June 17, 2026
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Indiana library jobs
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In the news
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Upcoming workshops and important dates
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Indiana Center for the Book announces 2026 Great Reads from Great Places titles
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'Creating a Reference Guide for the Next Library Director' webinar scheduled for next week
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Monroe County librarian wins Special Achievement Award from Indiana Geographic Information Council
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Patent research resources
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Dillsboro Public Library to hold ribbon-cutting ceremony this weekend
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This week's new Indiana library jobs |
| 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Indiana Center for the Book announces 2026 Great Reads from Great Places titles |
The Indiana Center for the Book - a program of the Indiana State Library and an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress - has announced its selections for the 2026 Great Reads from Great Places program. The program features a curated list of books for adults and young readers representing all 50 U.S. states and six territories.
The Indiana Center for the Book has chosen “Imogene’s Last Stand,” written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, as the Great Reads from Great Places youth selection. The book harmonizes with the U.S semiquincentennial and highlights how young people can make a difference in their communities.
“The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic” by Ryan L. Cole is the 2026 Great Reads from Great Places adult selection. The book details when the Marquis de Lafayette returned to the U.S. in 1824 as an aging hero of the American Revolution.
The Great Reads from Great Places books are recognized each year at the National Book Festival. The free, public event hosted by the Library of Congress brings together bestselling authors, poets and illustrators for a full day of presentations, book signings and family-friendly activities.
The National Book Festival will take place on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. |
'Creating a Reference Guide for the Next Library Director' webinar scheduled for next week |
As part of its What's Up Wednesday series, the Indiana State Library will present "Transition Ready: Creating a Reference Guide for the Next Library Director" on Wednesday, June 24, from 10-11 a.m.
In the free webinar, presenter Wendy Moulton will examine materials that libraries can use if they are transitioning to a new director.
"There are many ways to gather institutional knowledge, but this presentation will showcase the resource that I was able to create for my library using Microsoft 365, OneNote and OneDrive. The beauty of using technology to create a library brain is that it can be easily updated, accessed remotely and shared with others," Moulton said.
Moulton has served as the director of the Abilene Public Library in Abilene, Kansas, since 2013. She earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.
The webinar is eligible for one LEU for Indiana library staff.
Click here to read more and to register. |
Monroe County librarian wins Special Achievement Award from Indiana Geographic Information Council |
The Monroe County Public Library has announced that adult services librarian Christine Friesel has been awarded the Special Achievement in GIS Award from the Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC) as a team member of a collaborative geographic information system (GIS) project, Hoosier Character.
Hoosier Character is a project between the Monroe County Public Library, the Monroe County History Center and the Monroe County GIS Division. The project maps where 19th century Indiana residents lived using oral history and traditional sources. Users can begin a search by typing in an address.
"Hoosier Character uses interactive mapping to uncover the stories of 19th-century Hoosiers and connect them to places across Indiana today," said Tori Lawhorn, communications and marketing director at the Monroe County Public Library.
The Special Achievement in GIS Award recognizes special geospatial projects developed through teamwork that demonstrate commitment to working with others in the Indiana GIS community toward a common goal, while performing important, often pioneering work, to create an outstanding information resource.
Click here to access Hoosier Character. |
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Upcoming workshops and important dates |
| 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. |
Patent research resources |
This week in 1834, the first process for producing sandpaper was recorded in the U. S. by Isaac Fisher, Jr. of Springfield, Vermont. Fisher patented a modern process for coating sandpaper on a machine built of wood or metal.
Researchers can view the original U.S. patent documents for making sandpaper - also called softening glass - and illustrations of the bench created for manufacturing it on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website. Under the document viewer tab on the right side of the patent public search screen, users can toggle the first button to switch to image view.
Researchers can also search for patents on new topics using the USTPO’s Patent Public Search. The Indianapolis Public Library is designated by the USPTO as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC). View their resources here.
Those interested can perform their own patent research at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. For international patent searches, researchers can use the PatentScope Simple Search from the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO). For more resources, see the Purdue University Libraries
LibGuide for Patent Databases. |
| Dillsboro Public Library to hold ribbon-cutting ceremony this weekend |
The Dillsboro Public Library - part of the Aurora Public Library District - will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 20, at 1 p.m. The ceremony will celebrate the completion of library renovations, which began more than a year ago.
The renovations include the addition of two new private study spaces; two large meeting rooms; a reading room with a fireplace; an outdoor seating and play area; a larger children’s room; a room for teens; and additional restrooms. The renovations also include updated display shelving in the Local History Room and a garage for an incoming bookmobile. The bookmobile will be used for outreach and to travel to areas of the district without an Aurora Public Library District building, such as the Manchester and Moores Hill areas.
The ceremony will include guests speaking on the construction process and the importance of libraries; a behind-the-scenes look at the new spaces; distribution of limited-edition library cards and bookmarks; placement of a time capsule; activities for children; and refreshments.
The event is free and open to the public. The Dillsboro Public Library is located at 10151 Library Lane in Dillsboro. |
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