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Grants

Grants, Research and Reports
New Digitization Grants Focus on Indiana Before Statehood
April 29th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

A new grant program for 2009 is designed to promote the digitization of Indiana’s unique historical materials. The Indiana Before Statehood grant program focuses on those materials that document life in Indiana before 1816. All digital files created as a result of this grant project, and the associated metadata records, will be available through Indiana Memory, a gateway to Indiana’s unique cultural and historical heritage.

Academic and public libraries are eligible to apply. Cultural heritage organizations may also apply as a partner of an academic or public library, or the Indiana State Library. Grant recipients are required to follow the established guidelines for the Indiana Memory Program for image creation and metadata creation. Grant funds may be used for training, equipment, project staff and/or the services of a qualified outside vendor. The State Library will also provide access to the digital collection management software CONTENTdm to grantees at no cost if requested.

This grant program is funded through the Grants to States program administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS provides funds to each state using a population-based formula under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. The State Library uses this appropriation to support statewide initiatives and services and to support a series of competitive grants to public, academic, research, school, and special libraries.

The guidelines for this program are available on the LSTA website. Application deadline is July 15, 2009. State Library staff is available to assist applicants with project planning, grantwriting, and project implementation. Contact Connie Rendfeld, Digital Initiatives Librarian, by calling 317-232-3694 or e-mail crendfeld@library.IN.gov for more information about the program.

About Indiana Memory
Indiana Memory is a digital library providing free access to Indiana’s unique cultural and historical heritage through a variety of digital formats. It is a collaboration of Indiana libraries, museums, archives, and related cultural organizations, administered by the Indiana State Library. Indiana Memory is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.

ISU Librarian Earns NextGen Librarian Award
Lyrasis recently announced that Tim Gritten of Indiana State University is a winner of the first annual NextGen Librarian Award. Mr. Gritten won the “Community Involvement” award for “his desire to make a difference in people’s lives”, his impact was called “immense.” As part of the university’s mission to do community outreach, he oversees a popular library program that brings Nintendo Wii games to the senior residents of a nearby retirement community. This community outreach is an extension of the library’s new tagline, “your campus living room.”

The NextGen Librarian Award was created to identify and celebrate rising leaders in the library community. Lyrasis selects five winners in the categories of Initiative, Community Involvement, Outreach, Technology, and Leadership. Winners will attend SAMM09 (formerly SOLINET Annual Membership Meeting) on May 14 -15 in Atlanta, GA, where they will share their innovations and activities in a breakout session. The NextGen Librarian Award is a legacy SOLINET program, which will be open to all Lyrasis members in 2010. LexisNexis sponsored the 2009 award.

Anderson Public Library Awarded $5,000 Gaming Grant
Based on an ALA Release
Anderson Public Library was named as one of ten libraries in 10 states to receive a $5,000 grant as part of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Libraries, Literacy and Gaming initiative, funded by the Verizon Foundation. The winners, representing a broad spectrum of libraries – seven public, two school and one academic – will use the funds to develop and implement gaming and literacy programs that provide innovative gaming experiences for youths 10-18 years of age. The ten libraries were selected out of 390 that applied for the grant.

“These library gaming programs will help tweens and teens build 21st-Century literacy and learning skills,” said Dale Lipschultz, literacy officer with the ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services.

Anderson Public Library was awarded a grant for their “Techie Tuesdays” program, which emphasizes technology and information literacy through gaming. Held over a period of six months, the program is divided into three, six-week courses engaging students by making a video game, a board game, and a book trailer.

The Libraries, Literacy and Gaming initiative is generously funded by the Verizon Foundation and managed by ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services. Dr. Scott Nicholson, an associate professor in the School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, is the evaluation specialist.

State Library’s
Reference Hotline
866-683-0008
eReference

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Associated Press: Midwest hopes for ‘Public Enemies’ tourism
Associated Press: Archivists follow Lincoln documents
Anderson Herald Bulletin: Encounter the past
Evansville Courier Press: One Book selection captures author’s life in black and white
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Museum staff to join library, Lincoln works
Gary Post-Tribune: County library asks Merrillville for expansion help
Indy Star: Machine to offer library materials
Indy Star: IMCPL receives ALA “Library of the Future Award”
Kokomo Tribune: Columbian could be temp library
Kokomo Tribune: Organization helps older residents re-enter workplace
Library Technology Guide: Evergreen Indiana Launches Two More Libraries, Bringing Total to 26
Marion Chronicle Tribune: New knitting club meets Wednesdays at public library
Northwest Indiana Times: Salute library volunteers this week
Richmond Palladium-Item: Library offers aid to jobless
South Bend Tribune: Budget woes mean just Main Library open summer Saturdays
Terre Haute Tribune Star: Job well done downtown
WSBT-TV (South Bend): All but main branch of St. Joseph County library closed Saturdays this summer
Events, Grants
NELINET to Join Lyrasis, Expand Opportunities
April 22nd, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

The Boards of Directors of NELINET and Lyrasis recently approved a resolution to recommend NELINET join Lyrasis. Together, Lyrasis and NELINET will comprise the largest membership collaborative of its kind serving more than 4,500 libraries and cultural heritage institutions in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern U.S., and Indiana. The leadership of both organizations recognize this is an exciting opportunity for these successful, membership-driven organizations to join together to serve their diverse library communities.

Kate Nevins, Chief Executive Officer of Lyrasis, said, “This integration will allow both organizations to continue to provide our current broad range of services as well as implement new and innovative ones to meet the evolving needs of our members.”

Final action must be approved by an affirmative vote from both organizations in early June. If approved, NELINET would become part of Lyrasis by the Fall of 2009.

The Indiana State Library joined SOLINET (now Lyrasis) in July 2008 to connect all Indiana libraries with the additional programming and services, expanded education curriculum, consortial savings opportunities, and expanded capacity for innovation offered by the nation’s leading library cooperative. Indiana’s membership in Lyrasis is now as important as ever due to the changing relationship between the library networks and OCLC.

“Indiana joined SOLINET for the same reasons PALINET later partnered with them to form Lyrasis – more options, more innovation, and more opportunities for collaboration and savings,” said Roberta L. Brooker, Indiana State Librarian. “Lyrasis is the present and future of library networks and Indiana libraries are fortunate to be part of this collaborative.”

For more information about products and services available to Indiana libraries, visit www.lyrasis.org.

SSA Seeks Libraries’ Help Promoting New Initiatives
The Social Security Administration has asked public libraries throughout the country to partner with them to share information with the American public about a wide variety of new and important initiatives.

Specifically, they have asked public libraries to help promote their new national campaign Retire Online. It’s So Easy! This campaign features a new online retirement application that can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. The application is available online at www.socialsecurity.gov, and can easily be completed at any library computer. A brochure on the subject can be viewed online.

Additionally, as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Social Security will distribute a one-time payment of $250 to over 55 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries. A leaflet which discusses this in greater detail is available online.

Partnering with Social Security to promote these initiatives will benefit the populations you serve. Ways you can do this is linking to the agency’s website at www.socialsecurity.gov and publishing articles about these initiatives in your newsletters or other publications.

If you would like copies of the retire online or one-time payment brochures, or need additional information from Social Security please e-mail Carolyn Houston at Carolyn.Houston@ssa.gov or call her at 410-965-7603. Please indicate the quantity desired (in units of 100) and where the publications should be shipped.

I-LLID Application Process Closes Friday
The Indiana State Library last summer received a $1 million grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to recruit 30 ethnically diverse students for Indiana’s Librarians Leading in Diversity (I-LLID) project. The first class of 10 students began classes January 12, 2009. Seven students currently attend SLIS – Indianapolis and three students attend SLIS – Bloomington.

Potential candidates for the second class must apply to the Indiana University School of Library and Information Science (IU SLIS) before April 24, 2009. Candidates whose undergrad GPA is below 3.0 should take GRE as soon as possible. Fellows also must be accepted to the SLIS MLS program by June 30, 2009.

The Fellowship Application process is now open until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2009. Applications and more information can be found on the Indiana’s Librarians Leading in Diversity (I-LLID) webpage.

State Library’s
Reference Hotline
866-683-0008
eReference

More Library News:
Anderson Herald Bulletin: At the Library: APL home to Stewart papers
Bedford Times Mail: Library traffic trends up in a down economy
Evansville Courier Press: Families check out new library
Evansville Courier Press: Libraries in 21st century offer more than books
Gary Post-Tribune: Retiring board member wants libraries to stay Goshen College News: Goshen College librarians help make peace archives available online
Hartford City News-Times: Photo journey program on WW II battle site set for April 23 at library
Hendricks County Flyer: GoLibrary comes to Plainfield
Indy Star: Historical Society cuts staff, changes project
Indy Star: After library loss, lessons learned?
Jackson County Banner: Merger set for Jackson County historical and genealogical societies
Jeffersonville Evening News: Jeffersonville leaders look ahead at fate of Carnegie Library
Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue archive opens
LaPorte Herald Argus: Celebrate the Fish Lake library
Library Journal: Growth of Lyrasis, Revamp of Regional Networks Tied to Changing OCLC Relationship
Louisville Courier-Press: Jeffersonville library debate continues
Marion Chronicle Tribune: Libraries tout opportunities for fun, education
Marion Chronicle Tribune: Preserving town’s history
Muncie Star Press: Library planning for conference room
New Albany Tribune: Carnegie Library board seeks opportunities
North Vernon Plain Dealer & Sun: Library offering amnesty before it hands over late accounts to collections agency
South Bend Tribune: Old Francis Branch library closes for good Sat.
Vincennes Sun-Commercial: Library hopes to let the sunshine in
Grants, Resources
New Wiki Highlights Children’s Authors and Illustrators
March 25th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

The State Library has launched a new resource that gathers and organizes information about Hoosier authors. The Indiana Children’s Authors and Illustrators Wiki enables authors, scholars and librarians to submit information about current and historical Indiana authors. The State Library intends for this new wiki to be an interactive resource for teachers, librarians, and the general public, as well as Indiana authors and illustrators.

The wiki was developed as a cost-effective and innovative solution for publishing and updating The Directory of Indiana Children’s Authors and Illustrators, which was last updated by Sara Laughlin in 1997 (3rd ed.). However, many of the wiki entries remain unchanged from that 1997 edition. We are looking for partners to help reach out to authors and illustrators, update content, and create new author entries.

The Indiana Children’s Authors and Illustrators Wiki was developed through a partnership between the State Library’s Children’s Services Consultant, Michele Farley, and students from the Indiana University School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) – Indianapolis. In the coming year, the State Library plans to continue developing the wiki with new features and educational resources.

The Indiana Children’s Authors & Illustrators Wiki is a continual work in progress. Please feel free to contact Michele Farley, mfarley@library.in.gov, if you have any suggestions or comments on how to enhance the look or usability of the wiki, or if you know of a Hoosier children’s writer or illustrator not included in the wiki.

Deadline Approaches to Apply for I-LLID Fellowships
The Indiana State Library last summer received a $1 million grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to recruit 30 ethnically diverse students for the Indiana Librarians Leading in Diversity (I-LLID) project. The first class of 10 students began classes January 12, 2009. Seven students currently attend SLIS – Indianapolis and three students attend SLIS – Bloomington.

Potential candidates for the second class must apply to the Indiana University School of Library and Information Science (IU SLIS) before April 24, 2009. Candidates whose undergrad GPA is below 3.0 should take GRE as soon as possible. Fellowship awardees also must be accepted to the SLIS MLS program by June 30, 2009.

The Fellowship Application process is now open until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2009. Applications and more information can be found on the Indiana’s Librarians Leading in Diversity (I-LLID) webpage.

State Library’s Reference Hotline
866-683-0008
eReference

More Library News:
Batesville Herald: Batesville woman becomes genealogist
Columbus Republic: Many rediscovering library during tough times
Gary Post Tribune: Library head devoted to preserving Gary branches
Indianapolis Business Journal: Cultural institutions fear bear-market toll
Indy Star: HSE board votes to eliminate library teaching assistant
Plymouth Pilot News: ‘The Passerby’ now available at Bourbon library
Shelbyville News: WorkOne workshop aims to help jobless get benefits
Friday Facts, Grants, Resources
Congress in the Classroom Program Seeks Applicants
March 13th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

Congress in the Classroom is a program designed to instruct teachers on new methods of teaching about Congress and the United States Government. The program is sponsored by the Dirksen Congressional Center and held in Peoria, Illinois for three days in late July. High school and middle school teachers who teach history, social studies, government or political science are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is April 15, 2009 and forty participants will be selected. While this program is designed for teachers rather than librarians, libraries may be interested in posting this for any teachers in their community.

Those who are not selected for the workshop can also learn about new teaching techniques via the online edition. Children and young adults may be interested in the Dirksen Center’s Congress for Kids website. This interactive site uses activities and fun illustrations to teach kids about Congress. Of course, both the Senate and the House of Representatives have their own websites, both of which provide access to current legislation, as well as information about members of Congress and the history of the institutions.

For more information on Congress in the Classroom, please see the Dirksen Center’s information sheet

YUCK! Poison Prevention Week Starts Next Week
March 15-21 2009 marks National Poison Prevention Week. More than 2 million poisonings are reported to poison control centers each year. Most of these cases that are non-fatal occur among children under the age of six. National Poison Prevention Week was designed to inform the public about the prevalence of accidental poisonings in the home and elsewhere, and to shed light on ways to prevent such events from happening.

The Poison Prevention Week Council, which was established by Congress in 1961, provides a handy list of materials that discuss the dangers of various poisons – whether they be plants, medicines, lead or pesticides. Many of these materials are downloadable and most are free.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) also provides a list of publications discussing poison prevention. All of these can be downloaded. Check out the Center for Disease Control’s website for additional publications. They provide access to governmental reports on poison prevention. The website also includes a link to the CDC’s Podcast on poisonings. Finally, as summer draws near, adults, children and animals all have easier access to pesticides. Visit the EPA’s website on pesticide safety for more information.

Local Unemployment Data Available Through STATS
Are you looking for the latest employment data for your county or metro area? The Indiana Department of Workforce Development and STATS Indiana provide Local Area Unemployment Statistics through the updated Hoosiers by the Numbers website, a state-based portal to workforce information. Especially interesting are the line graphs produced automatically which detail the changes in the workforce from last year to this year, for your selected area. You can receive your results in Word, Excel, or by email. Where does your county rank along with other Indiana counties? Select the Publications tab and choose Ranking of Indiana Counties by Unemployment Rate for January 2009.

Amber Alerts Available through Wireless Devices
Every second that a child goes missing makes it more unlikely that a child will be found. The first three hours after a child’s abduction are the most critical to recovery efforts. The National Wireless AMBER alerts initiative is a partnership between the wireless industry, the United States Department of Justice, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to distribute Amber Alerts to wireless subscribers who opt to receive the messages on their wireless devices.

The Amber alerts program began in 1997 using radio as its primary means of dissemination. Today, Amber Alerts have gone high-tech, to include television, websites, and electronic highway signs. You can sign up for free Amber alerts on your cell phone; it’s quick and may help save a child’s life.

by Katharine Springer, Elisabeth O’Donnell, & Kim Brown-Harden
Grants, Resources, Workshops
New Digital Collections Available Through Indiana Memory
February 18th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?
In recent months, Indiana Memory has added several new collections to its digital library. This new content includes photograph collections, Sanborn Maps, manuscripts, newspapers, oral histories. These historic and often rare additions to Indiana Memory came from the respective collections of Ball State University, the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana State University, and the Indiana State Library.

Indiana Memory boasts a wide variety of Indiana-related content. The Web portal’s particular strengths include Native American history, early statehood materials, military correspondence and manuscripts (most notably The War of 1812, The Civil War, and World Wars I and II), Indiana’s natural history, historic state photographs and newspapers, historic maps and aerial photographs, and audio and video histories of Indiana counties.

Indiana Memory was launched on July 1, 2008 with 50 collections containing a cumulative total of 25,000 items. It was designed to be a Web portal that provides easy access to Indiana’s cultural heritage that is found in libraries, archives, historical societies, museums, and other organizations within the state. Today, Indiana’s digital library continues to grow and currently provides access to 88 collections and over 38,000 items located on eight CONTENTdm servers throughout the state.

If your library, museum, or cultural institution has rare and significant manuscripts, documents or photographs needing digitization, the Indiana State Library is currently lending mobile scanning units to Indiana’s cultural heritage organizations. The goal of this program is for the borrowing organization to enhance its own digital collections and those of Indiana Memory.

These mobile scanning units provide the basic equipment and software necessary to digitize collection items, including a flat-bed scanner, laptop computer and a digital camera. Adobe Photoshop and OmniPage Professional software are also including. Additionally, State Library staff provides training and support throughout the digitization process. The units are available on a loan program not to exceed eight weeks.

Guidelines and applications for the mobile scanning units loan program are available online. For more information about this program or Indiana Memory please contact Connie Rendfeld (317) 232- 3694 or crendfeld@library.in.gov.

About Indiana Memory
Indiana Memory is a digital library providing free access to Indiana’s unique cultural and historical heritage through a variety of digital formats. It is a collaboration of Indiana libraries, museums, archives, and related cultural organizations, administered by the Indiana State Library. Indiana Memory is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.

Earn LEUs this Spring at Free SOLINET Workshops
A limited number of open seats are now available for the Cataloging Visual Materials and Electronic Resources workshop at the Jackson County Public Library. This workshop was postpone due to weather in late January and now will take place on March 6th from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EST).

This Cataloging Visual Materials and Electronic Resources workshop class covers the MARC fields and AACR2 rules that apply to visual materials (including moving images, two-dimensional images and three-dimensional objects) and electronic resources (including computer software, games and eBooks). This workshop is free for Indiana library professionals and is worth six (6) Library Education Units (LEUs). The deadline to register for this one-day workshop is February 27th at 5:00 p.m. (EST).

In addition to this onsite workshop, SOLINET and the State Library are also offering a handful of online courses this spring. Librarians of all types (special, school, academic, etc.) are welcome to register for these professional development opportunities and earn several free LEUs. This spring’s online course lineup covers a diverse range of topics, including:
To register for these workshops or any other free professional development opportunity, visit WebJunction Indiana’s online calendar.

NEH Offers Preservation Grants to Small, Mid-size Libraries
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is currently taking applications for the new Preservation Assistance Grants program. These grants are designed to help small and mid-sized institutions improve their ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections, including special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine arts, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, and historical objects. Applicants may engage a conservator, preservation librarian, archivist, or other appropriate consultant to conduct a general preservation assessment and to help draft a long-range plan for the care of humanities collections. The consultant visits the institution to assess policies, practices, and conditions affecting the care and preservation of humanities collections and prepares a report that summarizes the findings and contains prioritized recommendations for future preservation action.

This grant is available to libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, arts and cultural organizations, and town and county records offices. Check out the NEH’s website for more information about Preservation Assistance Grants.

State Library’s Reference Hotline
866-683-0008
eReference

HELPFUL LINKS:
Sign up today for the 2009 Library Career Expo on March 5, 2009

DWD Unemployment Assistance Tools

More Library News:
Gary Post Tribune: Library’s crafts program helps build good students
Greencastle Banner-Graphic: PCPL receives AWE grant
Greene County Daily World: Library computers help young children learn
Indiana Daily Student: Lilly Library brings Lincoln to life
Indy Star: Daniels, Kernan to press for Indiana government reforms
Kokomo Tribune: Creator of Clifford books a symbol of local success
Kokomo Tribune: Daniels, Kernan pitch government reform
Kokomo Tribune: New signs denote author’s hometown
Lafayette Journal & Courier: Joe Kernan: 400,000 Hoosiers Have No Library Access
Marion Chronicle-Tribune: Become a stargazer at the Marion library
New Albany News & Tribune: Experts enlisted to save rare Remnant trust collection
Richmond Palladium-Item: Old home, new home
Terre Haute Tribune Star: Vigo Library to close 3 branches
Terre Haute Tribune Star: Genealogy event set for Rockville library
WNDU-TV (South Bend): Extra computers at St. Joe library for filing unemployment
WTHR-TV (Indianapolis): Library raises effort to collect overdue fines

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Grants

Grants, Research and Reports

New Digitization Grants Focus on Indiana Before Statehood

Events, Grants

NELINET to Join Lyrasis, Expand Opportunities

Grants, Resources

New Wiki Highlights Children’s Authors and Illustrators

Friday Facts, Grants, Resources

Congress in the Classroom Program Seeks Applicants

Grants, Resources, Workshops

New Digital Collections Available Through Indiana Memory