nitrate films are now located at the Library of Congress’ Motion Picture Conservation Center in Culpepper, Virginia.

This blog post was written by Rare Books and Manuscripts Supervisor, Bethany Fiechter. For more information, contact the Rare Books and Manuscripts Division at (317) 232-3671 or “Ask-A-Librarian” at http://www.in.gov/library/ask.htm.

Autumn officially begins September 22, 2016.  Autumn is an exceptionally busy time of year for many Hoosiers.  As summer ends and local farmers begin harvesting their crops, many communities throughout the state hold annual festivals in order to have one last celebration before the winter cold sets in.

To locate a festival near you, visit https://visitindiana.com/fall/fall-festivals.

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The Indiana State Library is ideal place for historical research; whether is the genealogist researching family history, the entrepreneur using the State Data Center resources to determine the best location to place a business, or the college student writing a research paper, the State Library will have materials to fit their needs!

Recently a group of students from IUPUI taking a class, the “Nature of History” came to the library to find and use primary source material. The class examines what history is, historical interpretation, some of the common problems in doing research, and the uses of history. This class first visited the Indiana State Museum and looked at the exhibit Indiana in 200 Objects. They were to identify an object that was interesting to them. Their next task was to come to the library and using the Indianapolis newspaper card index, find an article about that object or event. Using the newspapers on microfilm, print or save article and write a short research papers incorporating the newspaper sources.

For their second assignment, each student looked at something from the library’s manuscript collection; a letter, account book, photograph, or broadside. They were to determine how to use the material in their research, looking for the historical clues one can find in this type of source.

After an hour and a half work, most of the students left with a better understanding of different types of primary source material and the intricacies of using the collections at a major research library.

The staff at the Indiana State Library performs this type of instruction on a daily basis, but usually with individual researchers. Having a large group of students was an exciting and rewarding experience for us all!

The Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Indiana Vision Expo on Saturday, September 24^th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Indiana State Library. The Expo will feature a wide variety of vendors and non-profit agencies that provide the latest in adaptive technology, independent living aids, and other resources for all ages. In celebration of the anniversary, the first 200 attendees will receive tote bags with the Vision Expo logo. You can also register to win either an iPad or a Victor Reader Stream at the Talking Book booth in the Great Hall. Registration will be limited to one per attendee.  Bottled water and light snacks will be provided.

Our program will include a 10:30 presentation on Assistive Technology: Past, Present, and Future by Bill Powell from Bosma Enterprises, followed by an 11:45 presentation on the Latest Advancements in the Treatment of Eye Disease by low vision specialists Dr. Richard Windsor and Dr. Laura Windsor of the Low Vision Centers of Indiana.

Parking will be available for $5 in the Senate Avenue Parking Garage. The entrance is off of New York Street between West Street and Senate Avenue.

For up to date information on the vendors participating in the 2016 Indiana Vision Expo, please visit our website as the event approaches at http://www.in.gov/library/indianavisionexpo.htm.

Get ready to celebrate Family History Month by stopping in at the Indiana State Library for some family history research! Many folks start preparing for the holidays by shopping and decorating.  Others get ready to hang out with family members by jumping on their genealogy research.  Whether you need to pick up where you left off, or you need to get started, October is a great month to do just that; and, the Indiana State Library has the resources to help you!

Online subscription databases, family histories, indices to county records, and cemetery books are just some of the resources we have available to get you going on your research.

So, if you’d like to get ready for the holidays and prepare for some family time by doing some genealogy research, we’d love it if you’d include us in your plans by stopping in during Family History Month to take advantage of our many resources. Actually, any month is a great month for that!

This blog post was written by Stephanie Asberry, Genealogy Collection Supervisor, Indiana State Library. For more information, contact the Genealogy Division at (317)232-3689 or “Ask-A-Librarian” at http://www.in.gov/library/ask.htm.

The Indiana State Library has an interesting collection, there is no doubt. It has recently gotten all the more interesting by the generous donation of William Douthit.  The donation consists of atlases and globes made by the George F. Cram Company.  Cram was a long standing Indianapolis company.  It has occupied manufacturing and office space at many locations in the city: 32 East Georgia Street, 730 East Washington Street, and 301 South LaSalle St.

The Cram Company was established in Evanston, Illinois in 1867, as Blanchard & Cram. In 1921 George F. Cram retired and sold his company, merging it with the National Map Company.  The Cram name endured and they moved to Indianapolis.

The Douthit family owned and ran the George F Cram Company since 1966 when Loren Douthit became president of the company. Loren Douthit began working at Cram in 1937.  Pictured below are William, Loren, and John Douthit.  William, pictured left, worked at the George F.  Cram Company for 43 years, becoming CEO and Chairman of the Board in 1996.

Under Douthit leadership the Cram Company specialized in educational map products and globes. Included in this donation are globes, company catalogs, and many interesting atlases.  Let’s take a look at some of the items…

Cram Globes:

The Black Ocean Globe (circa 1960), illuminated

Cram Imperial 12” Antique Globe, circa 1971, mounted on wood base to house an atlas

Cram Blue Physical – Political Sun Ray Globe, “tuffy” globe ball, with sun ray and calendar base to tell time and seasons world-wide, circa 1972

Cram Catalogs: This donation has added new Cram company catalogs to the Indiana State Library trade catalog collection.  Manufacturing and product catalogs are a great resource for collectors and company researchers.  We are always accepting donations of catalogs from Hoosier manufactures, so keep us in mind as you run across such items!

Special editions highlighting the company’s longevity and progress:

Football season is upon us! High schools, universities and professional teams are all cramming in their last preseason practices and making tweaks to their lineups in anticipation of a grueling autumn.  The NCAA season begins on August 26^th while the NFL’s big opening game pitting Denver against Carolina will kickoff Thursday, September 8^th.

The Indiana State Library has many materials documenting football in Indiana. In addition to souvenir programs, season schedules and many issues of Sports Illustrated (from 1954-2009), the library possesses several books on the history of the sport, from biographies of such legends as Knute Rockne and Peyton Manning to early instructional manuals from the 1920s.

You can search ISL’s catalog for materials on football at https://evergreen.lib.in.us/eg/opac/home.