January 28, 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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'Unearth a Story with the Indiana State Museum' webinar scheduled
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Indiana State Library server downtime scheduled this weekend
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Science Alive returns to the St. Joe County Public Library next week
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10,000 volumes of the U.S. Serial Set digitized and made accessible
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The Information School at UW-Madison offering online courses
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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. |
| 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. |
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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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'Unearth a Story with the Indiana State Museum' webinar scheduled |
To coincide with the Collaborative Summer Library Program's (CSLP) 2026 "Unearth a Story" theme, the Indiana State Library will host "Unearth a Story with the Indiana State Museum" on Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
In the webinar, Catalina Tomé and Michele Greenan of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites (ISMHS) will give a brief overview of the history of Indiana geology and archeology, share information about what fossils can be found in Indiana and highlight activities that can be done with youth at public libraries.
Tomé is the curator of paleobiology at ISMHS, where she manages and researches the Ice Age fossils of Indiana. Her research focuses on the responses of ecosystems and species to environmental and community changes through time, studying how animals adapted to the changing landscape throughout the end of the last glacial period through today.
Greenan serves as the director of archaeology at ISMHS, where she is responsible for managing the archaeological resources of the historic sites landscapes. She also serves as the museum’s curator of archaeology, where she is responsible for the continued development of IMSHS archaeology focused collections and exhibits.
The webinar is eligible for one LEU for Indiana library staff. Click here to read more and to register.
Those who cannot attend the live webinar may request to have the recording sent to them when it is ready - usually within 30 days of the live session - via this form. |
Indiana State Library server downtime scheduled this weekend |
The Indiana State Library would like to notify everyone that it will be moving its external servers to a new physical data center location this weekend, weather permitting. The servers are expected to be taken offline temporarily around 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, and to be back online sometime on Sunday, Feb. 1, or possibly sooner.
The move will not affect the Indiana State Library's website, InfoExpress, the certification site, Indiana Legacy, Hoosier State Chronicles or any vendor-hosted services, such as INSPIRE or CONTENTdm. However, during this time, certain services provided by the Indiana State Library will not be online. Evergreen Indiana, Connect IN websites and email, Indiana State Library Listservs, the Indiana State Library Helpdesk and Indiana State Library manuscripts catalog will be affected and will be temporarily unavailable.
The move will make the servers more accessible to Indiana State Library staff. |
Science Alive returns to the St. Joe County Public Library next week |
The St. Joe County Public Library is inviting families and science enthusiasts of all ages to attend the 34th Annual Science Alive program, a celebration of exploration and learning, on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Main Library.
Attendees will have the opportunity to explore displays from nearly 40 local organizations, including the Potawatomi Zoo, Notre Dame’s College of Science and more. "Zoo to You," with the Potawatomi Zoo, and nationally recognized scientist Kate the Chemist, who brings experiments to the stage, will be featured in live stage shows throughout the day. Hands-on activities for all ages will range from engaging science experiments to farm animals. Attendees may also meet presenters, partake in face painting and capture memories at the photo station.
The live stage shows include "Weather with ABC 57," Kate the Chemist, "Zoo to You - Potawatomi Zoo" and Spaulding Restorations.
Science Alive is free and no registration or library card is required. Parking is available in the library patron lot, on nearby streets and in three downtown garages. Learn more about the event here.
The Main Library of the St. Joe County Public Library is located at 304 S. Main St. in South Bend. |
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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. |
10,000 volumes of the U.S. Serial Set digitized and made accessible |
The Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the Library of Congress (LOC) have uploaded and made accessible the 10,000th volume of the U.S. Serial Set on
GovInfo. The joint digitization project is a multi-year effort. The volumes available through GovInfo contain more than 185,000 individual government documents and reports. GPO has nearly 6,000 remaining volumes to upload, with their goal to release an additional 2,000 volumes in 2026.
The U.S. Serial Set, or simply the Serial Set, contains the House and Senate Documents and the House and Senate Reports bound by session of Congress. It began publication with the 15th Congress, 1st Session in 1817. Documents before 1817 may be found in the American State Papers. The Serial Set includes committee reports, presidential communications to Congress, treaty materials, executive department publications, proposed legislation and special investigations for Congress.
Those interested in receiving information on the latest news, events and upcoming webinars from the Federal Depository Library Program’s News & Events page can subscribe for updates via inquiry through askGPO. |
| The Information School at UW-Madison offering online courses |
The Information School at UW-Madison is currently offering a selection of online courses for early 2026. Courses include:
- "Basic Public Library Administration," Monday, Jan. 26-Sunday, April 19.
- "Strategies for Supervising Part-Time Employees," Monday, Feb. 9-Sunday, March 22.
- "Organization and Management of Collections," Monday, Feb. 2-Sunday, April 26.
- "Playing Around: The Library’s Role in Playful Learning for Young Children," Monday, March 2-Sunday, April 12.
- "Incorporating Digital Collection Into Your Community Outreach," March 9-April 5
- "Cataloging II," Monday, March 16-Sunday, April 26.
- "Introduction to Digitization Projects," Monday, March 16 -Sunday, May 10.
Click on the links to register and to see individual course pricing.
The Information School at UW-Madison's continuing education programs help information professionals stay up to date with new developments, technologies, trends and best practices in their fields.
The courses are eligible for LEUs for Indiana library staff. |
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