The Wednesday Word: News from the Indiana State Library

The Big Read is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations and libraries seeking funding to conduct month-long, community-wide reads between September 2012 and June 2013. The Big Read is a national program designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture. Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read will receive a grant ranging from $2,500 to $20,000, access to online training resources, educational and promotional materials, inclusion of your organization and activities on The Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national program. Approximately 75 organizations from across the country will be selected by a panel of experts.

Three Indiana libraries were among 76 organizations nationwide to receive grants for the most recent round of Big Read programs scheduled between September 2011 and June 2012. The libraries featured titles and grant amounts include:

Hancock County Public Library: The Grapes of Wrath – $9,200
Jennings County Public Library: The Maltese Falcon – $7,900
Knox County Public Library: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – $5,900

The deadline to apply for the next round of Big Read grants is February 1, 2012. Visit The Big Read website to review the guidelines and application instructions.

LYRASIS Invites Members to Attend Annual Meeting Online

LYRASIS invites all members to attend eGathering 2011: The LYRASIS Annual Member Meeting, on November 9, from 1:30 - 4 p.m. ET. The event is free and may be attended online, in-person or by hosting a group at your location.

The theme of this year's meeting is "Content, Access and the Role of Libraries in a Connected World." The meeting will feature a keynote address by Siva Vaidhyanathan, author of The Googlization of Everything, and talks by Elizabeth Hammond, Chair, LYRASIS Board of Trustees and Dean of University Libraries, Mercer University, and Kate Nevins, LYRASIS Executive Director.

Visit eGathering 2011 online to register and learn more about this unique event.

Three Indiana Institutions Awarded IMLS Grants

Congratulations to the following three Indiana institutions that were among 48 recipients nationwide of National Leadership Grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS):

Indiana University Digital Library Program - Bloomington, IN
Award Amount: $947,963; Matching Amount: $1,125,566

The Indiana University Digital Library Program, in partnership with Northwestern University Libraries, will develop an open-source software system to help academic libraries and archives manage digital audio and video collections and provide enhanced access to these collections.

Indianapolis Museum of Art - Indianapolis, IN
Award Amount: $420,000; Matching Amount: $510,932

Grant funding will support the development of tools and specifications for building, sharing, and preserving mobile tours that museums can use to create and deploy their own mobile experiences.

Purdue University Libraries - West Lafayette, IN
Award Amount: $249,391; Matching Amount: $221,767

Purdue University Libraries will partner with the libraries of Stanford University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Oregon to develop a training program in data information literacy for graduate students who will become the next generation of scientists.

Overall, the IMLS announced 48 awards totaling $14,661,217 matched with $12,929,824 of non-federal funds. Click here to learn more about the above grant projects and to find more information about the National Leadership Grants.

State Library Seeks Input on Technology Tools

The State Library wants to know how you use participatory technology tools, sometimes referred to as Web/Library 2.0 tools. We are interested in developing new continuing education opportunities and need your feedback. Please take a moment to complete our eight-question survey before 10/31.

Welcome New Directors

Please join the Indiana State Library in welcoming these new public library directors and interim directors across the state

Steve Cochran, Interim Director, New Harmony Workingmen's Institute

Linda Shaw, Interim Director, Hamilton East Public Library
(Note: Edra Waterman to start as HEPL director on 1/1/2012)

Brent Stokesberry, Director, Jefferson County Public Library

Sheila Urwiler, Director, Starke County Public Library System

Best of luck to you all!

Conferences & Workshops

Indiana Genealogy & Local History Fair
When: October 22 @ 9:00 AM
Where: Indiana State Library

Every Child Ready to Read 2nd Edition Workshop
October 24 - Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

Advanced Cataloguing for Evergreen Indiana
When: October 24 @ 9:00 AM
Where: Tell City-Perry County PL

Evergreen Indiana Cataloguing Roundtable
When: October 25 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Spencer Co. Public Library

Advanced INSPIRE K-12 Resources
When: October 25 @ 1:00 PM
Where: Tipton Co. Public Library

Evergreen Circulation Training
When: October 26 @ 9:00 AM
Where: Indiana State Library

IOLUG Fall Program
When: October 28
Where: Indiana Wesleyan University- Indianapolis North

Marketing Your Physical Space
When: Oct. 31 @ 1:00 PM (CDT)
Where: Lowell Public Library

Reader's Advisory
When: Nov. 8 @ 1:00 PM (CDT)
Where: Lowell Public Library

Security in the Library
When: Nov. 10 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Akron Carnegie PL

Book Club Basics
When: Nov. 10 @ 11:00 AM
Where: Akron Carnegie PL

ILF Annual Conference
When: November 14-16
Where: Fort Wayne

View free LEU opportunities from:

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Indiana State Library, 315 W. Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202. www.library.IN.gov

The Wednesday Word is a free publication of the Indiana State Library, distributed weekly in an electronic format.
Past issues are archived at the State Library's Newsroom.