Tag Archives: Libraries

Resources for teaching media and news literacy

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Educating young people on how media works, and giving them the tools to critically evaluate information, is critical. Luckily, libraries can help! Whether you’re integrating games and tools into existing interactions and programs or want to create an event centered on the topic, there are a number of resources library staff can turn to for help.

Wonder Media
Wonder Media is a free resource created for and in consultation with librarians. Originally created as an interactive exhibition at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in Michigan by Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, it has been further developed into a website thanks to an IMLS grant by Western Michigan University and the Library of Michigan.

Decorative. The website features a suite of interactive games and activities to help children better understand both media literacy and news literacy. Students can view technology through the year in “Media History in Your Hand,” learn about algorithms in “Algo the Robot,” test their ability to spot fake media posts in “Escape the Fake” and more. Each activity has a set of resources that accompany it.

News Literacy Project
News Literacy Project was started by a Pulitzer Award winning journalist, Alan C. Miller, with a vision that all students would become skilled in news literacy before graduation. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan, and its free resource, Checkology, provides education and entertaining content that will teach youth how to identify credible information, spot misinformation and seek out reliable sources.

Decorative. Media Literacy & Youth Services Moodle Course
If you’re seeking information on how to integrate media literacy into your work with youth, the Indiana State Library offers a self-paced Moodle course titled “Media Literacy & Youth Services.” This course is adapted from a webinar workshop I did with partners at the Maryland State Library Agency and Lisa Guernsey from New America, and it focuses on media mentorship.

To access the course, go to the Indiana State Library’s Moodle website. From there, go to “Login” in the top right corner and follow the steps to create a free account if you are a first-time user. You should see the course title in the list of offerings. The course walks you through the “Three C’s” to consider (content, context and child) when advising youth and families, and the “Three M’s,” or three ways to be a media mentor (media mechanics, media management and media literacy).

Two people sharing a computer. Text reads "Media Literacy and Youth Services."Whether media instruction is explicit or incorporated into other programming or reference questions, these tools should help you begin to address media literacy in your community. How will you reach the children and families in your area?

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

Carnegie Corporation gifts $10,000 to Carnegie libraries for celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States

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Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 1911, which funded the construction of 2,509 libraries in the United States. Out of those 2,509 libraries, 164 public libraries were constructed in Indiana. Now, the Carnegie Corporation of New York is honoring these libraries with $20 million in new funding! What does this mean for Carnegie libraries? The Carnegie Corporation of New York will give gifts of $10,000 that can be used however the library sees fit. The recipients can expect to receive the money in January of 2026. James Marsden, manager of special projects in the Office of the President at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, stated in an email, “The $10k gift is for each library or branch that is itself a Carnegie library, or descended from one. For example, in Indianapolis Andrew Carnegie funded three branch libraries which are still going, so IPL is receiving $30k.”Decorative logo.This is not a drill, this is legit! So far Mooresville Public Library, Jackson County Public Library and others have received their gift. “Our founder, Andrew Carnegie, who championed the free public library movement of the late 19th century, described libraries as ‘cradles of democracy’ that ‘strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen, and the royalty of man,’” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York, in a press release. “We still believe this and are delighted to celebrate our connection to the libraries he founded.”

For any library interested in receiving this wonderful gift, please send your W-9 by Nov. 14, 2025. If they have any questions about your organization’s eligibility or charitable status, they’ll contact you at the address you provided or by phone. You can upload your W-9 and contact James by following the instructions below:

To process your gift, you can download a blank form here. You may submit the completed W-9 by online to a secure upload site, or via mail:

James Marsden, President’s Office
Carnegie Corporation of New York
437 Madison Avenue Floor 31
New York, NY 10022

The Carnegie Corporation of New York press release can be read here.

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

The guardians of precedent: A look into the history of law libraries

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If the law is a conversation stretching back centuries, then the law library is the collective memory holding every speaker’s words. It’s more than just a quiet room filled with books, it’s the physical, organized, embodiment of the rule of law. Without these dedicated repositories and the librarians who manage them, legal systems would collapse into chaos, losing the essential thread of precedent that provides stability and fairness. From ancient scrolls to digital databases, the story of the law library is the story of how society has endeavored to organize, preserve and apply justice.

Picture of books on shelf, courtesy of courtesy of Unsplash.com.

The need to organize legal thought is as old as the law itself. While we don’t think of early monasteries or royal archives as “law libraries,” they did serve as that crucial function. During the medieval period, the centers of learning were often religious institutions and it was here that texts like the Justinian Code (a collection of ancient Roman law) were preserved and studied.

Demand for organized legal collections grew with the rise of the “Common Law” system in England, beginning in the 12th Century. Common law is not based on legislative code but rather judicial decisions, the rulings of judges in previous cases. Common law judicial decisions create precedent that other judges and attorneys can look at to understand what a court ruling could and maybe should look like for particular situations, a practice called “stare decisis.” This system of relying on common law court precedent requires an organized and searchable repository of judicial decisions, a need met by law libraries.

As the legal profession matured, so did the libraries that supported it. When lawyers and judges came to early America, they brought with them the common law tradition and therefore, the immediate need for law libraries. Early American lawyers often had small private libraries that may have been the most complete collection for their areas. However, over time, as many new laws were enacted and more court decisions piled up, private collections were soon not enough. The law needed to be publicly accessible, not just for the lawyers but also for the legislators and judges creating it.

A pivotal moment came with the establishment of the Law Library of Congress in 1832. The Law Library of Congress was tasked with maintaining a collection of both American law and also the laws of foreign countries. This library was created in recognition that law was a serious, specialized field requiring dedicated, professional management. Today, it is considered the largest law library in the world with over 2.9 million items, a testament to the nation’s commitment to documentation and precedent.

A common mistake people make about law libraries is thinking of them as just storage facilities. In reality, they are complex organizational systems and the law librarian is the expert navigator. A single legal topic might involve one or more federal statutes, state statutes, government agency regulations and dozens of court cases from various jurisdictions. This material must all be linked, cross-referenced and continuously updated. The law librarian’s traditional role has been one of guidance, teaching students, lawyers and the public how to use complex indexes, digests and citators (tools that track whether a court case has been overturned or is still good law). The expertise of law librarians transforms a mountain of confusing material into an accessible, navigable resource.

The late 20th century brought the most radical change to law libraries since the invention of the printing press. The rise of digital legal research databases and other digital legal resources made legal research faster and more powerful than ever before. This did not make the need for law libraries obsolete but rather changed and enhanced the way legal resources were accessed in the library. The core mission is still the same, access to justice. Law libraries now provide citizens with on-site access to expensive, proprietary digital databases that most probably couldn’t afford at home. Law librarians still offer assistance in navigating legal resources including digital resources and complex government websites containing legal material. The physical law library is still important for historical research, specialized collections and for the simple reality that not all legal materials (especially older, rarer or less cited materials) have been digitized.

Law libraries remain quiet powerhouses of legal information. They are a space dedicated to the continuity of the law and where the past informs the present. Law libraries help ensure that justice, however imperfectly applied, can always be grounded in clear, accessible precedent.

This blog post was written by Sylvia Watson, library law consultant and legal counsel, Indiana State Library.

Stacks maintenance and the case of Servando P. Barroquillo

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Stacks maintenance is a task that involves the inspection of books in the shelving areas of a library that are not accessible by the public. The inspection includes examining each book for damage and dusting each book and shelf.

Photo of blue book next to carved owl. When one is examining a book for damage, they sometimes find items in the book. Last year, when examining the bound periodical “Marine Biological Laboratory – Biological Lectures 1898” – call number ISLM 570 M337B 1894 – I found the following items:

Picture of open book with stamp and postcards.

The first item is a Loan Division card for interlibrary loan with two stamps.

Picture of calling card with name for Servando P. Barroquillo.

The second item is a calling card for Servando P. Barroquillo. Calling cards, also called visiting cards, have now evolved into today’s business cards.

Barroquillo’s calling card is printed on cream colored textured card stock with the text of his name printed in black. Calling card etiquette of the day suggests cards be simple and plain without embellishments and Barroquillo’s calling card fits the standard. When arriving in a new place, the owner of the card could add his contact details to the card, as is evident on Barroquillo’s calling card. His address is given as Room 27, Hull Zoological Research Laboratory, University of Chicago. His telephone number, Blackstone 2347, is of a time when exchange names were still used.

But just who was Barroquillo, and why was he using this book? As a genealogy librarian, I had ways to find the answers – time to search!

A simple search for the name “Servando P. Barroquillo” through the Ancestry Library Edition database (free to use at the Indiana State Library) produces several returns. It proves beneficial that he has an unique name.

The first record chronologically is the 1910 census for Alameda County, California. He is listed as a boarder with no occupation in the household of Edward Eccleston. His age is given as 16, making his approximate birth year 1884. His birthplace the Philippines. The year of immigration to the United States is 1902.

According to the Oakland, California City Directory, in 1914, Barroquillo can still be found in Alameda County, California, working as a domestic servant in Oakland.

The “California, U.S. Historical Students Database, 1893-1946,” shows that, in 1915, a Servando Pontevedra Barroquillo is enrolled for his second year as an agricultural student at University of California in Berkley.

Image of World War I Draft Registration Cards for Servando P Barroqillo.A World War I draft card states his birth date is Oct. 25, 1894. This is a 10-year age difference from the year of birth given in the 1910 census. Finding age differences like this is fairly common when doing genealogy research.

After discovering that Barroquillo was a student at University of California, I pause my search on Ancestry and Google “Servando Barroquillo” (Quotations around a name, signals to Google that you want the words searched next to each other in that exact order). The search did not result in anything too great. So, I tried again, this time adding the middle initial P, searching for “Servando P. Barroquillo.” This time, the returned results included a pdf file from the University of Chicago.

The documents are correspondence dating January 1917 through June 1917 from the Office of the President.

The file is filed with genealogical details.

The first document written on Jan. 11, 1917, is from Servando Barroquillo to the Philippines Bureau of Insular Affairs. The Bureau administered the customs and supervised the civil affairs of the Philippine Islands.

In the letter, he states he was born on Oct. 25, 1984, in Ponteverda, Capiz, Philippines and that he has been in the state of California since August of 1906. In the letter, he lists the educational institutes he has attended, including the University of Santa Clara and the College of the Pacific. He concludes the letter by asking for guidance to find opportunities to attend a medical school.

Since I know university and college archives sometimes share a digital history of the institution and that history can include student records, I continue to search the University of Chicago’s digital presence to see if I can find additional information.

I find the University of Chicago Campus Publications digital collection and search just the surname Barroquillo. The results return a newspaper article in the student newspaper the Chicago Maroon about Servando Barroquillo playing guitar at the Filipino Club.

Image of the Maroon newspaper.

Next, I search for information from the other institutions I know Barroquillo attended, University of California in Berkeley and the College of the Pacific.

While UC Berkeley does have university archives, little is available online. The student newspaper the Daily Californian, also provides little online. To research Barroquillo’s time at Berkeley, I would have to contact the university or visit in person.

The College of the Pacific is a college within the University of the Pacific. The University of the Pacific does have a healthy online collection for its university archives. On page 41 from the 1916 edition of the student yearbook The Naranjado, S. P. Barroquillo is listed as a member of the sophomore class. Page two of the student newspaper, The Pacific Weekly, dated March 29, 1916, announces that S. Barroquillo has signed up for an oration contest, speaking on the United States and international peace.

Image of Naranjado yearbook, page 41.Image of The Pacific Weekly, March 29, 1916.

I also think to look for any Philippines Bureau of Insular Affairs that may be available online.

Searching the Online Books Page for books authored by United States. Bureau of Insular Affairs, my eye is drawn to the title Directory of Filipino students in the United States. Sadly, Servando Barroquillo is not listed in any of the volumes, though it appears a brother is listed.

Image of list of Filipino students in the United States.

Returning to my Ancestry search, I see that in the 1920 census Servando Barroquillo is living in Indianapolis. In 1928, he marries in Allen County, Indiana. The 1930 census shows that he has moved to Kane County, Illinois and he returned to Indiana by the time the 1940 census was taken. His death certificate shows that he dies in Allen County in the year 1944. His parents are listed as Pedro Barroquillo and Geralda Buenfa.

Image of Servando P. Barroquillo death certificate.

Now that I know the name of his parents from the death certificate and his place of birth from the 1917 letter he sent to Philippines Bureau of Insular Affairs, I decide to see if the Ancestry Library Edition database and the Family Search Affiliate Library database have any record sets on the Philippines.

Ancestry search Philippines.

In Ancestry, I select the search tab and from the drop-down menu. then I choose Card Catalog and type “Philippines” in the keyword box. The search returns some promising results including: Philippines, Select Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994; Philippines, Select Marriages, 1723-1957; and Philippines, Select Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957. I search all the above vital record collections for the surnames Barroquillo and Buenfa.

There are no promising results for the birth records.

In the marriage collection, I find a Jose Barroguillo getting married in Pontevedra, Capiz, Philippines. He was born in 1902 to Pedro Barroguillo and Guarda Buanafe. There is also an Amado Barraquilla getting married in in Pontevedra, Capiz, Philippines. He is born in 1906 to Pedro Barraquilla and Gerarda Buenafe. The men getting married appear to be brothers of Servando Barroquillo, but now I do not know the correct spelling of the surnames!

Several Pedro Barroquillos are found in the death records, but there is not enough information to determine which one is the correct Pedro Barroquillo. After trying several spelling variations of her name, I do not find any promising matches for Servando’s mother.

Screenshot of Family Search Philippines.Next, I look to see if Family Search has any record sets on the Philippines. I select the search tab and choose Catalog from the drop-down menu, type “Philippines” in the place box and select online records. The search returns 308 results. The most intriguing results are the following: Philippines, Civil Registration (Spanish Period) 1706-1911; Collection, Indexes to bautismos, 1706-1898; Philippines births and baptisms: 1642-1994; Philippines deaths and burials: 1726-1957; Philippines marriages: 1723-1957; Indexes to Defunciones, 1800-1898; and Indexes to Matrimonios, 1757-1911.

The cards in the collections are generally arranged alphabetically under the name of each province or locality. The cards can be handwritten, but some cards are misfiled and others are in reverse order. Many of the indexes are incomplete and some reports are missing. Family Search also notes some of the records are in Spanish, Chinese, Filipino or Philippine dialects. This makes working with these collections quite difficult.

Even though I knew the province, Capiz. my search in the Philippine collections on Family Search was not successful. Many of collections just had a handful of cards for Capiz and some of the records were handwritten in Spanish.

Screenshot of Full Text search Family Search.

Not satisfied with my research in the Philippines record sets, I tried a searching with Family Search’s Full Text search. Full Text search is an experiment offered from Family Search Labs. In the name box I type “Servando Barroquilla.” One of the items returned was a delayed birth certificate.

Image of LaGrange delayed birth certificate.Delayed birth certificates were created by the county courts in the 1940s to document a birth when no birth record was found. An adult requested a delayed birth certificate from the county court (usually the county they resided in) to provide documentation for applying for social security or a passport.

The delayed birth certificate for Servando Barroquilla has his parents named as Pedro Barroquilla and Gerarda Buenafe. Since Servando Barroquilla was the informant for the certificate, I now know that I have the correct spellings of his parents’ names!

My next Full Text search is for the name “Pedro Barroquilla” with the keyword Buenafe. This final search includes results for Notarial Records in Pontevedra, Capiz for the years 1916-1917. The records mention his wife’s father: Calixto Buenafe, blind and of the age of 90!

Image of Pontevedra, Capiz. Notarial Records 1916-1917 register.

Image of Pontevedra, Capiz. Notarial Records 1916-1917.

After a few hours of research there is now a fairly complete snapshot of the life of Servando Barroquilla, and why he would be interested in a book on biology.

Stacks maintenance, however; is never finished!

This blog post is by Angi Porter, Genealogy Division librarian.

Resources to learn more:

Tracing your Philippine Ancestors; Call number: ISLG 929.19599 V222T
Etiquette of Visiting Cards
House of Cards: The Politics of Calling Card Etiquette in Nineteenth-Century Washington
Tips for Reading Civil Registry Records in Spanish
Philippines Genealogy
National Archives of the Philippines (NAP)
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)

Ways for libraries to partner with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources

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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources would like to share four ways that Indiana libraries can partner with the agency.

Indiana State Parks partners with libraries for the Adventure Backpack Program. Libraries can purchase up to five laminated letter passes which will travel with each backpack and will be shown at a property entrance gate along with the backpack. Participating libraries supply the backpack and its contents. The letter pass and backpack is returned to the library. Each letter pass is $50 and is good for one calendar year beginning on Jan. 1.

A new One-Day Pass is a card that can be given as a prize for reading programs or used as giveaways in contests or at events. The card allows recipients to visit the state park of their choice any day of the year. Similar to the annual pass, the One-Day Pass allows the cardholder and all persons accompanying the cardholder in a single private, family-type non-commercial vehicle to any property administered by the Indiana DNR for one day only, where entrances are designated and fees are charged. It is not valid for entrance to state historic sites or Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center. The cost is $7 per pass with a minimum purchase of 10 passes. The card may be used at any time, including holidays and weekends, and expires Dec. 31, 2025

The One-Day Pass is an effective and useful option to promote and reward! It can be used for:

  • Summer and winter reading programs.
  • Adult learning programs and book discussions.
  • Attending health and wellness or nature programs.
  • Computer classes and reading challenges.
  • Patron engagement in annual events.
  • Guest speakers.
  • Employee recognition.

Bradt Natural Area, Versailles State Park.

As nonprofit organizations, libraries may request a donation in the form of a buy one, get one free Annual Entrance Pass. Both the purchased and donated passes must be entered in an event to raise funds, or as prizes for reading programs. The cost is $50 with each pass good for one calendar year beginning on Jan. 1. Those interested in the Adventure Backpack Program letter passes, the One-Day Pass or the Annual Entrance Pass should email Julie Plank, program director with the Indiana DNR, and include their contact information and the number of passes they would like to purchase. Purchasers will be contacted by phone for credit card information and emailed an itemized receipt immediately after credit card has been accepted and the order is completed. Passes are placed in the mail within 24 hours of purchase.

Library staff may also request copies of the 2025 Indiana Recreation Guide. The colorful recreation guide provides patrons with information about state parks, state forests, fish and wildlife areas, nature preserves and off-road state recreation areas. Each page displays activities available at each location, such as boating, fishing, camping, golf, swimming and more. The guide is free of charge. To receive a carton of 100 guides, send a request via email with a contact name and the name and address of the library. Include the number of requested cartons. No P.O. boxes. The 2026 Indiana Recreation Guide will be released in February of next year.

Please note that libraries are not permitted to purchase state park passes for circulation. Indiana State Parks shall not replace lost or stolen passes and will not refund or exchange passes.

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

Understanding the role of librarians in legal information services

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Each day, patrons visit the library seeking guidance on a wide range of topics, including legal matters. Whether it’s locating a rental agreement form, understanding divorce proceedings or researching local ordinances, public libraries are often the first stop for individuals facing legal challenges.

Given that libraries have a longstanding reputation as a trusted source of information, it is only natural that members of the public turn to librarians for help in navigating the complex world of law. However, while librarians are well-equipped to assist with legal research and information access, there are strict ethical and legal boundaries that govern how far that assistance can go.

Close up of law books. It is helpful for patrons to understand what librarians can and cannot do in terms of legal reference assistance in the library in order to minimize frustration and maximize a positive outcome. While librarians are not attorneys and do not offer legal advice, they can provide a wide range of support within the scope of their professional role. Librarians can help patrons locate relevant laws, regulations, ordinances and court opinions. Whether its federal, state or local law, librarians can direct users to authoritative sources, both in print and online. Library staff can also demonstrate how to use legal research tools such as Westlaw and Lexus Nexus, as well as secondary sources like legal encyclopedias and self-help guides. Some of these resources require subscriptions so the resources available could be limited based on what databases or services the library pays for. Librarians can point patrons to trusted sources of free information including legal aid websites, government portals and non-commercial databases that provide reliable up to date content. This is particularly important in an era where misinformation is easily encountered online. Libraries sometimes even collaborate with legal aid organizations and community partners to host clinics, workshops and informational events. Librarians can inform patrons about upcoming programs, eligibility requirements and how to schedule appointments with qualified legal professionals.

While library staff play an important role in facilitating access to legal information, there are clear ethical and legal limits designed to protect both the patron and the librarian. These restrictions are in place to prevent the unauthorized practice of law. Librarians are not authorized to analyze how a particular law may apply to an individual specific situation. They can provide access to legal texts but they cannot offer interpretations or recommended courses of action. While librarians may assist patrons in locating the appropriate legal forms they patron may need, the librarian cannot help the patron complete the form or provide suggestions about what to include in any particular section. Doing so would constitute legal advice. If a patron asks if they should “plead guilty,” “file a motion” or “appeal a case,” these types of questions fall squarely within the realm of legal advocacy and must be directed to a licensed attorney.

Patrons need to understand that the limitations placed on librarians are not a reflection of unwillingness to help but are grounded in the professional and legal standards that protect all parties. Librarians are trained to provide neutral and objective assistance. By observing the boundary between legal information and legal advice, librarians ensure that patrons are not misled or inadvertently harmed by well-meaning but unauthorized guidance. Maintaining these boundaries also upholds the library’s reputation as a trustworthy and unbiased institution. When legal issues arise, patrons can rely on the library as a starting point for research and resource navigation and they can be confident that any further recommendations will be directed to qualified professionals. The law can be intimidating for individuals who are unfamiliar with legal systems, terminology and procedures. Libraries help lower the barrier to legal access by offering free resources, research support and community connections.

This blog post was written by Sylvia Watson, library law consultant and legal counsel, Indiana State Library.

Upcoming What’s Up Wednesday trainings to focus on AI

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

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

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

Stay tuned for more information and a registration link!

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

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

Stay tuned for more information and a registration link!

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

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

Stay tuned for title and a registration link!

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

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

Stay tuned for more information and registration link!

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

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

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

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

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

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Save the Date!

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

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

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

Presented by Bobbi Newman, Region 6, NNLM.

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

Stay tuned for description and registration link!

Presented by Mike Acsbok.

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

Stay tuned for description, presenter info and registration link!

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

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

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by Shane Presley and Rebekah Enzler.

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

Stay tuned for description and registration link!

Presented by Vanessa Martin and Julie Wendorf.

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

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

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by the Indiana Youth Institute Data Team.

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

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

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

Stay tuned for the registration link!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay tuned for the description and registration link!

Presented by Chris Baker, Jenna Gilles and Jamie Hein.

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

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

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by Bridgette Spann-Edwards.

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

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

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

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

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

Stay tuned for the registration link!

Presented by Shelby Peak, Indianapolis Public Library.

July 30, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday”

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

Stay tuned for presentation title and registration link!

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

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

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

Stay tuned for the registration link!

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

Aug. 27, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday”

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

Stay tuned for presentation title and registration link!

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

Sept. 10, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday”

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

Stay tuned for presentation title and registration link!

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

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

Oct. 8, 2025
“What’s Up Wednesday”

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

Stay tuned for presentation title and registration link!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright and AI; an update

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In recent years, the intersection of artificial intelligence and copyright law has become a hot topic, especially as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent. The U.S. Copyright Office plays a crucial role in shaping the legal landscape for these emerging technologies. The U.S. Copyright Office administers the national copyright system and provides guidance on copyright law to Congress, federal agencies, the courts and the public. As AI technology advances, the office has been active in addressing the unique challenges it presents.

Historically, the U.S. Copyright Office has maintained that copyright protection is reserved for works created by humans. This means that purely AI-generated works, without any human involvement, are not eligible for copyright protection. However, the landscape is evolving. In March 2023, the Copyright Office issued formal guidance stating that if a human significantly contributes to the creation of a work in which AI was used, it may be eligible for copyright protection. The office has been receiving applications for the registration of works that include AI-generated content, reflecting the increasing integration of AI in creative processes. As a result, preliminary guidance has been issued for those seeking to copyright works that involve AI content and that guidance can be found here. The office has also received complaints regarding the use of copyright protected art and text in the training of AI tools.

Recognizing the growing importance of AI in content creation, the Copyright Office launched a new initiative in early 2023 to examine the copyright issues raised by AI. This initiative aims to explore the scope of copyright in AI-generated works and the use of copyrighted materials in AI training. As AI continues to transform the creative landscape, the U.S. Copyright Office’s efforts to adapt copyright law to these new realities are crucial. By providing clear guidelines and exploring the implications of AI in content creation, the Copyright Office helps ensure that copyright law remains relevant and effective in the digital age.

This blog post was written by Sylvia Watson, library law consultant and legal counsel, Indiana State Library.