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State Library Recovers Historic Letter Stolen in 1962
May 20th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

The Indiana State Library recently recovered an extremely rare and valuable letter written by President Ulysses S. Grant to his former Vice President Schuyler Colfax in 1873. The document was up for sale at a Pennsylvania auction house where it was discovered by the Northern Indiana Historical Society (South Bend) who contacted the State Library to determine the provenance of the letter.

Indiana State Library staff discovered, after examining content records for the Library’s collection of Schuyler Colfax manuscripts, that the letter was previously in its Manuscripts Collection and reported missing. They then contacted the owner of the auction house who connected them with the holder of the Grant-Colfax letter. Upon receiving documents verifying the State Library’s ownership of the document, the collector graciously donated the letter to the Library.

The letter was stolen along with other items from the Indiana State Library by Robert Bradford Murphy, who visited the Library sometime in 1962. Murphy was later apprehended in Detroit with $500,000 worth of documents he had taken from the State Library, the National Archives and other institutions. In 1963, Mrs. Hazel M. Hopper from the State Library testified at Murphy’s trial and was able to identify some of the items that were taken from the library. Many of the stolen items were returned, but the Grant-Colfax letter did not. Presumably, the letter was sold prior to Murphy’s apprehension by law enforcement officials.

The letter was written on Grant’s inauguration of his second term, and it is believed to be the first correspondence between Grant and Colfax after Colfax was no longer in office after losing the Vice Presidential nomination in 1872. Colfax was elected Vice President in 1868 and served along side Grant his first term as President. In the letter, Grant invited Colfax to join him for dinner. Later correspondence indicates Colfax declined his offer.

This letter may be viewed online at the State Library’s Website.

About Schuyler Colfax:
Schuyler Colfax was born in New York City on March 23, 1823 and moved with his parents to New Carlisle, Indiana in 1836. Colfax became interested in politics at an early age and was an avid newspaper reader. He was a supporter of the Whig Party, abolitionism, and the temperance movement. In 1845, Colfax scrapped together enough money to buy a local newspaper, The South Bend Free Press.

After losing his first election in 1851, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1854. The next election, he ran as a Republican. Colfax served in the House of Representatives until he resigned to become vice president in 1869, and he was elected Speaker of the House in 1863. Colfax as Vice President, along side General Ulysses S. Grant who was the presidential candidate, easily won the 1868 election. However, Colfax lost the Vice Presidential election in 1872 to Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts. Wilson went on to serve as Vice President during Grant’s second term in office.

Vice President Colfax did not escape the scandals that plagued the Grant administration. In 1872, he became caught up in the Credit Mobilier Scandal, which involved railroad companies overcharging millions of dollars for government contracts and the company’s directors bribing various government officials with company shares. Although Colfax was never convicted of any wrongdoing, he was not cleared either, and his political career effectively ended. After stepping down as vice president in 1873, Colfax retired and returned to Indiana. Leaving public life, he had a successful career as a public speaker. He died on January 13, 1885.

Eckhart P.L. LEEDs the Way for Eco-friendly Building
The Eckhart Public Library (EPL) was recently featured in Library Journal (Library’s Green Annex Brings Acclaim, Growth) for its groundbreaking “green” building efforts that earned EPL the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. The project was the first of its kind in Auburn and one of the first eco-friendly, self-sustaining green building library projects in the state of Indiana.

LEED is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building or community performs across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO₂ emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential – and it works throughout the building lifecycle.

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

More Library News:
Chesterton Tribune: Westchester Library rates high on national scale
Dayton Daily News: Miami Nation to hold Pow Wow at Peace Park
Fort Wayne Daily News: Helmke Library receives digitization grant
Fort Wayne Daily News: Reading service celebrates 30 years
Fort Wayne News Sentinel: IPFW library receives grant
Huntington Herald Press: Andrews Library joins state-wide resource sharing program
Indy Star: Summer Reading Program returns to Hamilton East Public Library
Indy Star: IMCPL Vital to community’s growth, education
Kendallville News Sun: Frehse artifacts and library farewells
Kokomo Tribune: Government reform report start of discussion
Lafayette Journal & Courier: Librarian retiring after 36 years
Logansport Pharos-Tribune: Director expects library usage to continue climb
Muncie Star Press: Stock up on books at Friends Book Sale
New Albany Tribune: Check out NA-FC library’s wish list
Newton County Enterprise: Kentland-Jefferson Township Public Library is growing!
South Bend Tribune: Post office mural earns time in spotlight
Terre Haute Tribune Star: Library hosts book sale this weekend
Friday Facts, Research and Reports, Resources
Today is Final Day to Celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week
May 1st, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

Although this is the last day, it is not too late to celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week. Running from April 27 to May 1, the Week is designed to promote behavior that encourages clean air. The Environmental Protection Agency has a great site that focuses on a new topic each day of the week. Previous days are also available for viewing. Topics include causes of air pollution, the dangers of air pollution and what you can do to help alleviate it.

Indiana is doing its part as well. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has launched SmogWatch, a site that provides visitors with daily ground-level ozone forecasts and health information. They also have a site dedicated to Continuous Air Quality Monitoring. Their news release provides tips on how to personally reduce ozone levels, including carpooling, turning off appliances when not using them and turning off the air conditioning.

For an interactive map that shows air quality levels throughout the country, be sure to check out the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.

Online Resources Clear the Air About Swine Flu
There have been a lot of questions about the Swine Flu lately: How is it spread? Where does it come from? Swine Flu is caused by influenza viruses that normally infect pigs. The virus causing the current influenza outbreak is not a swine flu virus, but a combination of human, swine and bird viruses. The flu virus causing the current outbreak, now called Influenza A (H1N1)/North America/Human, has adapted itself to be transmitted from person-to-person. Swine in the United States have not been and are not infected with this virus. Symptoms are similar to normal influenza symptoms: cough, fever, sore throat, and muscle aches. Others have reported runny noses, diarrhea, and vomiting. If you have these symptoms, the CDC recommends that you contact your health care provider. The CDC provides a good set of guidelines for preventing the spread of flu – or any other illness. Health care experts suggest that you stay home if you are sick, wash your hands frequently, and cover your nose and mouth when you cough and/or sneeze.

Health officials have warned that this is not an epidemic. Swine flu is not transmitting all that rapidly. It is not even new – the CDC reports that it has been receiving reports every year from 1976 to 2005 about Swine Flu occurrences in the United States. It is important for the public to have access to this information from reliable resources; however, health officials warn that we should not panic.

There are a number of state and federal resources that provide information on Swine Flu. They include the Indiana State Department of Health, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. For information related specifically to Indiana, see the State Department of Health Press Release.

More Job Opportunities Sought for People with Disabilities
According to a March press release, the National Council on Disability (NCD) is recommending the creation of more federal job opportunities for people with disabilities. While the NCD acknowledges that strides have been made with laws, regulations and policies, there are still many barriers preventing the hiring of those with disabilities. The ten recommendations are aimed at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Congress and even individuals. The NCD claims that existing laws need to be better; however, people with disabilities need to take advantage of current opportunities from the Federal Government. The paper, Federal Employment of People with Disabilities, is available for viewing. People with disabilities interested in federal employment can check out the OPM website on the topic. It has information on laws related to employment as well as tips and advice on how to obtain a position.

IRS Warns Taxpayers to be Wary of Return Scams
Please be aware of persons via email or phone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service. This could be a tax scam. As the IRS says, “Remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some recent scams claim that your U.S. refund was not enough and that the IRS owes you more money. For examples of other tax scams, visit the IRS Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts webpage, and see especially Identity and Financial Theft Tax Scams.

For more tips on avoiding these, visit the IRS webpage, Tax Scams – How to Recognize and Avoid Them. You can also report suspected tax fraud activity by sending IRS form 3949-A, Information Referral, to the Internal Revenue Service. Report Identity and Financial Theft Tax Fraud to the Treasury General for Tax Administration or 1-800-366-4484.

by Katharine Springer, Elisabeth O’Donnell, & Kim Brown-Harden
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

More Library News:
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
Friday Facts, Research and Reports, Resources
New Online Resource Connects Users to Historical Treasures
April 24th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?

This week, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization released the World Digital Library. The WDL features digitized books, maps, manuscripts, films, photographs, journals, and sound recordings from libraries and archives around the world. Browse its contents (via different seven languages) by place, time, topic, type of item, or institution. Once you have selected an item to view, read a detailed description, then open the item and zoom in to see details. You can travel the world from your computer – from a jaguar sculpture created in Veracruz, Mexico between 600 and 900 A.D. to a letter of Christopher Columbus from 1493. Bookmark and share your discoveries instantly via email or more than 40 different ways using the SHARE menu underneath each image. For Copyright information, check out the Legal link at the bottom of the WDL page. Check out the About section for more information about the history of the WDL and its partner institutions and contributors.

Census Finds Americans Move Less in 2008
The national mover rate in the United States is at its lowest since the U.S. Census Bureau began tracking it in 1948, according to a Census Bureau press release issued Wednesday. In 2008, the rate was at 11.9 percent, meaning only 11.9 percent of U.S. residents moved (to a different residence in the same county, a different county, a different state, or from overseas). This is down from 13.2 percent in 2007. These numbers are from the Bureau’s Current Population Survey – Annual Social and Economic Supplement conducted annually at 100,000 addresses across the nation. For detailed statistics, including Reason for Move and Distance of Intercounty Move, view the tables on Geographical Mobility: 2007 to 2008, from the Census Bureau’s website.

One Weekend Left to “JAM” this April
Spring into the end of April with Jazz! April is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). The Smithsonian Museum of American History launched JAM in 2001 as an annual event to pay tribute to jazz as both a living and an historic art form. It has grown to include events in all 50 states and 40 countries. In celebration of JAM, the museum joins a diverse group of organizations, institutions, organizations, associations, and federal agencies that have provided financial or other in-kind donations to support this art form and offer different ways of education and outreach about jazz. The Smithsonian operates the world’s most comprehensive set of jazz programs with Smithsonian Jazz. The National Museum of American History is home to jazz collections that include 100,000 pages of Duke Ellington’s unpublished music and such objects as Ella Fitzgerald’s famous red dress, Dizzy Gillespie’s angled trumpet, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme manuscript and Benny Goodman’s clarinet. The museum has just reopened after a two-year renovation.

April is National Poetry Month!
April is National Poetry Month. Since its inauguration in 1996, National Poetry Month is held every April, when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools, and poets around the country come together to celebrate poetry and keep it in the forefront of American Culture. Thousands of businesses and non profit organizations host poetry slams and other related events, such as festivals, displays, and workshops. To find more information about Poetry Month, please visit Poets.org, from the Academy of American Poets; and use the National Poetry Map to locate festivals and literary organizations across the country.

by Katharine Springer, Elisabeth O’Donnell, & Kim Brown-Harden
Events, Research and Reports
Spread the Word About National Library Week
April 8th, 2009 | Permalink | Comment?
National Library Week is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians. This year will be celebrated with the theme, “Worlds connect @ your library.” Here’s just a few last minute ideas to promote National Library Week at your library:
- Post Flyers at the library and other community forums – The ALA has already done this work for you. Check out their printable National Library Week PSA Download Print PSA featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, Honorary Chair of National Library Week 2009.
- Issue Letters-to-the-Editor and Press Releases – Let the local media know about all the great things happening at the library. ALA has created some great resources to connect with reporters in your area:
  - Sample letter-to-the-editor – English / Spanish
  - Sample press release – English / Spanish
  - Sample proclamation – English / Spanish
For more information check out the National Library Week Fact Sheet or contact Megan McFarlane, National Library Week Campaign Coordinator, at mmcfarlane@ala.org.

IMCPL Receives Library of the Future Award
Based on an ALA Press Release

The American Library Association has named the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library (IMCPL) the 2009 winner of the ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award. This award is presented annually to a library that demonstrates innovative planning and development of patron training programs about information technology in a library setting.

The winning initiative was IMCPL’s “The Learning Curve @ Central Library” project, an outstanding programming space (both physical and virtual) that provides a high tech, high energy, hands-on information environment designed for today’s children. In a flexible environment surrounded by books, children in the Learning Curve participate in activities that are infused with digital elements reflecting the ideal synthesis of technology and traditional literacy that children need to successfully face the future.

Through real and virtual activities kids who attend programs at IMCPL’s Learning Curve have the opportunity to use technology in productive ways that reinforce basic information literacy skills. For example, using a computer, synthesizer and digital camera, kids can make their own digital books, songs, photos or videos. They can then share their creations on the plasma screen with other visitors in The Curve or add them to virtual CurveWorld “galleries.”

“The Learning Curve staff is pleased to win this coveted award. Trail blazing can be lonely, so it is gratifying when successful innovation is recognized,” Learning Curve Project Director Chris Cairo. “Receiving this award encourages the Curve to continue pushing the ‘digital envelope’ by developing new models for the Library industry.”

Ms. Cairo also extended an invitation to everyone to visit the Learning Curve @Central Library to experience this information literacy laboratory for learning.

For more information about The Learning Curve @ Central Library program’s website.

The Library of the Future Award will be presented on Tuesday, July 14, at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The deadline for submission of applications for the 2010 ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award is Dec. 1. Guidelines and application forms are available on the ALA website.

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

More Library News:
Associated Press : IU library opens Rubik’s Cube exhibit
BuscoVoice: Best-selling Indiana author to Appear at Peabody Library April 19
Indiana Statesman: Library Book Sale Draws in Students
Indy Star: Q&A with Author Susan Neville
IU News: IU Libraries hosts digital literacy contest
Kokomo Tribune: Library offers more than just books
Rushville Republican: RPL announces Building Corporation members
Shelbyville News: EWOL, library to host early childhood events in April
Terre Haute Tribune Star: Iditarod racer shares story with Valley
Terre Haute Tribune Star: A Chapter’s End: Southland Branch closes its doors
WTHI TV (Terre Haute): Third library branch to close

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Research and Reports

About us, Research and Reports

State Library Recovers Historic Letter Stolen in 1962

Friday Facts, Research and Reports, Resources

Today is Final Day to Celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week

Grants, Research and Reports

New Digitization Grants Focus on Indiana Before Statehood

Friday Facts, Research and Reports, Resources

New Online Resource Connects Users to Historical Treasures

Events, Research and Reports

Spread the Word About National Library Week