August 26, 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 Digital Library member Listserv available
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Great Reads author Ryan Cole to visit Indiana State Library next month
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Midwest Collaborative for Library Services to hold annual members meeting in October
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Applications for Giant Map of Indiana now being accepted
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National Preparedness Month
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Registration now open for Fall 2026 Nonprofit Series at Indianapolis Public Library
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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. |
Indiana Digital Library member Listserv available |
Indiana Digital Library members are invited to join the Indiana Digital Library Consortium Listserv. The Listserv is a place for those in the consortium to connect with fellow members.
In 2022, the Indiana Digital Library was formed by several smaller consortiums in the state sharing their digital OverDrive collections of e-books, audiobooks and digital magazines. Since then, the consortium has grown to more than 200 Indiana public libraries. In 2025, more than 232,000 patrons of Indiana Digital Library libraries borrowed 8,649,216 items. Public libraries in Indiana with a legal service area population under 150,000 are eligible to join the Indiana Digital Library.
Click here to subscribe to the Listserv.
Public libraries interested in joining the Indiana Digital Library can request information via email.
The Indiana Digital Library project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. |
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Great Reads author Ryan Cole to visit Indiana State Library next month |
In celebration of the Library of Congress National Book Festival, the Indiana State Library will welcome author Ryan Cole next month. Cole was chosen by the Indiana Affiliate Center for the Book to represent Indiana at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. The Indiana Center for the Book is one of 56 centers affiliated with the Library of Congress Center for the Book. The affiliates promote reading, libraries and literacy across the country.
Cole’s adult nonfiction book “The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic” was part of the festival’s Great Reads from Great Places program. Each year, each Center for the Book selects one juvenile and one adult Great Reads title. “The Last Adieu” is this year's adult selection. Selections are written by authors from their state or territory, take place in their state or territory or celebrate local culture and heritage.
Cole will visit the Indiana State Library on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 2 p.m. The Indiana University graduate has delivered talks at venues such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon and the Library of Congress and his writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Cole will discuss his book, which details the Marquis de Lafayette’s return to the U.S. in 1824 as an aging hero of the American Revolution.
The program is free and will take place in person with an option to attend virtually. Registration is required for the virtual presentation and can be completed here.
The Indiana State Library is located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. |
Midwest Collaborative for Library Services to hold annual members meeting in October |
The Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) will hold its Members Annual Event on Friday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the St. Joe County Public Library in South Bend. The meeting will consist of a keynote address by Kate McDowell and a crisis communication workshop presented by Thom Fladung.
McDowell's keynote presentation will focus on data storytelling in libraries. An author and a professor at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, McDowell leads the nationally funded Data Storytelling Toolkit for Librarians project.
Fladung will lead a hands-on workshop titled "Putting Crisis Communications in Play." Fladung will cover crisis communication best practices and techniques, including brainstorming key messages. A managing partner for Hennes Communications, Fladung has more than 33 years of daily newspaper and digital media experience.
The cost to attend the meeting in person is $75 for anyone who is employed by an MCLS member library. The registration fee includes a light breakfast, lunch and beverages. The in-person registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 18. Click here to register.
MCLS is also offering an opportunity to attend the opening remarks and keynote address via Zoom. The cost to attend virtually is $25 for any employee of an MCLS member library The registration deadline for the virtual meeting is Wednesday, Oct. 7. Click here to register.
Visit the event page for more information and a hotel booking link.
The event is eligible for LEUs for Indiana library staff. Click here to see a complete list of member libraries. |
Applications for Giant Map of Indiana now being accepted |
The Geography Educators' Network of Indiana is currently accepting applications from organizations who are interested in receiving a free Giant Map of Indiana.
The lightweight vinyl map measures 10 feet east to west by 16 feet north to south and contains a plethora of information about Indiana. The map can be used for classroom lessons, community outreach and spatial thinking programs.
Libraries are eligible to apply for one of the 20 available maps. Applicants must be willing to participate in a required Giant Map of Indiana professional development training; engage educators, students and the community in the teaching and learning of geography utilizing the map; employ the map monthly in a teaching and learning environment; and complete an evaluation after each session.
The map distribution is made possible via an ATLAS Grant from the Indiana Geographic Information Office. Read more and apply here. The application deadline is Thursday, Sept. 3. |
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Upcoming workshops and important dates |
Every Child Ready to Read In-Person Workshop
When: Aug. 28, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Where: Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library
Indiana State Library Lunch and Learn Series: Hosted Digital Collections and Indiana Memory
When: Sept. 8, 12-1 p.m.
Where: Indiana State Library and online
What's Up Wednesday - Youth-Focused Tabletop Role-Playing Game Programs in Public Libraries
When: Sept. 9, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Online
Every Child Ready to Read In-Person Workshop
When: Sept. 11, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Central Time
Where: Jasper County Public Library - Rensselaer
GreatReads Author Visit: Ryan Cole
When Sept. 12, 2-4 p.m.
Where: Indiana State Library and online
Constitution Trivia
When: Sept. 15, 12-1 p.m.
Where: Indiana State Library
Beyond the Ask: Grant Writing, Partnerships and Funding Strategies for Libraries
When: Sept. 16, 2-3 p.m.
Where: Online
Every Child Ready to Read In-Person Workshop
When: Sept. 30, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Where: Bartholomew County Public Library
What's Up Wednesday - Business Source Complete Overview
When: Sept. 30, 10-11 a.m.
Where: Online
Discovery to Delivery 2026 Conference
When: Oct. 2, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Where: Indiana University Indianapolis University Library
Building Readers Together: Bridging School and Library Literacy Support
When: Oct. 8, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Online |
| 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 feel free to leave comments and suggestions. |
National Preparedness Month |
September is National Preparedness Month. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced the 2026 National Preparedness Month theme as “Americans Stand Ready.” FEMA’s
Ready Campaign has observed National Preparedness Month since 2004 in order to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies. The campaign invites individuals and families to take proactive approaches to readying for emergencies.
As stated on the Ready webpage, “preparedness starts at home.” According to FEMA, four key actions can help people be prepared in the event of a disaster: “know your risk, make a family emergency plan, build an emergency supply kit and get involvedin your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies.” Citizens are encouraged to take time to discuss potential risks where they live and to create and discuss a plan in the event of an emergency. The website offers tips and resources to help families and businesses create a plan that allows Hoosiers to stand ready in case of emergency. |
| Registration now open for Fall 2026 Nonprofit Series at Indianapolis Public Library |
The Indianapolis Public Library is inviting the community to learn how to build a nonprofit organization via a series of free, in-person workshops covering a variety of nonprofit management topics.
The Fall 2026 Nonprofit Series begins Saturday, Sept. 5 and runs through Saturday, Oct. 10. The 16-program series, led by local nonprofit experts, will cover essential topics, including starting a 501(c)(3) organization, building an effective board of directors, strategic planning, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, program development and writing successful grant proposals. These sessions will be led by librarians on the library's nonprofit team at Central Library.
“Indiana’s nonprofit community plays a role in strengthening our neighborhoods and economy, employing about 10% of the state’s workforce,” said Divya Pathak, librarian and part of the library’s nonprofit team.
The series will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 10:30 a.m., with "Intro to Candid Search: Navigating Grants." In the two-hour program, attendees will learn about Candid Search, a research tool that can help nonprofits find grant makers most likely to fund their projects.
Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is preferred. Click here to read more, see the full lineup of programs and to register. Programs will be held in the Special Collections Room on the sixth floor of the Central Library, located at 40 E. St. Clair St. in downtown Indianapolis.
The Fall 2026 Nonprofit Series is made possible by the Meridian Foundation through gifts to The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. |
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