 This week's new Indiana library jobs
Program Specialist
Indianapolis Public Library
Supervisor Librarian
Indianapolis Public Library
Director of Public Services
Vigo County Public Library
Director of Support Services
Vigo County 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.
Book fans get shot to shop local; downtown library hosts area authors
Allen County Public Library
Genealogy Center is worth visiting
Allen County Public Library
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library now open in Indianapolis
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library
Lake County Public Library brings Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to school districts
Lake County Public Library
Stonebraker stepping down from Tippecanoe County Council
School of Public and Environmental Affairs Library at Indiana University
Christmas at the Sheridan Library
Sheridan Public Library
Artist depicts scenes of winter
Vigo County Public Library
Longtime Wanatah librarian turning 100
Wanatah Public Library
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 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 annual Letters About Literature contest is now accepting submissions. Letters About Literature is a reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12 in Indiana. Students are asked to read a book, poem, essay or speech and write to the author - living or deceased - about the impact the work had on how they see themselves or the world.
Winners receive cash prizes and are invited to participate in the 2020 Youth Literary Day & Awards Ceremony on April 18, 2020 at the Indiana State Library. Winners will also have their letters published in an annual anthology.
Entries must be submitted via online Submittable portal. In order to submit an entry, users must have a Submittable account. A YouTube video detailing the submission process may be viewed here. The last day to submit entries is Jan. 13, 2020. Students in grades 4-12 who live in Indiana are eligible to enter the contest.
For more information about the 21st annual Indiana Letters About Literature contest, visit the Indiana State Library's Letters About Literature website or contact Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book.
 The University of Wisconsin-Madison Information School will be hosting its popular Back in Circulation Again conference on Oct. 19-20, 2020 and is now accepting proposals.
The conference, attended by circulation managers and staff from public and academic libraries, aims to showcase innovative approaches to circulation services. Proposed topics may include, but are not limited to: e-reserves, stacks management, staff management, staff training, staff motivation, keeping up with technology, customer service, diversity issues and innovation.
The school's diversity, inclusion, and equity statement "encourages presenters representing a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, perspectives and voices. [The school] aim[s] for conference presenters to be as diverse as the communities [they] serve."
Proposals should include the following:
- Session title.
- 150-word description.
- One to two sentences about how the proposal aligns with the diversity, inclusion and equity statement above.
- Name, job title and institution.
The school is accepting proposals from now until Jan. 31, 2020. Please submit all proposed sessions to Anna Palmer. All selected speakers will receive a complimentary conference registration and a 50% discount for one staff member they wish to join them at the conference.
The Plymouth Public Library is now a fine free library. As of Dec. 1, the library has forgiven overdue fines on patron accounts and eliminated fines for most of the materials in the library’s collection.
“We have talked with other fine free libraries for several months now and looked at the models they have in place. We really did our research,” said Cindy Clough, adult circulation supervisor. “We examined how to implement a fine free library, consulted libraries on their practices and talked considerably about our reasoning for wanting to provide this for our community."
“We hope to see patrons come back and enjoy the library again. We have so much to offer all ages, but have found that late fees keep people from coming back to the library. While we still want our materials back to be able to share with others, we are getting rid of the barriers and stigma associated with late fees,” said Heather Barron, library director.
Patrons will still be responsible for lost and damaged materials. Those fees will be added to the account and must be paid before borrowing additional materials. Overdue fines will still apply for Wi-Fi hotspots and some equipment. Patrons and visitors are encouraged to ask PPL staff members any questions they may have pertaining to fines.
For more information, visit the Plymouth Public Library at 201 N. Center St., call 574-936-2324 or view the library’s website.
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Imagine Your Story! CSLP 2020 Training & Roundtable
When: Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Central Time
Where: Boonville-Warrick County Public Library
Imagine Your Story! CSLP 2020 Training & Roundtable
When: Dec. 9, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Noble County Public Library - Albion Branch
Imagine Your Story! CSLP 2020 Training & Roundtable
When: Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Central Time
Where: Crown Point Community Library
Readers' Advisory for Youth Services
When: Dec. 12, 1-2 p.m. Central Time
Where: Crown Point Community 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.
 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website has a wealth of information on a variety of financial subjects for consumers. The website includes information on how to submit complaints about companies and allows one to browse public complaints about companies. Common questions, including “I owe more on my current loan than my current vehicle is worth. What do I need to know if I buy a new vehicle?,” “How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill?,” “What should I do when a debt collector contacts me?,” and “What are the costs and fees for a payday loan?,” are also answered.
Another useful area is an in-depth section on how to reach financial goals, including information about paying for college, buying a house and planning for retirement. In the section about buying a house, there are a number of key tools that can help a home buyer - especially a new home buyer - navigate the hurdles of home buying. The key tools include a credit report checklist, a spending tracker, a guide to understanding loan options, information on interest rates, an explanation of loan estimates, a closing checklist, a closing disclosure description and a guide to closing forms. There are also tips to help one avoid mortgage closing scams.
The website also contains consumer tools relating to auto loans, credit cards, debt collection, frauds and scams, payday loans and reverse mortgages, as well as guides on managing someone else’s money and navigating the military financial lifecycle.
When it comes to helping consumers handle their money, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has all the bases covered. The website is the place for the consumer to find what they need to know about protecting their finances.
 During the Indiana State Library's recent "Annual Report Workshops," changes were announced for the Section 5 - Expenditures portion of the report. The planned changes were designed to eliminate questions regarding the distinction of monies from operating funds vs. non-operating funds.
Due to concerns raised that these changes might affect the calculation of non-resident fees, which are based on operating expenditures per capita, the Indiana State Library has decided not to go with the revised expenditure section at this time in order to avoid negatively impacting the fee structure of any library.
Therefore, Section 5 - Expenditures will appear in the 2019 Annual Report as it did previous years’ reports, with questions about both operating and non-operating funds. The questions will be identical to those in 2018, excepting updates to the year referenced.
Please contact Angela Fox with any questions.
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