Inaugural Lunch and Learn program from State Library scheduled for March 14

The Indiana State Library has announced the launch of a new program series called the Lunch and Learn Series. The series will run throughout 2024, with six programs already planned.

The inaugural program, “Fire Insurance Maps Online,” will take place on March 14 from 12-1 p.m. in the History Reference Room at the Indiana State Library.

Originally created to help insurance companies assess structures’ fire resistance, historic fire insurance maps now have a wide variety of uses, including historic preservation, land use research and urban development. Presenter Jamie Dunn, supervisor of the Genealogy Division at the Indiana State Library, will teach attendees about fire insurance maps and the Indiana State Library’s Fire Insurance Maps Online database.

Each program is eligible for one LEU for Indiana library staff. Click here to register.

Follow the Indiana State Library’s Facebook page for more information on the upcoming programs as it becomes available.

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

Please contact Stephanie Asberry, deputy director of Public Services and Statewide Services at the Indiana State Library, with any questions about the Lunch and Learn Series.

This blog post was submitted by John Wekluk, communications director. 

Summer reading 2024 resources

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

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

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

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

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

Program Ideas: This winter, I’ve been facilitating workshops across the state about the “Adventure Begins at Your Library” theme, and at each training I collect program ideas from the participants. I post those program ideas under “Summer Program Ideas for Current Year,” so check them out if you need help with your own idea creation. You can also view program ideas from past years here. Of course, you can use most of these ideas year-round! I recommend bookmarking them in your browser for quick access.

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

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

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

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

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.”

Remaining 2023 Indiana State Library LEU opportunities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

International Games Month

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

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

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

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

Discovery to Delivery 2023!

The Indiana State Library and the Academic Libraries of Indiana will be hosting the 13th annual Discovery to Delivery conference, a free one-day in-person conference dedicated to resource sharing. This year’s theme is “Exploring New Pathways to Sharing,” and will take place on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET.


The agenda includes updates relating to resource sharing services hosted by the Indiana State Library, including Evergreen Indiana, as well as updates by vendors, including OCLC and Auto-Graphics. Scott Garrison, executive director of MCLS, will present the keynote address “The State of Resource Sharing Today: From Pain Points Toward Potential.” During his keynote, Scott will discuss the current and potential future state of library resource sharing and will engage Indiana’s resource sharing community in a look at topics including resource sharing in Indiana and Michigan, current and emerging technology and other developments, current pain points for libraries and desired future directions.

Breakout sessions include presentations Abby Chumin from the Talking Books division at the Indiana State Library, who will discuss the different methods of delivery of library materials for library users with a print disability, and Holli Moseman and Melissa Gustafson, from Indiana State University, who will present on how ISU ILL works with other library units with the goal of providing better services to ISU patrons and other libraries. Please check out the full agenda here.

D2D is open to all Indiana libraries – public, academic, school, special, institutional and more! Register here for free! Registration must be completed by Friday, Sept. 29, to be guaranteed a lunch. Location and parking information can be found here.

Please send any questions about D2D to the Conference Committee.

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

Service animals in public accommodations

The Indiana General Assembly wrapped up its 2023 session several weeks ago. Many new laws were passed including HEA 1354. HEA 1354 modifies a few things in Indiana law regarding service animals and also codifies some of the longstanding principles regarding service animals in public establishments. HEA 1354 is effective as of July 1, 2023.

HEA 1354 narrows the definition of service animal to just dogs and miniature horses. Previously, Indiana law was pretty open and recognized any animal that was trained as a hearing animal, guide animal, assistance animal, seizure alert animal, mobility animal, psychiatric service animal or autism service animal. HEA 1354 requires public accommodations to make reasonable modifications in policies, practices or procedures to permit the use of a service animal by an individual with a disability.

In determining whether reasonable modifications in policies, practices or procedures can be made to allow a miniature horse into a specific facility, a public accommodation must consider the type, size and weight of the miniature horse and whether the facility can accommodate these features; whether the handler has sufficient control of the miniature horse; whether the miniature horse is housebroken; and whether the miniature horse’s presence in a specific facility compromises legitimate safety requirements that are necessary for safe operation.

A public accommodation may charge the handler for damage caused by the service animal if a public accommodation normally charges an individual for damage the individual causes. A public accommodation may ask an individual with a disability to remove a service animal from the premises if the animal is out of control and the animal’s handler does not take effective action to control it or if the animal is not housebroken. If a public accommodation excludes a service animal for reasons permitted by law, the public accommodation must give the person with a disability the opportunity to obtain services without having the service animal on the premises.

It was already the case that service animals in training are entitled to access public accommodations, but HEA 1354 adds that the service animal in training must be under the control of its trainer at all times while on the premises of the public accommodation. A service animal must be under the control of its handler at all times as well, while on the premises of a public accommodation. A service animal must have a harness, leash or other tether, unless the handler is unable because of a disability to use a harness, leash, or other tether; or use of a harness, leash or other tether would interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of work or tasks in which case the service animal must be under the handler’s control by other effective means, such as the use of voice control or signals.

HEA 1354 declares that a public accommodation is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal. Further, a public accommodation cannot ask about the nature or extent of an individual’s disability but may make two inquiries to determine whether an animal qualifies as a service animal. The public accommodation may ask whether the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform.

A public accommodation cannot require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a service animal. A public accommodation also may not make inquiries about a service animal’s qualifications when it is readily apparent that the animal is trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.

An individual with a disability is permitted to be accompanied by a service animal in all areas of a place of public accommodation where members of the public, program participants, clients, customers, patrons or invitees are allowed to go.

A public accommodation cannot ask or require an individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal to pay a fee for access to the public accommodation or comply with other requirements not applicable to a person without a service animal.

An individual with a disability is defined as an individual:

(1) who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities:

(2) who has a record of a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or

(3) who is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

A public accommodation is defined as an establishment that caters or offers services, facilities or goods to the general public.

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

History Escape Room Kits from the Indiana State Library!

Attention teachers and youth librarians! There’s a new kit coming from the Indiana State Library created especially with middle and high school students in mind. History Escape Room Kits will be available for teachers and librarians to check out starting in January of 2024.

Escape rooms are a popular way to engage students in learning, problem solving and critical thinking. Students enter a room or a space and are presented with a problem or mystery. They are “locked in” until the mystery is solved. They must scour the room for clues and work together to solve a series of puzzles that involve all manner of skills: map reading, image analysis, math problems, analyzing short passages, searching through newspapers, teamwork, leadership and more. If they succeed in solving the puzzles (usually in a limited amount of time) they can solve the mystery and “escape.”

The Indiana State Library’s History Escape Room Kits are being developed for Indiana’s public libraries and schools. All programs will be steeped in history and based on primary sources available from the Indiana State Library’s collections and the collections of the Library of Congress. The programs will be housed in containers and shipped to libraries and schools using the State Library’s courier network. Possible themes for the kits include: Genealogy with the Iris Baughman Diary, Jazz on Indiana Avenue with Sanborn Maps, Presidents and Vice Presidents of Indiana (including Benjamin Harrison), the Flu Pandemic of 1918 with WWI letters, Famous Political Speeches in Indiana and Indiana Basketball focused on Crispus Attucks High School.

Each History Escape Room kit will align with Social Studies Standards in Indiana for grades 6-12. These standards include map reading, industry in Indiana, primary and secondary sources, and events and movements in the 20th century. Escape rooms could be used by teachers as an engaging activity both during and after school hours. Youth librarians could use them as a pre-planned out-of-the-box program. History Escape Room kits will be designed for up to 16 youth to work on together but could be used by groups as small as four. Teachers could check out two to three copies of the same kit to accommodate larger classroom sizes.

Ease of use is front of mind for these kits. Teachers and librarians should be able to receive a kit, watch a video and get their room set up in 20 minutes or less. All solutions and hints will be included for the lead librarian or teacher, and all kits will be tested with actual teens before release. Interested libraries and schools will be able to reserve kits through KitKeeper, the same service that is used to book Storytime Kits, Book Club Kits, and Lego and Duplo Kits.

Training on using the kits will be available both at the Indiana Library Federation’s Youth Services Division conference held on Aug. 13 in Indianapolis, and at fall trainings held by the Indiana State Library yet to be scheduled.

The Escape Room Kits are sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Midwest Region Program, located at Illinois State University. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS Midwest Region does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.

Questions? Reach out to Suzanne Walker, Indiana Young Readers Center librarian.

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

Helpful tools for libraries

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

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

Or…

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

Or…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy the tools!

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

Vying for vendors – The state RFP process

As a state agency, the Indiana State Library must follow state procurement rules whenever making a purchase or entering into a contract for goods or services. This is to encourage fair purchasing practices, while also helping keep costs low for the state. Some services that we regularly need bids for include:

  • InfoExpress courier service – We need a company that can handle the logistics of book delivery between nearly 400 library locations statewide.
  • INSPIRE – We need a suite of databases that can be accessed by all Hoosiers at any time of day, from any location within the state.
  • SRCS – We need a low-cost, unmediated service that can be used by patrons or library staff to request books from other library locations.

Whenever a new contract is needed, or a current contract is drawing near its expiration, the state library’s administration team reaches out to the Indiana Department of Administration, who initiates and guides the process. An IDOA employee is assigned to the project as a procurement specialist, and serves as a liaison between the library and potential bidders; ensuring a fair and neutral process without undue influence on library staff. The Indiana State Library also forms a team of reviewers and advisors, who may be from the library or other Indiana libraries. The team drafts an initial proposal that describes exactly what is needed and under what terms.

The state may post an RFP, a request for proposal; an RFQ, a request for quotation; or even an RFS, a request for services, depending on the type of contract and dollar amount involved.

At the beginning of the bidding process, a request for bids is posted to IDOA’s website. This is an invitation for all interested vendors to respond with information and a quote. These responses are compiled and reviewed by IDOA and then shared with the library’s team of reviewers and advisors. The reviewers complete a scorecard where they provide numerical scores and written comments over various aspects of the bid. The evaluation team may ask clarifying questions about the bids, and the bidders may be invited to make presentations demonstrating their product or service.

At the end of the process, IDOA collects all of the evaluations, tallies their scores, and puts them in preference order. To encourage supplier diversity, some additional scoring points are given to minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses. Vendors may be given one last chance to provide their BAFO, their best and final offer. Preference is typically given to the lowest-cost responsive bid. At that time, an award letter is written and sent to the winning bidder, and the other bidders are notified of the decision. Bidders may appeal if they believe a mistake was made. Finally, an announcement is shared with Indiana library staff that a new or improved service is available.

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