January 7, 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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Library Con webinar scheduled for Feb. 11
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Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library announces new director
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North Manchester Public Library awarded composting education grant
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Theodore Stempfel Jr. postcard
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Collaborative Summer Library Program seeking ideas for summer 2030 theme and 2029 slogan
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This week's new Indiana library jobs |
Library Assistant (part-time)
Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library
Public Services Librarian - Teen Focus
Indianapolis Public Library
Senior Manager of Technical Services
Indianapolis Public Library
Adult Services Librarian
Tippecanoe County 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. |
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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. |
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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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Library Con webinar scheduled for Feb. 11 |
As part of the Indiana State Library's What's Up Wednesday series, "Story & Strategy: A Library Con" will be presented on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 10-11 a.m.
In May of 2025, the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library held its first-ever gaming convention, Library Con. Sessions about comic books, role playing, board games and live action role playing (LARP) helped patrons unleash their creativity. The event also included author visits, food trucks and prizes.
Presenters Caele Pemberton, head of marketing and community engagement, and Ben Rutz, digital media coordinator, both of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library, will discuss how their library held a full day, system-wide Library Con across three locations. They will share their strategies for working with community partners to offer LARP demonstrations. They will also discuss the inclusion of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games, cosplay demos, miniature painting, costume contests and an outdoor movie night to engage new patrons while highlighting the library's services, programs and collections.
The webinar is eligible for one LEU for Indiana library staff. Click here to read more and to register. |
Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library announces new director |
| The Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library has announced Brenda Campbell as its new director.
Campbell was born and raised in Greensburg and attended New Point Elementary school and North Decatur Jr./Sr. High School. She attained her first degree at Marian University.
Prior to starting her library career, Campbell worked in the North Vernon Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for ten years. She returned to school to obtain a master’s degree in human resources from Indiana State University. A few years later, she discovered that her career path would be working in libraries.
Her library career includes working at the Jennings County Public Library as the director of educational development and marketing, serving as the director of the Tyson Library in Versailles and serving as the director of the Hagerstown-Jefferson Township Public Library.
"Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Brenda Campbell. We look forward to the wonderful ideas she has and the years to come," the library said in a statement.
Campbell has two adult daughters and currently resides in Greenfield but hopes to return to Greensburg in the spring. |
North Manchester Public Library awarded composting education grant |
The North Manchester Public Library has been selected as one of more than 80 public libraries nationwide to receive the Let’s Go Compost Worm Composting Education Program grant, a mini grant designed to support hands-on STEM learning, environmental education and zero waste initiatives.
Let’s Go Compost provides libraries with tools that support indoor and outdoor gardening programs, introduce early soil science concepts and help families learn practical ways to reduce food waste. The program strengthens libraries’ ability to deliver sustainability-focused programming that engages children, teens and adults alike.
Through the grant, the library received a comprehensive worm composting education package that includes a worm farm composter, 500 composting worms, "The Wild West of Waste" picture book, three hours of virtual support and five one-hour STEM activity guides tailored to pre-K through second-grade learners.
“We are eager to incorporate worm composting into a variety of programs,” said Sarah Morbitzer, Children’s Department manager. “Our cooking programs are a natural fit for composting. Baby Led Feeding and Chefs on Wheels participants are already learning how to prepare healthy meals, and now they’ll also learn beneficial ways to handle food waste. We also plan to use the activity guides to create stand-alone STEM programs.”
For more information about upcoming programs at the library, click here. |
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Upcoming workshops and important dates |
Unearth a Story: Summer Reading 2026 Workshop
When: Jan. 9, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Central Time
Where: Porter County Public Library - Valparaiso Branch
What's Up Wednesday - Working with Community Partners to Bring Adventure to the Library
When: Jan. 14, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Online
Professional Development Roundtable
When: Jan. 15, 2-3 p.m.
Where: Online
Unearth a Story: Summer Reading 2026 Workshop
When: Jan. 21, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Marion Public Library
Unearth a Story: Summer Reading 2026 Workshop
When: Jan. 23, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Indiana State Library
What's Up Wednesday - Responsible Budgeting in Tumultuous Times
When: Jan. 28, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Online
Unearth a Story: Summer Reading 2026 Workshop
When: Jan. 28, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Noble County Public Library - Albion Branch
What's Up Wednesday - Story & Strategy: A Library Con
When: Feb. 11, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Online
Webmaster Roundtable
When: Feb. 17, 2-3 p.m.
Where: Online
Preparing for Tomorrow: the Benefits of Futures Thinking In Libraries
When: Feb. 25, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Online |
| 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. |
Theodore Stempfel Jr. postcard |
A postcard
from the Indiana State Library’s digital collection, illustrated by Theodore Stempfel Jr., depicts a beach scene in Havana, Cuba. On the back, he mentions how warm it is there while writing to his sister Anna in Indianapolis.
Stempfel Jr. was born in Indianapolis to Theodore C. Stempfel Sr. and Floretta Koster. His father worked at - and later became the vice president of - the Fletcher American National Bank. Theodore Sr. was also active with many local German organizations and a prolific writer.
Stempfel Jr. attended Emmerich Manuel Training School, where he was a member of the Shakespeare Club and worked as an illustrator on the school paper and the school annual. He was also a member of the Saturday class at the Herron Art Institute. Stempfel Jr. graduated in January of 1904, having taken extra classes to graduate early. He then attended the University of Wisconsin and wrote several plays while a student there. After college, he joined the Indianapolis Star as part of their editorial staff, where he stayed for about a year before going on a tour of Europe. When he came back, he wrote and produced a few more plays and an operetta before being employed by E.J. Brach and Co. in Chicago. Theodore worked there for 40 years, eventually becoming vice
president of the company. Stempfel Jr. died on Feb. 16, 1962, in Chicago. |
| Collaborative Summer Library Program seeking ideas for summer 2030 theme and 2029 slogan |
The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) is currently seeking ideas for its summer 2030 theme and 2029 slogan.
Each year, CSLP seeks feedback from Indiana library staff for future summer theme and slogan suggestions. Libraries from across the nation also contribute, and together, participating libraries and CSLP come to a consensus on future themes and slogans.
CSLP is currently seeking a slogan for the 2029 nature theme and a general theme for 2030. Slogans and themes should be adaptable for all ages; translatable into Spanish; avoid puns and wordplay; and be catchy, memorable and concise. A list of previous themes and slogans can be found here.
Please share suggestions via this survey by Monday, Feb. 2.
CSLP began in 1987 when 10 Minnesota library systems teamed up to create a shared summer program for children - complete with a theme, artwork and incentives. The model spread quickly, and today CSLP continues to grow while staying true to its core principle: librarians sharing ideas, expertise and costs to bring every community a vibrant summer reading program. |
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