March 4, 2026
-
Indiana library jobs
-
In the news
-
Upcoming workshops and important dates
-
Indiana State Library announces 'U.S. 250 Trivia'
-
Featured Indiana State Library kit: 'Movement'
-
Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library reveals 2026 SPEAK lineup
-
O.K. Seeds
-
Indianapolis Public Library unveils new mural
|
This week's new Indiana library jobs |
Assistant Branch Manager
Allen County Public Library
Youth Services Manager
Anderson Public Library
Public Services Librarian - Juvenile Focus
Indianapolis Public Library
Supervisor Librarian
Indianapolis Public Library
Children’s Assistant (part-time)
Starke County Public Library System
Head of Services
Vernon Township Public Library |
| Those who would like their Indiana library job posting to be listed in the Wednesday Word must submit the position and its description to the Indiana State Library. Click here for submission guidelines and to submit. |
| Is your library making news?
Email news links for inclusion in the Wednesday Word's "In the news" section.
To be featured in the Wednesday Word, please email a press release and a photo. |
| Follow the
Indiana State Library's blog for weekly posts covering all aspects of the State Library.
Indiana library employees who would like to contribute a guest blog, please send an email with an idea. |
Miss an issue of the Wednesday Word?
Back issues of the Wednesday Word are available here. |
|
Free training for librarians and library employees on LinkedIn Learning |
The Indiana Library Passport, a creative digital experience that encourages everyone to visit libraries across the Hoosier state, is open to Indiana residents and outside visitors alike. The passport has more than 170 libraries and branches to explore.
Read more about the passport here. Libraries interested in joining the Indiana Library Passport – free of cost – should contact the communications director at the Indiana State Library. |
|
Indiana State Library announces 'U.S. 250 Trivia' |
The Indiana State Library has announced "U.S. 250 Trivia," an event celebrating 250 years of American independence.
The free lunchtime trivia game will test participants knowledge on American history in three rounds of five questions each. Teams are limited to eight players.
"U.S. 250 Trivia" will take place in-person on Tuesday, April 14, from 12-1 p.m., in the History Reference Room at the Indiana State Library.
The winning team will receive tickets that can be redeemed for general admission at any of the Indiana State Museum's 12 historical sites, generously donated by the Indiana State Museum. The admission tickets do not include access to special programs with additional fees or the IMAX Theater in Indianapolis.
Additional prizes have been provided by the Indiana State Library Foundation, the sponsor of the event. Registration is required. Click here to register. The registration deadline is Tuesday, April 7.
The Indiana State Library is located at 315. W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. |
Featured Indiana State Library kit: 'Movement' |
The Indiana State Library’s Indiana Young Readers Center provides five types of kits for use by public library youth librarians and teachers across the state: Book Club kits, LEGO kits, DUPLO kits, Storytime kits and Indiana Escape Experience kits. Every other week, the Wednesday Word will feature one of these kits.
This week's featured Storytime kit is themed "Movement." Designed to keep kids active, the kit contains books, parachutes, music, ribbon rings and action cards. The kit also includes an activity guide for children. The guide features dancing, exercising, yoga, action rhymes and animal movements.
“This kit is a great way to keep kids moving in the cold and gray winter months,” said Tammie Buchanan, Indiana Young Readers Center librarian at the Indiana State Library.
Read more about the kits here.
Kits can be ordered and delivered via InfoExpress. Please contact Tammie Buchanan with any questions about reserving the kits. |
Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library reveals 2026 SPEAK lineup |
The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has announced its 2026 SPEAK lineup. SPEAK, an evolution of One Book, One Community, is a lecture and discussion series that brings authors and thought leaders to Evansville.
The first author in the series, Sarah Adams, will speak on Thursday, April 23, at 7 p.m., at Old National Events Plaza in downtown Evansville. Adams is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of 13 contemporary romantic comedy novels, including the "Rome, Kentucky" series.
On Tuesday, July 21, at 7 p.m., Notre Dame professor and author Patrick Griffin will present “The Revolutionary War in Three Paintings” in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This event will be held at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science.
Candace Fleming, award-winning author of more than 50 books for children and young adults, will speak on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m., at Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Central. Some of her recent works include "Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera," "The Enigma Girls" and "Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic." She also writes historical biographies, many of which feature prominent figures from the nation’s history.
The series will conclude on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., with Toni Tipton-Martin, an award-winning food and nutrition journalist. The event will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church in downtown Evansville. Tipton-Martin is the editor-in-chief of Cook’s Country Magazine - and its PBS television show - and is the author of several books.
SPEAK events are sponsored by the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Foundation and its donors. The author presentations are free and open to all. Visit the library's events calendar for more information about the scheduled SPEAK events. |
|
Upcoming workshops and important dates |
| Welcome to Digital Collection Highlights. Every other week, librarians at the Indiana State Library share images from the library's ever-growing digital collections. Visit the Digital Collections
page to view the latest additions. |
Seed catalogs offer a glimpse into Indiana growing history. By studying historical seed catalogs, one can determine what early Hoosiers were growing on their land.
The O.K. Seeds yearly catalog was published in Indianapolis by James A. Everitt and distributed around the country. Along with a variety of fruit, herb, flower and vegetable seeds, the catalog also advertised garden tools that were designed and manufactured by Everitt. Everitt even included the following bit of wisdom, quoting himself in his own catalog, “There are plenty of people to do the work. What the world needs is more people to do the thinking.”
O.K. Seeds began operation in Indianapolis in 1883. When the 1900 catalog was published, the company was located at 225-227 W. Washington St., near the Statehouse. Everitt adopted the O.K. Seeds trademark, “Every package, bag or box of seed bearing this trademark was O.K. or all right.”
The seed catalog publishing tradition continues today as distributors still mail print catalogs to their customers, offering many of the same heirloom varieties that were once sold by Everitt. For example, the green nutmeg melon, an early American variety of the sweet green muskmelon advertised on page 23 of the 1900 catalog, continues to be grown today. |
| Indianapolis Public Library unveils new mural |
The Indianapolis Public Library unveiled a new mural at its Spades Park branch on Saturday, Feb. 7.
Created by local multidisciplinary artist Jarrod Stone, the painting was installed above the branch’s fireplace and reflects the spirit of the surrounding community. The mural includes imagery inspired by the Feast of Lanterns, a portrait honoring longtime branch employee Ann Barnes, scenes of reading and childhood and architectural details from the branch itself.
Opened 114 years ago, the library is one of only two remaining Carnegie library buildings in Indianapolis.
Community members and library staff gathered for a reception to celebrate the mural’s debut. Titled "Entering a New Era," the event marked the reveal of the branch’s effort to replace previous artwork with a piece that more fully reflects the people and culture of the neighborhood, and the broader Indianapolis community.
Members of the public are able to see the mural on display at the Spades Park branch during regular business hours. |
|
