 This week's new Indiana library jobs
Assistant Library Branch Manager
Allen County Public Library
Branch Manager/Genealogist
Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library
Children’s Librarian
Floyd County Library
Content Services Librarian
Fortville-Vernon Township Public Library
Public Services Manager
Hamilton East Public Library
Librarian Selector
Monroe County Public Library
Library Director
Waterloo Grant Township Public Library
Assistant Director
Westchester 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.
Letter: A brief vacation and a memorable chance meeting
Brown County Public Library
krM Architecture selected to design new library branch in Whitestown
Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library
Zionsville Nature Center announces move to library
Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library
Indiana artists hope to inspire, educate through ‘Murals for Racial Justice’
Indianapolis Public Library
Library board discusses operations during pandemic
Jackson County Public Library
Johnson County Library schedules COVID vaccinations
Johnson County Public Library
Kendallville Public Library debuts new way to connect
Kendallville Public Library
A Library of the Future: Westfield Washington Public Library board to consider two locations for new library
Westfield Washington Public Library
*Please consult local news sources and library websites for the latest information on the closures and re-openings of libraries and the cancellations of scheduled library events and programs in relation to COVID-19.
Email news links for inclusion in the Wednesday Word's "In the news" section.
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Back issues of the Wednesday Word are available here.
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 The Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Committee has released its list of nominees for the 2021 Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award. The nominees are "The Box Turtle" by Vanessa Roeder, "Brown Baby Lullaby" by Tameka Fryer Brown, "How Do You Dance?" by Thyra Heder, "Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse" by Jane Godwin and "Who Has Wiggle Waggle Toes?" by Vicky Shiefman.
In its seventh year, the literacy award recognizes picture books that serve an important role in the first years of a child's life and encourages parents, caregivers and very young children to interact together with exceptional picture books.
Voting is limited to children who live in Indiana and who are under age 6 as of July 31. It is expected that most Indiana children will require help from a parent, caregiver or librarian. Children should circle their favorite Firefly nominee on their ballot and turn it in to their local voting location. This year, every public library system in Indiana will receive 15 print copies of the ballot and six sheets of Firefly stickers for marking nominees and winning titles. Packets of printed materials should arrive by late February or early March. Tallies will be accepted through July 31 and the award winner will be announced on Aug. 9. Voting locations should tally the votes and send them in an email to the Indiana Center for the Book.
The Indiana Center for the Book will be releasing a program guide by March 1. The calendar year for the Firefly Award changed last year as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis. The award nomination period now runs through the summer, allowing librarians to do Firefly programs throughout the run of their summer reading programs.
Click here for a PDF version of the ballot. Click here to learn more about the award.
The committee would like to thank TeachingBooks who supported printing and who put together additional Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award book information.
Please contact Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book, with any questions.
 The Indiana Center for the Book and the Indiana State Library have announced the next round of the interview series Toucan Tuesdays at 2:00! The interviews are presented in a series of videos in which the library's chatty correspondent, Sammy the Interviewing Toucan, speaks with Indiana authors. Each interview will debut as a Facebook Premiere at 2 p.m. every Tuesday from Feb. 9 through March 30.
This round of interviews will feature the following Indiana authors on the following dates:
- Feb. 9, Phillip Hoose
- Feb. 16, Chris White
- Feb. 23, Melissa Stephenson
- March 2, Annie Sullivan
- March 9, Katie Hesterman
- March 16, Sharon Biggs Waller
- March 23, Saundra Mitchell
- March 30, Crystal Allen
Every author in this round of interviews has either won, or was shortlisted, for the Indiana Authors Award.
The interviews can be viewed on the Indiana State Library's Facebook page. After making their premieres on social media, the full interviews will be available to stream on the Indiana State Library’s YouTube page.
Please contact Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book, with any questions.
 The Nappanee Public Library has been selected as one of 200 libraries to participate in Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries, an American Library Association initiative that helps library workers better serve their small and rural communities.
The $3,000 grant will fund a “One Book One Community” program in the library’s home district. The library and the Nappanee Mental Health Task Force will work together to select a book that the community will read in order to promote mental health awareness.
Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized deliberation training and resources and free dialogue to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and to have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff.
Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries is an initiative of the ALA in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries.
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Leap into Science - Light & Shadows virtual training
When: Feb. 4, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Webinar
Leap into Science - Light & Shadows virtual training
When: Feb. 4, 1-3 p.m.
Where: Webinar
What’s Up Wednesday - Get INSPIRED: Live Demo/Q&A
When: Feb. 10, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Webinar
Leap into Science - Light & Shadows virtual training
When: Feb. 10, 12-2 p.m.
Where: Webinar
COVID-19 Vaccination Policies: What to consider?
When: Feb. 18, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Webinar
What’s Up Wednesday: Seth Irwin - Conservator, Indiana State Library
When: Feb. 24, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Webinar
Dungeons & Dragons & Beyond: How to Run a Library RPG Program
When: Feb. 25, 2-3 p.m.
Where: Webinar
What’s Up Wednesday-Get INSPIRED: INSPIRE Search Strategies and Helpful Tips
When: March 10, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Webinar
What’s Up Wednesday: Ryan Edgell - EDGE Information Technologies
When: March 31, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Webinar
Welcome to the Government Information Minute. Every other 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 month of February serves as African American History Month. Federal agencies and museums have put together wonderful resources celebrating African American history and culture. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have joined in paying tribute to generations of African Americans with the creation of the African American History Month website. The collaborative website features resources for educators in addition to multimedia, including audio, video and photographs. The site also includes several exhibitions and collections.
The National Museum of African American History & Culture is the only national museum committed exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history and culture. NMAAHC, currently closed due to the pandemic, offers online exhibits and digital collections. The museum features resources for teachers, students of all ages and families. There are also online tools available to help with the hard, but necessary, step of talking about race. The museum also includes a library with a focus on the African American and African Diaspora experience in the Western Hemisphere of the Americas. The National Archives and Library of Congress Law Library also have several resources promoting African American History Month worth exploring as well.
 On Thursday, Feb. 18 from 10-11 a.m., the Indiana State Library will present "COVID-19 Vaccination Policies: What to Consider?," a webinar designed to review what a library should consider when forming a COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Cheri Harris, certification program director and legal consultant at the Indiana State Library, will addresses the legality of mandatory vaccine policies during a pandemic. Harris will also examine the pros and cons of such policies in an effort to help libraries determine which type of COVID-19 vaccine policies to propose to their boards.
The webinar will also cover Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance on mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for employees and the circumstances under which an employer may require employees to be vaccinated; how to provide reasonable accommodations in compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws, including people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and people with religious objections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; other options available to employers; specific provisions to consider including in a vaccination policy; and how Indiana's Vaccine Allocation Plan and state law might impact these decisions.
The webinar is eligible for one LEU for Indiana library employees. The LEU will be available for download after the webinar finishes. Click here for more information about the webinar and click here to register.
Please contact Cheri Harris with any further questions.
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