The Wednesday Word: News from the Indiana State Library

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In This Issue Deadlines Approach for Student Literary Programs VU Receives LSTA Grant for Distance Learning Initiative Hearing Set for Proposed Public Library Standards *More Library News:* *Associated Press* 25-library group offers text search to 4.6M books Associated Press Small town library in Ind. gets top rating Chesterton Tribune Historians hear program on Lincoln funeral train Corydon Democrat New branch worth checking out Corydon Democrat First library branch opens Evansville Courier-Press Evansville, Spencer Co. libraries earn top ratings Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Library OKs 1 percent raises Fort Wayne News-Sentinel Library dedicates pieces of history Gary Post-Tribune Lib. board eyes policy overhaul to curb spending *Greencastle Banner-Graphic* Library board approves 2010 pay raises Indianapolis Star Author Presents $2,500 Gift to Library Indianapolis Star Hamilton County's libraries to accept all cards Indiana Statesman Library reveals strategic plans for next three to five years Logansport Pharos-Tribune Connecting Walton to the Internet Logansport Pharos-Tribune Library awards contract South Bend Tribune Library adds fines for damage *Your library making news?* Email your news to Drew Griffis for inclusion in The Wednesday Word. State Library's Reference Hotline 866-683-0008 eReference Important Links: ------------------------------- The Wednesday Word is a production of the Indiana State Library	Deadlines Approach for Student Literary Programs The Letters About Literature and River of Words programs have upcoming December deadlines for their respective 2009 contests. Letters About Literature Letters About Literature, a national reading-writing competition, sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target Stores, calls for entrants to write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre (fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic, etc.) explaining how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or their self. Entry forms for the '09-'10 Letters About Literature contest must be postmarked no later than December 12, 2009 for consideration. Forms are available on the Indiana Center for the Book's website. Visit lettersaboutliterature.org for contest updates and valuable teaching materials, such as lesson plans, writing samples, assessment checklists, and teacher tips. River of Words River of Words is an international poetry and art contest that is sponsored nationally by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and on the state level by the Indiana Center for the Book, Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), a program of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and the Environmental Education Association of Indiana The deadline for contest entries is December 1, 2009. Entry forms and complete contest guidelines can be found at www.riverofwords.org. Winners and finalists in each contest will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the Indiana State Library. VU Receives LSTA Grant for Distance Learning Initiative The Indiana State Library awarded $125,817 to the Shake Learning Resources Center (Library) at Vincennes University (VU) to launch a highly innovative project that helps meet the educational, informational professional development needs of residents in partnering public library districts. The Learning Unlimited program will focus on providing college credit and job-ready training programs centered at the public library. VU will connect enrollees to these opportunities by supplying each with netbooks--lightweight, mobile, wireless, powerful and inexpensive personal computers to support online education and training programs. The public library will play a crucial role as a source for wireless internet access and face-to-face support services for students enrolled in the program. The public library will also act as the host site for general program orientation, placement testing, proctoring exams, netbook distribution and training, and group work. Part-time mentor/coaches will be available at the public library to help students achieve academic success and program completion. Vincennes University librarians and their public library counterparts will collaborate in providing library reference assistance to students enrolled in the program on the use of INSPIRE – Indiana’s Virtual Library and other electronic information resources. The Learning Unlimited pilot program will begin in spring 2010 at up to three Central Indiana public libraries with the goal to expand to other statewide locations in the future. More information, including participating library locations and enrollment opportunities, will be available in the near future. The program is funded by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) innovation grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Learn more about LSTA grant opportunities at http://www.in.gov/library/lsta.htm. Hearing Set for Proposed Public Library Standards The Indiana State Library and representatives of both the Indiana Library Trustee Association and the Indiana Public Library Association recently drafted revisions and updates to public library standards. A public hearing regarding the proposed public library standards has been scheduled for January 6, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. in the History Reference Room at the Indiana State Library. Visit http://www.in.gov/library/standards.htm to view drafts of the proposed rule, economic impact statements and the notice of public hearing.

In This Issue

Deadlines Approach for Student Literary Programs