Tag Archives: Indiana State Library

Discover the wonders of the Indiana State Library

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Have you ever wondered what treasures lie within the walls of the Indiana State Library? From interactive tours to diving deep into the state’s rich history, there’s something for everyone. Here’s a list of activities that will make your visit both fun and enlightening:

Clifford The Big Red Dog’s house

Families with young children will love visiting Clifford The Big Red Dog’s house in our Indiana Young Readers Center. It’s a delightful spot for kids to engage with their favorite storybook character. Did you know that Clifford the Big Red Dog’s adventures started right here in Indiana? Norman Bridwell, the creative genius behind this iconic tale, hailed from Kokomo.

Trace your ancestry
Are you interested in genealogy? Our Genealogy Division offers resources to help you trace your family tree and discover your ancestry. Who knows what you might discover about your past! If you’re new to genealogy or just starting out, don’t worry – we have you covered with our comprehensive genealogy FAQs.

Image credit: Map Collection, Indiana Division, Indiana State Library.

Learn about Indiana history
Dive into the rich history of Indiana with our extensive collection of historical documents, photographs and maps. Whether you’re a history buff or a curious mind, there’s plenty to explore. One of my favorite things to do is browse our online digital collection or search Hoosier State Chronicles, which contains 186,601 newspaper issues comprising 1,589,638 pages and 619,771 articles!

Explore maps, rare books, manuscripts and exhibits

Our library boasts an impressive collection of maps, rare books, manuscripts and rotating exhibits. Each visit can reveal new and intriguing finds. This year, to celebrate our bicentennial, a significant portion of our exhibit space will be dedicated to showcasing items from our collection. Don’t forget to check out our virtual exhibits online from the comfort of your home!

Learn about our State Data Center

Discover a wealth of information available at our State Data Center. It’s the perfect place for researchers and anyone looking to delve into data and statistics about Indiana. One of our State Data Center Director’s favorite resources is the original volumes of each U.S. Census return, located on the second floor of the library. These allow you to look at the original censuses from 1790 through 1870 and cover the entire United States. Indiana is covered starting in the 1810 volume (Indiana Territory).

Don’t forget to check out the DataPoint Newsletter, created for Indiana Data Users and subscribe for the latest Indiana Data news and lore, plus learn about professional development opportunities for data and GIS professionals.

Visit the Indiana Historical Bureau
Stop by the Indiana Historical Bureau, located inside the Indiana State Library, to learn about the Indiana Historical Marker Program and how it commemorates significant historical sites throughout the state. This year, some of the markers they will be dedicating include William P. Jungclaus, Riley Hospital for Children, Bess Sheehan and the Piankashaw Tribe. Don’t forget to check out their podcast Talking Hoosier History and their blog Untold Indiana.

Attend programs and conferences
We host a variety of programs and conferences throughout the year. From author talks to educational workshops, there’s always something interesting happening at the library. Check out our library calendar to see our upcoming events.

Whether you’re a student, researcher or just someone with a thirst for knowledge, the Indiana State Library has something to offer. Your Indiana State Library is free and open to the public, so plan your visit today and discover the many wonders waiting for you!

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

Meet your Indiana State Library interlibrary loan team

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Have you ever wondered how books, CDs and DVDs get from library to library in Indiana? Your local public or academic library will place a request on your behalf for an item that your library or library system does not own. This request is processed through Indiana Share and coordinated at the Indiana State Library by a team that works in our Library Development Office.

Leigh Anne Johnson is the resource sharing coordinator for the Indiana State Library. She makes sure that InfoExpress, the library courier system, is running smoothly. She acts as a liaison between Now Courier, the company who runs the courier system, and 322 Indiana libraries to coordinate the best possible transit service. She also oversees the Indiana Share program and keeps statistics on InfoExpress, Indiana Share and INSPIRE, which is our statewide grouping of databases offered for free to Indiana residents.

Eric Altemus is a newcomer to the Indiana State Library, but is very experienced with using ILLiad, the interlibrary loan software that runs Indiana Share. He sends out roughly 250 Share requests daily. He also processes the spreadsheets of received and returned items, and renewal requests sent to us from borrowing libraries. He assists Leigh Anne with requests for InfoExpress canvas bags needed at libraries for transit. The team also cleans and maintains the transit bags as they come back in before they are put back into circulation.

The State Library also loans most of the general collection through Interlibrary loan requests. The staff in the Circulation Support Division pull the items and send them out through InfoExpress, which picks up and delivers items to the State Library every weekday. The State Library fulfills interlibrary loan requests for Indiana state employees for books and articles needed for work in their agencies. Those requests are processed by the circulation staff, as well. When the InfoExpress driver delivers and picks up materials at the State Library, the circulation desk is the location where the items are exchanged.

The ILL team strives to keep the system running smoothly, but if you do have issues with InfoExpress or Indiana Share, please contact us.

This blog post was written by Leigh Anne Johnson, resource sharing coordinator at the Indiana State Library.

Indiana State Library launches bicentennial website

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In celebration of its 200th anniversary as a state agency, the Indiana State Library has announced a new bicentennial website. The website features important historical moments from the library’s past, in addition to the latest news and event information related to the celebration. The website can be viewed here.

Along with launching the website, the library has several activities and events planned for 2025. Throughout the year, the library will administer multiple trivia and escape room events, host a special bicentennial Lunch and Learn program, exhibit and display several items from its collections and screen a movie in October as part of a program featuring the Circle City Ghostbusters. A historical marker will also be dedicated on the grounds of the library this year.

Attendees in the Great Hall of the Indiana State Library during the Bicentennial Reception on Feb. 11.

On Dec. 6, 2024, a proclamation was issued declaring that day to be Indiana State Library Bicentennial Day. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, an invitation-only celebration took place at the Indiana State Library marking the anniversary of the day that the library became a state agency.

The library has also already published “Laying the Foundation,” a richly illustrated book featuring 100 items from the library’s vast and remarkable collection. Some of these items are currently on display in the State Library’s Exhibit Hall. “Laying the Foundation” is available for purchase now for $20 from the Nook Gift Shop on the first floor of the Indiana State Library, located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. 

The yearlong Indiana State Library Bicentennial celebration is supported by the Indiana State Library Foundation.

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

Centennial and Bicentennial reflections

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Dec. 6 marks the 100th anniversary of Gene Stratton-Porter’s death. Stratton-Porter wore many hats: conservationist, photographer, film producer and, not least, as a best-selling Hoosier author. Geneva Grace Stratton was born on Aug. 17, 1863, in Wabash County, Indiana. In 1886, Gene married businessman Charles Porter and the following year had their only child, a daughter, Jeannette Stratton-Porter. In 1894, Charles and Gene built a cabin near the Limberlost Swamp in Geneva, Indiana, where Gene spent much of her time exploring before the swamp was destroyed in the name of development in 1912. While living at Limberlost, Gene wrote six of her twelve novels and five of her seven nature books, including the best-selling books “Freckles” and “A Girl of the Limberlost.” In 1914, the family moved to Sylvan Lake, in Noble County, Indiana, building a cabin that the author spent no small amount of time and money making sure had minimum negative impact on the site. She even went to so far as to hire a tree surgeon to help her preserve the area. Wildflower Woods Cabin still stands today.

In 1919, the novelist moved to California and started her own film production company, Gene Stratton-Porter Productions. Included among the library’s small collection of Gene Stratton-Porter manuscripts (S1069), is correspondence on letterhead from said production company.

This collection also includes correspondence from Stratton-Porter and several other materials ranging from 1902 to 1979, regarding her work as an author, photographer and filmmaker, in addition to her personal life. The collection includes an undated portrait photograph of Stratton-Porter posing outdoors; an advertisement from Good Housekeeping; and a typed copy of an article, “The Old Institution of Home” from 1922; as well as a portrait postcard printed circa 1979.

Her 1921 California-centric work, “Her Father’s Daughter,” reflected anti-Asian sentiments of the time and reviews of her works were more mixed during this period, which coincided with her focus on trying to get her previous works made into films. She died on Dec. 6, 1924, in Los Angeles, California, from injuries sustained in a car accident. She is buried near her cabin on Sylvan Lake in Rome City, Indiana.

Incidentally, the letter printed here has also been reproduced in “Laying the Foundation: Collection Highlights From the Indiana State Library,” a book published in honor of the Indiana State Library’s bicentennial, which will be celebrated next year. The volume is now available for purchase in the Nook, our gift shop located at the Indiana State Library’s 315 W. Ohio St. entrance. If you’d like to take home a piece of Gene Stratton-Porter yourself, along with 99 other gems from the library’s collection dating from the 14th century to the present, stop by the gift shop.

Once you pick up your copy of the book, you can head up to Wildflower Woods on Dec. 6, where The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites will be honoring Stratton-Porter with a tour of her beloved home. Visitors will also learn about 19th and early 20th century mourning practices.

This post was written by Victoria Duncan, Rare Books and Manuscripts supervisor.

Fare thee well Ms. Marcia Caudell: A well-earned retirement

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The 2024 year will begin sadly at the Indiana State Library, as beloved Reference and Government Services supervisor Marcia Caudell will retire after 20 years of service. A native of Fortville, Marcia graduated from Mt. Vernon High School before starting a lengthy career working as a federal employee at the finance center at Ft. Benjamin Harrison. After retiring from the federal government, Marcia enrolled in classes to pursue a second career in libraries. She completed her undergraduate degree and earned a dual master’s degree in Public History and Library Science from IUPUI.

Marcia started working at the Indiana State Library in 2003 as a reference librarian. Marcia honed her craft working under the tutelage of former supervisor, and Indiana State Library icon, Ron Sharp. In addition to working primarily as a reference librarian, she also spent time working with genealogy and manuscripts collections to develop a well-rounded understanding of the library’s collections. Over time, Marcia became the respected librarian, with whom colleagues could turn to as a trusted source for the tough obscure questions. In 2015, Marcia became supervisor of the Reference and Government Services division. During her tenure as supervisor, Marcia guided her division through a pandemic and helped plan the first Hoosier Women at Work conference. Her division was recognized as FDLP’s Depository Library of the Year award in 2022.

Marcia is beloved by her family and colleagues. Her coworkers would describe her as smart, hardworking, prepared and humble. Marcia is known for her love of coffee, chocolate, cheese, coffee and Sherlock Holmes novels. Her co-workers will miss her humor, her candy jar, the food oddities she would share and mostly her company. Her presence will be dearly missed at the library, though staff is excited to hear that she does promise to return to the library as a volunteer. Everyone at the Indiana State Library will miss working with you. Enjoy your retirement, Marcia.

This blog post was written by Indiana State Library federal documents coordinator Brent Abercrombie. For more information, contact the Reference and Government Services at 317-232-3678 or via “Ask-A-Librarian.”

A vault shakin’, box makin’, history savin’ new machine

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This fall, the Indiana State Library purchased a large – and lovely, if I do say so myself – new piece of equipment, a Gunnar Aiox digital cutting machine. Now, this machine can do a lot, but our initial uses for it will be greatly increasing the range of producible archival boxes, vastly expanding economic efficiency and massively reducing the time spent by Indiana State Library staff in terms of actually making the boxes themselves. Before this machine, staff were hand-making boxes by cutting and flaying archival board and then trying to fold and glue the board together effectively enough so that the box would last for decades. A single box would take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, and box cleanliness, looks and regularity were sorely missing.

The Gunnar Aiox Hybrid XL, a state-of-the-art cutting machine, is capable of cutting anywhere from four to six boxes utilizing an amount of board previously used for only two boxes. The boxes can vary in size and shape and take about 25 minutes from design of the box on the associated computer program to the final cut being made. Then, it takes about another 10 minutes to fold up all of the boxes and get the books inside their new homes. This is an incredible amount of time and effort being saved, but – and maybe most importantly – the way the boxes are made with the machine requires no glue or adhesive whatsoever. Everything is done with precise folding theory and technique via the Aiox. This has increased the possible use time for these boxes – which are made with acid free archival board of varying sizes – by decades and without needing constant checks to see if any adhesive is coming undone. The time saved might not be truly stateable, as we weren’t exactly keeping track of the time it took to make a box before. Now, we’re making boxes in no time. The ease of box making – once figured out – has been just wonderful and we’re now starting to realize how we can make and design the boxes even more efficiently than the original templates. This technology also allows us a lot more functional scrap material for smaller boxes, box/material support and general reusability. With this scrap, we’ve been able to experiment and learn about the machine in a lot more effective manner as well. And in all honesty, as someone who isn’t great with arts and crafts, this machine makes a much better box than I ever did before it arrived.

Unfortunately, we are starting in quite cramped quarters, as the Aiox was put into our current digitization laboratory, so the supplies for the Aiox are spread throughout the library. Come April, however, our digitization lab will be moved into a bigger room that’s more able to support the functions required, and the former digitization lab will be converted fully to more effectively house the Aiox and all of the required materials for box making. All of us are quite excited about the eventual move, as the process can be a bit loud and makes it difficult to do digitization work with a giant machine whirring around you. However, the machine can be operated in mostly dark conditions in case someone is working on digitization at the same time. We all tend to agree it will be much nicer to have two separate rooms, one dedicated to each process, though.

As far as ease of use goes, I was unable to be here when the professional from Gunnar was here to train us, but through the notes of my colleagues and with a bit of testing cardboard to put through the paces, I figured out how to operate the machine with comfort and ease in just a couple of sessions. Most of us who need to use the machine can figure it out in just a couple of testing sessions and can continue on without needing anyone else there to help, further increasing efficiency and time management. And I must say, this machine makes my life – in terms of storing materials that are sometimes older than the United States – a lot less stressful, because I know what I’m producing is a lot safer and more accurate than I could have ever made by hand.

As someone who is only mildly tech-savvy, this machine was a bit daunting to look at and use at first, but the instructions are actually fairly simple and the true difficulty and intricacy of the machine lie in uses we haven’t even turned toward yet. We’re only just starting to use the machine with any kind of production line efficacy, and the possibilities moving forward can only grow. It’s also been a rather fun project to come together to work on and figure out. Nearly every division in the library has someone who uses the machine. Being able to make connections with co-workers through some rather humorous mistakes – we have a hilarious pile of failed boxes on test-board – is a another lovely way this piece of technology has been a benefit to the library.

This blog post was submitted by A.J. Chrapliwy of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Division of the Indiana State Library. 

Building updates at the Indiana State Library

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Construction of the Indiana State Library began in 1932. Two years later, in 1934, the building opened its doors. In 1976, an addition was built on to the building and in 2000 a major renovation was completed. In recent years, multiple projects have been completed to keep the building up to date, including the installation of a new roof to replace the previous worn out one that leaked in multiple areas.

The Indiana State Library on Ohio Street.

Currently, work is being done to repair the façade of the building. The Indiana limestone and friezes are being cleaned and the tuck pointing is being completed to ensure the building looks great for decades to come.

Inside the building, staff areas are being refreshed with new carpet, furniture and painting. Original hardwood floors are being sanded and stained and preserved for the future. Finally, a new Indiana Historical Marker center is being developed on the first floor of the library. Coming in 2024, the Marker Center will highlight the work of the Indiana Historical Bureau’s marker program.

Future site of the Indiana Historical Bureau Marker Center.

The Indiana State Library is continually evolving and improving to meet the needs of Indiana residents today and into the future.

This blog post was summitted by Jacob Speer, Indiana State Librarian.

2022 Indiana State Library end-of-year reflection

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As we close the book on 2022, we reflect on the many projects and services that came to fruition and were provided by the Indiana State Library, as well as the staff that continue to work so diligently to make things happen this year.

On the heels of 2021 – a year filled with many things related to, surrounding and/or as a result of COVID – we went about our regular business in 2022 with the Genealogy and Local History Fair, Discovery to Delivery, the Difference is You conference, DNA workshops, Evergreen updates and migrations/onboarding (and everything that goes along with those), web archiving of born digital state publications, digitizing and uploading collections to the Indiana State Library Digital Collections, Letters About Literature and more. In addition to regular business, the Indiana State Library had a number of projects in 2022 that went beyond the norm. Below are the highlights of some of those projects and programs.

On March 1, the Indiana Digital Library launched, creating a statewide consortium of e-books and magazines through the OverDrive platform. IDL is comprised of 203 public libraries from across the state, which have total checkouts amounting to almost 4 million since IDL rolled out. This new consortium allows access to more materials, cuts wait time, and ensures a more efficient use of funds. More information about IDL can be found here.

The Indiana Library Passport – a digital passport program for libraries across the state created to highlight features that make their library an excellent place to visit – launched in early July. This mobile passport is open to everyone, and features 140 public libraries and branches in Indiana. Patrons can visit the passport landing page to sign up. When participants check in through the Passport while they’re at the location, they will be entered into a quarterly drawing for a prize package!

On July 1, a new librarian certification portal was unveiled. The new certification portal was designed in-house specifically for librarian certification, allowing the process to be more streamlined and customizable for future use. Over time, the types of transactions that can be completed through the portal will increase. Changes include a new credit card service with lower fees, correspondence almost entirely done through email, a public lookup for librarians and in-house troubleshooting.

In August, the Indiana State Library presented “The Mystery of the Darlington Bible,” a program in which the focus was a 14th century medieval Bible held in the collections at the library. Professor David Gura of the Medieval Institute, and curator of ancient and medieval manuscripts at the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame, investigated and presented on the origins of the book, including the production techniques, magnificent illuminations and movement from Medieval Spain to Indiana.  Though the circumstances of its travels remain something of an enigma, we hope to bring more of its history to light as Dr. Gura continues his research on the Darlington Bible, the existence of which was previously unknown to the medieval scholars’ community.

Following the release of the 2020 census data, Indiana State Library staff, along with the assistance of the Indiana Business Research Center, worked to reevaluate Indiana’s public library districts and classes by compiling 2020 census data and examining that data in conjunction with public library survey data. This is an arduous and lengthy process, but population changes must be reflected since, in turn, they can affect a library’s class size, causing the need to reexamine service models to accommodate any changes. The Library District Interactive Map on StatsIndiana is updated with the most recent boundaries after 2020 census redistricting.In October, it was announced that the U.S. Government Publishing Office named the Indiana State Library as the 2022 Federal Depository Library of the Year for its preservation and promotion efforts of the Federal Documents Collection. “This is the first Library of the Year I am awarding since beginning my role as GPO superintendent of documents, and I can’t imagine a more deserving library,” said GPO superintendent of documents Scott Matheson. “Indiana State Library’s long-standing dedication to promoting and preserving government information is something to be admired. Through its much-loved Government Information Day and other crucial efforts, [the] Indiana State Library has played an important role in helping GPO realize its vision of an America Informed.”

Brent Abercrombie, Indiana State Library federal documents coordinator.

In late November, we learned that we were awarded a $30,000 grant from the Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Foundation, which will be used for the purpose of funding a six-month termed conservator position to stabilize and treat a collection of mid-19th century rare wall maps housed in the Indiana Division of the Indiana State Library. Currently, these maps are restricted due to their condition. Treating these maps will allow them to be digitized and made available to researchers.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but highlights from a year well done! With other exciting projects that received a jumping off point in 2022, we’re excited to see what 2023 brings! Thank you for a great year!

This blog post was written by Stephanie Asberry, deputy director of public and statewide services at the Indiana State Library.

Visit the Lego Monument this holiday season! It’s free!

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Visitors to the Indiana Young Readers Center located in the Indiana State Library will get a treat this holiday season. For the fourth time since 2018, a 7-foot-tall replica of the Indianapolis Soldiers and Sailors Monument is on display from now until Valentine’s Day, 2023. Startlingly similar to the real monument, the replica is made from Legos, over 75,000 Legos to be precise.

Jeffrey Smythe of Center Grove, Indiana is the artist behind the Lego sculpture. Smythe attended the Herron School of Art and Design and graduated from IUPUI with a degree in interior design. He loves sharing his piece with the Indiana public, especially with field trips who visit the Indiana Young Readers Center.

The initial construction back in 2017-18 lasted 15 months, including three months of planning and sketching. Lego bricks used to create the sculpture, which includes a roughly 6-foot circular base area, were obtained from existing kits, Goodwill stores, auction houses and via online retailers and resellers. The piece was constructed at a 1:48 scale to accommodate Lego minifigures.

Since the initial build, Smythe has tweaked the design and grouped different combinations of characters around the base of the monument to tell different visual stories and provide lots of opportunities for viewers to seek and find.

This year, visitors will be delighted by a Muppet rock concert and a very familiar mystery solving dog. Let’s just say that we Scooby-Dooby-Doo hope you bring your families to visit the monument. “It’s one of my very favorite parts about working downtown in December,” said Indiana Young Readers Center librarian, Suzanne Walker. “The Lego Monument is beautiful, quirky and so very ‘Indiana.’”

The Indiana Young Readers Center is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The library is located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. Visitors can also view the monument on select Saturdays; Dec. 10, 2022, Jan. 14, 2023 and Feb. 11, 2023 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. If you have questions about viewing the Lego Monument, reach out to Suzanne Walker, Indiana Young Readers Center librarian.

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

Rare Bible on display at the Indiana State Library

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On Saturday, Aug. 13, from 1-3 p.m., the Indiana State Library will present “The Mystery of the Darlington Bible,” a free program that will focus on a 14th century medieval Bible held at the State Library.  

The lecture will investigate the origin of the book, including production techniques, as well as the manuscript’s movement from medieval Spain to Indiana. In particular, the manuscript’s rich decorative program and beautiful illuminations will be examined in the larger context of medieval Bibles. Those with an interest in book history, Bible history and the Middle Ages will be most welcome. The Bible will also be on display during and after the program. 

Presenters include David T. Gura, curator of ancient and medieval manuscripts at the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame and concurrent associate professor at the university’s Medieval Institute; Seth Irwin, conservator at the Indiana State Library; and Marcia Caudell, supervisor of the Reference and Government Services division at the Indiana State Library. 

Click here to read more about the program and to register. Registration is not necessary to attend. 

The Indiana State Library is located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. 

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