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.

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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

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

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.

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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

Governor Daniels has proclaimed April 13-18 as Indiana Wind Energy Week. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently designated Indiana as the #1 Wind Power Growth Rate state in the country for 2008. As part of the celebration, two new wind farms will be holding their groundbreaking events this week. The two new farms will be in White and Benton counties. Be sure to visit the AWEA’s website to view the press release about the exciting news.

More information about wind energy and its benefits can be found from the Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program. They also provide a fun page for kids interested in renewable energies. Public officials, economic and engineering professionals may also be interested in attending the Northeast Indiana Wind Energy Supply Chain Workshop on April 22, 2009.

Online Resources Highlight Earth Day 2009
One of the reasons we celebrate Earth Day on Wednesday, Apr. 22 is out of a growing concern for the environment at the national level. Check out EarthDay.gov, the main U.S. Government portal for events and information. Earth Day was first nationally recognized on April 22, 1970, as a grassroots response to important environmental events of the previous year – a fire on the Cuyahoga River near Lake Erie, the decline of the Bald Eagle, and the Santa Barbara oil spill. Learn more about Earth Day 1970 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 200 Years of Science, Service, and Stewardship website. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also offers ways to take action via their Earth Day website in English and Spanish. For Earth Day events happening in Indiana during April, check the Indiana Department of Environmental Management Earth Day 2009 webpage.

D’oh! Simpson’s Stamps Available in May
Now is your chance to see Homer or Marge on a postage stamp!  The United States Postal Service is releasing a set of Simpson’s stamps on May 7, 2009.  You can pre-order them online today.  However, the Postal Service is also hosting a contest to vote on your favorite character.  Voting started on April 9 and goes until May 14.  According to a Post Office press release, the USPS receives over 50,000 suggestions for stamp ideas a year and narrows it down to twenty new releases.  To help with this, the Postmaster General created a Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee.  The Committee is made up of artists, graphic design professionals, and historians who can offer their different brands of expertise.

Don’t forget – the price of stamps goes up 2-cents in May, from 42 to 44 cents.  Buy your forever stamps now to help alleviate the transition!

Get Important Daily Health News from MedlinePlus
The National Library of Medicine’s online MedlinePlus health encyclopedia compiles current reliable health news daily via theirMedlinePlus News By Date webpage. Scan article titles for interesting news of the day, such as “Soothing songs please the heart” (Wednesday, April 15); or choose your news by topic by clicking on Health news by topic, which is organized alphabetically and then by date. Explore the latest news on topics such as African-American Health, Sleep Disorders, Teen Health, and Food Contamination and Poisoning.

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

Please join State Librarian, Roberta L. Brooker, as she tours Indiana’s public libraries, meets Hoosier library professionals, and discovers the creative and innovative ways Indiana’s public libraries serve their communities. Highlights from her first tour stops at the Eckhart Public Library, Jeffersonville Township Public Library and Greenwood Public Library can now be viewed online.

This summer Roberta plans to rev up her tour by visiting several more libraries throughout Indiana. Please be sure to bookmark the Indiana Library Tour website and check back often for updates. If you would like to schedule a tour stop at your library, email agriffis@library.in.gov and we will do our best to accommodate your request and timeframe.

INfo Express Maintaining Rates, Offering Incentives in ‘09
The Indiana State Library is pleased to announce that pricing for INfo Express will remain unchanged during the next service year (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010).  Considering the dramatic fluctuations in fuel prices and other economic conditions, we are pleased negotiations with Pillow Express resulted with these stable prices. The only significant change for next year will be that INfo Express payments will be sent and made payable to the State Library.

In addition to keeping prices low, the State Library has added an incentive to promote resource sharing throughout Indiana’s library community. Any library increasing its weekly delivery days AND participating as an active lender through OCLC’s WorldCat or as an Evergreen member library will be provided a special rate. These libraries (and libraries already at 5-days-a-week service) will receive a second day of delivery provided at the subsidized rate of $75 for the year, rather than the normal rate of $425 per weekly stop.

Please find the renewal form and instructions at infoexpress.in.gov.  Renewal requests must be received by May 15, 2009. Please contact Mike Hicks at  (317) 232-3699, toll free (877) 835-0014 or vial email at dhicks@library.in.gov with additional questions or for more information.

Historical Bureau Hosting Authors’ Event on April 25th
The Indiana Historical Bureau will welcome authors Scott Russell Sanders, Jim Hillman and John Murphy for a book signing event on Saturday, April 25, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m (EDT) at the Indiana State Library and Historical Building in Indianapolis.

Scott Russell Sanders’s recently released, A Conservationist Manifesto, shows the crucial relevance of a conservation ethic at a time of mounting concern about global climate change, depletion of natural resources, extinction of species, and the economic inequities between rich and poor nations. The important message of this powerful book is that conservation is not simply a personal virtue but a public one.

Jim Hillman and John Murphy co-authored Indianapolis Social Clubs which provides nearly 200 rare vintage photographic memories that capture the heart, soul, and history of the clubs. Defining Indianapolis, the clubs were stoic agents of power and segregation, providing clear historical snapshots of Hoosier pomp and circumstance.  A display of images from the book will be shown during this event.

A Conservationist Manifesto is priced at $19.95 for paperback and $50.00 for cloth. Indianapolis Social Clubs is available in paperback only for $21.99. Libraries will receive a 25% discount on these titles if purchased for public use. Librarians and teachers receive a 20% discount if the books are for personal use. If you would like signed copies of either title, please contact Matt Allison at mallison@history.IN.gov or 317-232-2535 by April 20th.

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

More Library News:
Chesterton Tribune: Thomas Library very busy as recession deepens
Columbus Republic: Rare books to leave southern Indiana library
eSchool News: Why open-source library software is a trend
Fort Wayne Daily News: Libraries seek diversity fellows
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Library diesel cleanup done
Greene County Daily World: It’s National Library Week
Indy Star: Central Library case now in jury’s hands
Lafayette Journal & Courier: Inspiring through verse: Dove to speak at Purdue
Muncie Free Press: Donating Books Helps Libraries and the Environment
New Albany News and Tribune: Leadership Southern Indiana hosts panel which discusses local government reform in Indiana
Northwest Indiana Times: Terry Baer draws from nature, life for his drawings, paintings Warsaw Times-Union: Access Testing, Career Resources Through Inspire
Washington Times-Herald: Bower captures ‘Soul of Indiana’
Washington Times-Herald: New library branch opens in Plainville
WPTA-TV – Fort Wayne: Library Prepares for Priceless Lincoln Collection