 This week's new Indiana library jobs
Youth Services Librarian
Garrett Public Library
Children’s Services Librarian
Greenwood Public Library
Branch Library Assistant (part-time)
Hancock County Public Library
Youth Services Library Assistant (part-time)
Hancock County Public Library
Media Specialists
Monroe County Community School Corporation
Library Director
Westville-New Durham Township Public Library
If you would like your Indiana library job posting to be listed in the Wednesday Word, the position, and its description, must be submitted to the Indiana State Library. Click here for submission guidelines and to submit.
Library to digitize histories of longstanding Auburn churches
Eckhart Pubic Library
Parkview DeKalb Hospital supports library’s food drive for veterans
Eckhart Pubic Library
Vernon Township library gets new director
Fortville-Vernon Township Public Library
Dyer lawmaker honored for supporting Indiana libraries at the Statehouse
Indiana Library Federation
Indianapolis Public Library, Indy Pride unveil LGBTQ+ collection and exhibit
Indianapolis Public Library
Seeds for planting now available at the Monroe County Public Library
Monroe County Public Library
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If you would like to be featured in the Wednesday Word, please email a press release and a photo.
 Follow the Indiana State Library's blog for weekly posts covering all aspects of the state library. Visit the blog here.
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 The deadline for commitments from Indiana high schools to participate in the 2019-20 Poetry Out Loud recitation process is this Friday, Nov. 22. Schools can learn more about the competition and access the school registration form on the Indiana State Library website.
Initial competitions are held at the high school level to determine one student to represent the school in state final competition on Feb. 15, 2020, at the Indiana State Library. Local competitions must be judged by the same criteria used in the state and national events.
The state champion receives a $200 cash prize and an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in April. The state champion's school receives a $500 stipend to purchase poetry books.
A total of $50,000 in scholarship awards and school stipends will be awarded at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, with a $20,000 college scholarship awarded to the national champion.
Poetry Out Loud is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The program encourages the study of great poetry by offering education materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high school students across the country.
The Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana State Library are partners in presenting the Indiana Poetry Out Loud competition. For general information about the national program and competition, visit the national Poetry Out Loud website.
 On Friday, Nov. 8, the Indiana State Library held a small gaming demonstration for library employees. The event was designed to help librarians and library employees begin to explore the use of board games in a library setting, especially the games’ ability to help promote the development of soft skills - interpersonal skills such as communication and social skills that make for positive interpersonal interactions. It was held in conjunction with the American Library Association’s International Games Week.
The participants at this event got a chance to discover how games of all types can help players learn and practice soft skills that are coveted by many employers. The consensus was to bring this discussion to the larger Indiana library community, so on Nov. 27, the library will present "Engagement with Soft Skills – Using Board Games at the Library to Engage Patrons and Improve Career Readiness," a webinar for those interested in learning more about soft skills in relation to gaming.
Click here to register. The webinar is worth one LEU for Indiana library employees. Click here to read more about the event and to read a brief history of International Games Week.
Please contact George Bergstrom, Southwest regional coordinator at the Indiana State Library, with any questions related to the webinar, gaming in libraries or International Games Week.
 The Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, which was established to commemorate the upcoming centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 2020, is organizing a number of activities and events to celebrate the important milestone in the state's and nation’s history, as well as highlighting the individuals and organizations that played an instrumental role in securing women’s right to vote. In order to increase visibility and awareness of the 100-year anniversary, the commission has launched a website, in partnership with Indiana Humanities, to house resources, recent news and upcoming events.
The commission encourages local communities and organizations, including libraries, across Indiana’s 92 counties to commemorate the centennial anniversary of women’s right to vote in their own way as well. Events or activities celebrating Hoosier women winning the right to vote can be submitted to the commission for inclusion on website’s master events calendar.
Read more about the centennial here. Click here to read about the individual members of the Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.
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Readers' Advisory for Youth Services
When: Nov. 21, 12-1 p.m.
Where: Elkhart Public Library
Engagement with Soft Skills – Using Board Games at the Library to Engage Patrons and Improve Career Readiness
When: Nov. 27, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Webinar
Indiana State Library closure
When: Nov. 28, Thanksgiving
Indiana State Library closure
When: Nov. 29, Lincoln's birthday observed
Imagine Your Story! CSLP 2020 Training & Roundtable
When: Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Culver-Union Township Public Library
Welcome
to the Government Information Minute. Every week, government information
librarians at the Indiana State Library cover current resources on governmental
data at the state, national and international levels; all to keep the public
well-informed. Follow the Indiana State Data Center on Facebook and Twitter and feel free to leave comments
and suggestions.
 Next year, libraries are expecting to receive questions from people completing the nationwide 2020 census. April 1, 2020 is Census Day, but people will be able to fill out the census online as soon as they receive the first mailing from the Census Bureau in March. In order to prepare libraries for these questions, the Indiana State Library has created a 2020 Census Toolkit for Indiana Libraries, which is now available for download from Indiana’s 2020 census website or the state library’s State Data Center Program website. The toolkit includes:
- A brief timeline from the Census Bureau that lists important dates for the 2020 Census.
- Talking points for Indiana libraries.
- FAQs for Indiana libraries.
- A resource list with links to important national and state-level information about the census.
- Ideas for displays, events and programs that incorporate census concepts.
Please contact the Indiana State Data Center at the Indiana State Library with any questions about the 2020 census.
 As part of a partnership with Purdue Extension, the Indiana State Library is offering the opportunity for 15 public library employees to attend the Technology Academy. The deadline for applications to be postmarked is Friday, Nov. 29.
The academy will consist of six training sessions to be held at the Indiana State Library, beginning on Jan. 10, 2020. Purdue Extension staff will provide the training sessions once a month during the six-month duration of the academy. Participants in the Technology Academy will be selected in a competitive application process.
The purpose of the Technology Academy is to improve public library service in Indiana by developing the technology skills of public library staff; to assist public library system directors in training public library staff; and to motivate public library staff to acquire, maintain and develop skills for personal and professional fulfillment and career enhancement. Through lectures, discussions and assignments, participants will examine basic computer concepts and skills; basic internet concepts and skills; various internet resources; e-books; Microsoft Word; Microsoft Excel; Microsoft PowerPoint; social media; cloud services, including Dropbox and Google Docs; databases, including INSPIRE; and how to deliver and communicate technology assistance to patrons.
To be considered for participation, applicants must be nominated by their library system director. If the applicant is a director, the application must be approved by the board president. Individuals employed full-time or part-time in an Indiana public library one calendar year prior to Nov. 1 who possess limited computer skills and would like to improve those skills to more effectively deliver library services are qualified to be nominated.
Click here to read more about the nomination process, the application process, the statement of commitment, academy dates and to access the application.
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