Geospatial awareness in Indiana: Mapping our community past to present

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Indiana has a geospatial learning community like no other. We have a supportive network of peers which rivals any other state. Why? Because we value our community and we keep learning more to contribute to the value of our work. The teaching and learning of digital mapping continues as a result of this positive cycle. Our Indiana Geographical Information Council (IGIC) conference occurs annually each May. It is attended by geospatial professionals, new and seasoned geographic information system (GIS) and data users, educators and students from Indiana and the surrounding states. This year marked the fourth conference competition for GIS students and early professionals, held by the IGIC Emerging Professional Group. Geography and GIS courses and degree programs are offered by Indiana colleges and through organizations like The Polis Center. People who are looking to learn GIS fundamentals can attend the Indiana Geospatial Training Academy (IN-GTA). GIS practitioners in this state come from a wide array of backgrounds and a number of them have gained their GISPs, an additional certification level for GIS professionals. There are also many geospatial courses and tools that can be found online at no cost. New learners are welcome!

Decorative logo.Indiana’s geospatial history goes back to the mapping of Indiana geology and the first state geologist of Indiana, David Dale Owen (son of New Harmony founder Robert Owen), whose early geologic reports (the state’s first) precede our Indiana Geological and Water Survey (IGWS). Read more in A StoryMap: Landmarks in Indiana Geology – A Timeline. Indiana geography history harkens back to the first land surveying done in the U.S., early USGS maps and Purdue University’s early 20th century soil surveys. Today, the public can view map collections, both digital and in print, held by the Indiana State Library and by Indiana University, going back to the days of the Vincennes territory.

GIS is being used in Indiana to create new digital maps every day to answer questions and solve problems statewide. Historical paper maps remain accessible at libraries, as they can be used to discover paths to the past to verify land ownership, view location details and track geographic patterns over time. Not everything has been digitized, so call upon librarians for support!

Preview the print map collections and find digitized maps using the Indiana State Library Map Collection websites and the State Data Center Maps webpage. To view historical maps in print, you can visit the State Library weekdays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and every second Saturday of the month from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

View a subject guide from Indiana University Bloomington about their map collection, the largest in the state, as well as GIS tools here.

If you aren’t involved yet in exploring geospatial tools, this is your chance to discover how these resources can help illuminate parts of your own research and continue to tell your stories. You do not need to have a degree or know much about the technical side of GIS to benefit from it. Check out the Library of Congress collection of story maps to see the kinds of resources being produced today on all topics.

The Indiana Management Performance Hub (MPH), holds a free conference, Data Day, each spring in downtown Indianapolis at Indiana Government Center South. Many state agencies incorporate GIS and use geospatial data in their projects and demonstrate these during the conference. Visit the Data Day 2026 website to view highlights from this year’s sessions as well as session materials from previous years.

The Indiana Geographic Information Office (IGIO) holds a free conference, GIS Day, each year in the fall during national Geography Awareness Week, also at IGC-South. This year’s upcoming conference is Wednesday, Nov. 18. You can contact outreach staff for the office here. For more details about the IGIO, visit A StoryMap: 5-Year GIO Strategic Plan For the Indiana Geographic Information Office. The IGIO is also responsible for IndianaMap, the public portal to geospatial data. Here, you can use the viewer to select features and add map layers yourself from the Data Catalog.

At the IU-Indianapolis Department of Geography, you’ll find GENI, the Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana, which is especially geared towards K-12 and university-level outreach. Explore the website for lesson plans, educational resources, and opportunities for starting and supporting a career in geospatial arts and sciences.

Saturday, June 20, is the grand re-opening of the Indiana Geological and Water Survey Learning Lab, an experiential learning experience for all ages. Learning Lab open hours at the new location will begin on Tuesday, June 16.

Coming up Sunday, Sept. 20, in partnership with the Indianapolis Public Library, attend a GIS Basics program at Central Library, “Mapping Indianapolis: The Science of Somewhere.” Visit here for more information, to register and for a reading list curated by Montoya Barker, Special Collections librarian.

The wonders of mapping are here at your fingertips. There are so many ways to get involved in using maps to learn about the world around us. You can start at your library!

This blog post was written by Katie Springer, reference librarian and director of the Indiana State Data Center. For more information, contact the Reference and Government Services Division at 317-232-3678, or submit an Ask-A-Librarian request.

Analog skills in a digital-centric world

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A sentence using roman numerals and cursive that reads "In the year 2026, some skills are fading form use."

If you can easily read the opening sentence as “In the year 2026, some skills are fading from use,” then you were likely born before the digital era. What older generations once understood instantly now requires analog skills that today’s digital environment rarely demands. Among these skills are writing and reading cursive handwriting, deciphering Roman numerals, telling time on an analog clock and navigating by using paper maps.

There are concerns that today’s students don’t know how to read or write cursive handwriting, as schools devote less time to teaching it. In Indiana, the current handwriting standard for third grade only requires that students learn to “write legibly in print or cursive, leaving space between letters in a word, words, in a sentence, and words and the edges of the paper.” Without regular practice, future historians and genealogists may struggle to read handwritten documents. Will they depend entirely on artificial intelligence to convert handwriting into machine‑readable text?

Transcript of above correspondence. "TranscriptIndianapolis Jan 7 64 Sir The bearer Saml. [Samuel] Matthews has enlisted and been mustered as a private in a white company of Greensburgh[sic] Decatur Co. by Capt. Swain. His being a man of color has subjected him to persecution & he was obliged to leave camp. He desires to be transferred to the colored battallion & of course[?] it would be best for him to have it done at once. Respy.[Respectfully], William P. Fishback Commandant Adj. [Adjutant] Gen. [General] Noble Indianapolis"

Transcription of the above correspondence.

Some online tools such as Transkribus are already using AI for handwritten text recognition and continue to improve the accuracy of results. When the 1950 U.S. Census population schedules were released in April 2022, the U.S. National Archives indexed them quickly using Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. A 2025 blog post from ISL’s Genealogy Division reported that breakthrough AI technology has transformed how genealogy records are indexed and discovered on FamilySearch.org.

Recognizing Roman numerals is another increasingly uncommon skill. No one wants to make the mistake of misreading “World War II” as “World War Eleven.” Roman numerals remain relevant and appear on monuments, movie copyright statements, Super Bowls, generational suffixes (II, III, IV), Popes, royalty and in book chapters and multi-volume works. The U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual (2017) has a section explaining Roman numerals (see below).

Chart of Roman numerals. Indiana’s second-grade mathematics standard requires students to learn to “tell and write time to the nearest five minutes from analog clocks, using a.m. and p.m.” Since many classical clock faces have Roman numerals, that is an opportunity to learn both skills together.

The Indiana State Library has an extensive collection of sheet maps, atlases and even a few globes. Researchers utilize the county map collection with enough frequency that many historical maps have been digitized for preservation, wider access and downloadability.

Yet in an age of GPS, the general ability to navigate with printed maps is fading. Analog map reading involves interpreting scales, symbols and grids to measure distances and understand terrain – skills less practiced as many travelers rely solely on digital navigation. Before GPS, family road trips required a good road atlas or free state highway map to plot a route. In 2021, the Indiana Department of Transportation cited increased GPS usage as a reason to stop printing state roadway maps, instead offering a downloadable copy.

Indiana Social Studies Standards introduce map concepts as early as kindergarten and continue through elementary grades. By fifth grade, students should “use maps and globes to locate states, capitals, major cities, major rivers, the Great Lakes and mountain ranges in the United States.” If their GPS lets them down, will digital natives appreciate having the skillset to read a print map?

As the saying goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” It remains unclear whether digital natives will master analog skills, as this depends on their personal interests and the influence of those who value such skills. And with keyboards, digital clocks, and GPS handling many tasks, will future generations even need these skills?

This post was written by Andrea Glenn, Indiana Division librarian and state documents coordinator at the Indiana State Library.

Resources
Ferrante, Ricc. “Is There a Place for Paleography in Archives?” Smithsonian Institution Archives, January 23, 2018. Accessed May 21, 2026.

Indiana Department of Education. Indiana Academic Standards for English/Language Arts (2023). Accessed May 21, 2026.

Indiana Department of Education. Indiana Academic Standards for Mathematics (2023). Accessed May 21, 2026.

Indiana Department of Education. Indiana Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026). Accessed May 21, 2026.

“Reading Old Documents.” The British National Archives. Accessed May 21, 2026.

Thompson, Clive. “From Ptolemy to GPS, the Brief History of Maps.” Smithsonian Magazine, July 4, 2017. Accessed May 21, 2026.

“Transcription Tips.” U.S. National Archives, March 12, 2025. Accessed May 21, 2026.

U.S. Government Publishing Office. U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual. Government. U.S. Government Publishing Office, January 11, 2017. Accessed May 21, 2026.

The Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption

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Located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Skamania County, Washington, Mount St. Helens is a stratovolcano and part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

On Sunday, May 18, 1980 at 8:32 a.m. Pacific Time, Mount St. Helens erupted. An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale preceded the eruption. The eruption lasted nine hours, causing landslides and mudslides, along with the devastation of the forests, lands, vegetation, wildlife, residences and roads in the area. In addition, volcanic ash dust traveled across 11 states and even some areas of Canada several days after the eruption. A total of 57 people lost their lives. After the Mount St. Helens Eruption, the United States Army Corps Engineers began recovery and construction efforts.

In August 1982, the United States Congress passed the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Act. The act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, officially establishing the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument where the public could visit the area and for scientists to conduct research.

In May 2025, the United States Geological Survey Library commemorated the 45th anniversary of the volcano’s eruption with a special exhibit at the United States Geological Survey National Center in Reston, Virginia.

The Indiana State Library has several titles in its federal documents collection relating to the Mount St. Helens Eruption:

"The Eruption of Mount Saint Helens" federal document cover.

“The Eruption of Mount Saint Helens: May 18, 1980.” ISLM C 55.2:ER 9

"Volcanic Eruptions of 1980 at Mount St. Helens" book cover.

“Volcanic Eruptions of 1980 at Mount St. Helens: The First 100 Days.” ISLM I 19.16:1249

"Observations of Eruptions" document cover.

“Observation of the Eruptions of July 22 and August 7, 1980, at Mount St. Helens, Washington.” ISLM I 19.16:1335

"Mount Saint Helen Hearings" pamphlet cover.

“Disaster Assistance Pacific Northwest – Mount Saint Helens Eruption, Fiscal Year 1980: Senate Hearings Before the Committee on Agriculture, 96th Congress, First Session.” ISLM Y 4.AP 6/2:D 63/7 1980 and “Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Area Act of 1982: Hearings … Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, 97th Congress, Second Session … Washington, D.C., March 12, 1982; Kelso, Wash., April 7, 1982.” ISLM Y 4.EN 2:97-93

Here are transcripts of additional hearings on the eruption of Mount St. Helens:

“Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Area: Joint Hearings … Committee on Agriculture … Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, House of Representatives … 97th Congress, Second Session … March 11, 1982, Washington D.C.; April 3, 1982, Vancouver, Wash.” ISLM Y 4.AG 8/1:97-III

“Recovery of Forest Resources from the Greater Yellowstone Wildfires, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, and the Mount St. Helens Eruption: Hearing … Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, 100th Congress, First Session, April 10, 1991.” ISLM Y 4.AG 8/1:102-8

“Mount St. Helens Impact: Hearing Before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, 96th Congress, Second Session … June 13, 1980.” ISLM Y 4.C 73/7:96-108

“Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Completion Act: Hearing … Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, 100th Congress, First Session … October 29, 1997.” ISLM Y 4.EN 2:9S. HRG. 105-377

Other historical societies and government agencies have online resources about the eruption:

Footage of the Mount St. Helens Eruption via the Smithsonian Channel

Mount St. Helens Erupts and USACE Responds
United States Army Corps of Engineers

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
United States Forest Service

The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark: Mount St. Helens, Washington Summary United States Geological Survey

“What Was Lost: Reminiscences of the 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens”
by Sarah Stroman, Oregon Historical Society

“World of Change: Devastation and Recovery at Mt. St. Helens”
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

This blog post was written by Michele Fenton, monographs and federal documents catalog librarian.

Summer Lecture Series returns to State Library with programs on DNA, medical history and probate records

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The popular Summer Lecture Series will return to the Indiana State Library this year with programs on DNA, medical history and probate records. The presentations will take place on the second Saturday of June, July and August.

Decorative.On Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., the Indiana State Library will present “Unlock Your Family’s DNA Story,” a DNA workshop. Professional genealogist Angela Guntz will help attendees understand their DNA results, break through DNA mysteries and connect the dots in their family history. Sessions include “Understanding the DNA Testing Landscape,” “Solving Mystery Matches You Can’t Easily Place” and “Breaking Through Brick Walls: A DNA Case Study.” Click here to read more and to register.

On Saturday, July 11, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., author Chris Flook will present “A Famine of Cadavers: Inside Indy’s 1902 Graverobbing Syndicate.” Flook will examine a prolific graverobbing ring operating across central Indiana in the fall of 1902 when “ghouls” robbed graves for cadavers needed by the city’s medical colleges. Flook is a public historian from Muncie who has published books of public history, including “Ghost of Old Muncie” and “Lost Towns of Delaware County.” In 2016, he co-authored and edited “Beech Grove Cemetery Comes to Life.” Click here to read more and to register.

On Saturday, Aug. 8,  from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., John Barr, owner of Old Northwest Genealogy, will present “Combining Land and Probate Records to Get the Full Story.” Barr, an active member of the National Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists, will explore a case study of the Hoffman family using probate records that led to land records citing unindexed probate records. He will also discuss types of probate indexes and records and types of deed indexes and deeds. Click here to read more and to register.

All sessions are eligible for LEUs for Indiana library staff. Registration is required for each program. An option to attend virtually is available for each program.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Last Adieu book cover.

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

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

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

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

Indiana Voices at the Indiana State Library

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Did you know that the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library produces audiobooks via Indiana Voices at the Indiana State Library?

Audiobook aficionados know that a storyteller’s voice can create tangible experiences. Narrating is not just the task of reading out loud, but the art of inviting others into the story. For patrons of the Indiana Voices program of the Indiana State Library’s Talking Book and Braille Library, volunteer narrators do just that.

Together with Indiana State Library staff, volunteers bring Hoosier words and voices to people who cannot use standard printed materials due to a visual, physical or reading disabilities, and live in the state of Indiana or across the country. Cozy mysteries, local history, true crime, authors from Indiana and more are recorded in the program, but what goes into the process of recording an audiobook?

Picture of recording studio. Narrators begin work on their titles outside of the studio, reading ahead for thorny sentences and unfamiliar pronunciations. Once they are confident in their preparation, they arrive at the downtown Indianapolis studio to narrate for an hour. A monitor outside the booth follows along in the text to catch mistakes and alert the narrator.

It may take months to finish a title, but when the back cover is eventually closed, the audiobook is sent to a volunteer reviewer for a final examination. Reviews are tasked with finding any error that the monitor may have missed. Corrections are recorded, mistakes are edited out and the finished book is made available to Talking Books and Braille Library patrons.

Reading out loud may sound easy, but each title represents up to four times as many behind-the-scenes hours as the total runtime of the audiobook. It takes dedication to bring an author’s words to life!

In 2026, Indiana Voices has already completed six books:

  • “Bird Girl: Gene Stratton-Porter Shares Her Love of Nature and the World”  By Jill Esbaum. Juvenile nonfiction, biography, nature – DBC17873
  • “The Lucky One” by Lori Rader–Day. Fiction, suspense, thriller –  DBC17842
  • “I’ll Storm Hell: A Biographical Novel of ‘Mad Anthony’ Wayne” by Noel B. Gerson.  Historical fiction, Revolutionary War, war stories – DBC17823
  • “Oliver P. Morton and the Politics of the Civil War and Reconstruction” by A. James Fuller. Biography, Civil War history, war nonfiction, U.S. history – DBC17822
  • “The Improbable Wendell Willkie: the Businessman who Saved the Republican Party and his Country and Conceived a New World Order” by David L Lewis. Biography, U.S. history, presidential candidates – DBC17820
  • “Tales from the Indianapolis 500: A Collection of the Greatest Indy 500 Stories Ever Told” by Jack Arute and Jenna Fryer, forward by A.J. Foyt. Biography, sports biography, automobile racing – DBC17874

Picture of log sheet.

Volunteers are needed to do all of these task. Opportunities are open to join the work of providing Indiana-related titles to audiobook readers. Indiana is made up of many individual voices, representing different Hoosier communities, identities and experiences, all of which contribute to authentic interpretations of Indiana books. Volunteers from all the different communities and cultures in the state of Indiana are invited to apply. Volunteers are expected to work at least one hour every other week.

For those interested in learning more about volunteering with Indiana Voices as a narrator, monitor or as a reviewer, please visit the Indiana Voices website or contact Judy Gray, Indiana Talking Books and Braille Library supervisor, via phone at 317-232-0609 or via email.

Patrons interested in receiving audiobook materials from Indiana Voices should contact the Indiana State Library’s Talking Book and Braille Library at 317-232-3684.

This blog post was written by Judy Gray, Indiana Talking Books and Braille Library supervisor.

‘The Lost Photographs of Osbert Sumner’ now at the Indiana State Library

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Steven J. Schmidt and Danita L. Davis have generously donated two copies of their latest book, “The Lost Photographs of Osbert Sumner 1898-1903, Irvington Historical Society Edition,” to the Indiana State Library’s Indiana collection. The book chronicles an extraordinary discovery made in an Irvington home: a box filled with old glass negatives. Many of the negatives were damaged, but a handful remained intact, just enough to begin unraveling the mystery of who took the photographs, and what stories they captured.

Book cover in black and white showing man sitting down. In addition to presenting the recovered photographs, the book explores the life of Osbert Sumner, the man behind the lens. Readers will learn about the camera he used, and some of his family history.

You can now explore the results of this fascinating exploration in the Indiana State Library’s collection.

This blog post was submitted by Michelle Frost, collections and outreach manager at the Indiana State Library.

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

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

Photo of card catalog.

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

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

The 15 Library of Congress services and programs highlighted are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The great San Francisco earthquake of 1906

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April 18, 2026, will be the 120th anniversary of the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The earthquake began on the morning of April 18, 1906, at 5:12 a.m. Pacific Time. It is estimated that the magnitude of the earthquake was between 7.9 and 8.25. Over three days, the city and surrounding areas experienced several fires and aftershocks. San Francisco, the epicenter of the earthquake, sustained the most damaged. An estimated 3,000 people lost their lives in the earthquake.

The U.S. Army sent around 4,000 troops to assist local authorities with evacuation, debris removal and to stop riots and looting. The Army also helped build temporary shelters for people whose homes had been destroyed in the earthquake. Funds for disaster relief and reconstruction were approved by the U.S. Congress. It took over nine years for San Francisco to be rebuilt.

A centennial celebration was held in 2006. Among the attendees were several survivors of the earthquake, the oldest survivor being 113.

The Indiana State Library has several resources in its collection about the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906:

Inside of book reading "The San Francisco Earthquake."

“The San Francisco Earthquake” by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts. ISLM F869.S3 T44.

Inside of book showing map of San Francisco.

“The Great Earthquake and Fire: San Francisco, 1906” by John Castillo Kennedy. ISLM F869.S3 K4.

Inside of book reading "The San Francisco Relief Survey."

“San Francisco Relief Survey: The Organization and Methods of Relief Use After the Earthquake and Fire of April 18, 1906” by The Russell Sage Foundation. ISLM 361 O15s.

Book cover reading "Facing the Great Disaster."

“Facing the Great Disaster: How the Men and Women of the U.S. Geological Survey Responded to the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake,” by Elizabeth M. Colvard and James Rogers ISLM I 19.174:3 Online access only.

Book cover reading "The Art of War: A Legacy of Ashes: The US Army and the Destruction of San Francisco."

“A Legacy of Ashes: The U.S. Army and the Destruction of San Francisco” by Erik C. Alfsen. ISLM D 110.18:SA 5. Online access only.

In addition to the titles listed above, the Indiana State Library has transcripts of hearings held by the United States Congress regarding the earthquake. Here are a few:

“Relief for San Francisco: Message from the President of the United States.” Report from Secretary of War William Howard Taft submitted by President Theodore Roosevelt to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. ISLM p.d. 328 I9t, vol. 49, no. 714.

“Government Buildings Damaged in San Francisco, etc. Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury.” Secretary of the Treasury Leslie Mortier Shaw’s report to the U.S. House of Representatives. ISLM p.d. 328 I9t, vol. 50, no. 778.

“Government Buildings Damaged in San Francisco, etc. Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury.” Secretary of the Treasury Leslie Mortier Shaw’s report to the U.S. Senate. ISLM p.d. 328 I9s, vol. 7, no. 433.

Other scientific and government agencies also have resources about the earthquake:

California Academy of Science.
Library of Congress – Chronicling America.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
National Archives.
National Parks Service.
United States Geological Survey.
University of California-Berkley Seismology Laboratory.

This blog post was written by Michele Fenton, monographs and federal documents catalog librarian.

Public library audits in Indiana

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Like other public entities (such as townships and schools), Indiana public libraries are subject to regular financial audits, typically every three to five years. During the audit examination process, the Indiana State Board of Accounts (SBOA) applies a prescribed process where an auditor works in conjunction with the library’s director, treasurer and bookkeeper (if applicable) to review the library’s financial records and practices.

In the past, auditors would physically visit the public library and sift through paper and electronic physical records, which could take weeks. In recent years, the State Board of Accounts has been able to harness available reporting technology to complete part of the audit remotely using information the library has already reported via the Indiana Gateway for Government Units. If reports have been submitted correctly and regularly, this can greatly reduce the time needed for an audit.

Decorative clipart graphic showing people performing an audit. As legislation and SBOA procedures are updated, financial best practices and audit requirements can also change over the years. Recent changes within the past decade involve a requirement that libraries must have internal controls in place. Internal controls are a set of rules and procedures involved in money handling. Some controls are specified by SBOA and others are set locally, based on the library’s staffing and cash handling model. All staff who handle money, from desk staff who collect fines and copier coins, to the library’s director who handles the library’s banking and budget, are required to complete training and follow their library’s procedures to prevent any instances of fraud or misappropriation.

Another recent change is that Indiana libraries are required to track all capital assets – items the library owns that meet a certain cost threshold. These may include land and structures possessed by the library, equipment or vehicles (like bookmobiles). Even the books in a library’s collection, as a total, are considered a capital asset, and when completing the annual financial report, a library is responsible for estimating the value of their collection as a whole and any depreciation or additions that may have occurred within the previous year. The purpose of reporting on capital assets is to make sure these most costly things are examined and reported annually.

At the completion of an audit, libraries receive a written report either confirming there were no exceptions found (a “clean” audit), or a report listing any exceptions (issues) that need to be addressed. Libraries have a chance to provide a written response explaining any issues or any corrective actions already taken. Subsequent audits will monitor for any previous exceptions. Copies of audits are also sent to the Indiana State Library’s Library Development Office for review. Most audits contain no issues or only a few minor exceptions, but this audit process has occasionally uncovered cases of fraud and mismanagement of public funds which were followed up on accordingly.

A library is responsible for the cost of their own audit. Libraries are assessed an hourly rate and the amount billed by SBOA is deducted from a future tax draw (as approximately 90% of Indiana public library funding comes directly from taxes). Good recordkeeping and reporting can help reduce the time spent and amount assessed for the audit, but some libraries are structurally more complex than others depending on number of locations, staff, complexity of their funds accounting, financials, etc. Additionally, some libraries have disputed that their audit process was inordinately lengthy or complex despite their best efforts.

All library audits are a public record and most recent audits may be viewed on the State Board of Accounts website.

This blog post was written by Jen Clifton, Library Development Office and Professional Development Office director.