May 31, 2023
As always and as you already know, there’s a TON going on. And, by the way, it’s SUMMER (for all intents and purposes).
Committee Election Results
Congratulations to Krista Ledbetter (Class A – MORGN), Brandy Graves (Class A – SHLBY), and Stephanie Collis (Class C – ROYAL) for being elected to the Executive Committee; Julie Bigler (Class B – HUSMY), Jess McAlister (Class B – JFFCO), and Trista Rue (Class C – MELTN) to the Patron Services Committee; and Catherine Roberts (Class A – SHLBY) to the Cataloging Committee. Thank you to all who participated as candidates and to all who submitted ballots.
Library Name Change
The Board of Trustees for the Fortville – Vernon Township Public Library has voted to officially change the name of the library to the Vernon Township Public Library. This will be reflected in the Evergreen staff client as well as InfoExpress portal. This will include a new shortcode – changing from FRTVL-FOR to VNTPL-FOR. Like with all transitions, there will be some wrinkles to iron out. Even so, we are exuberant in our enthusiasm and support for Vernon Township Public Library as they evolve to engage with their community.
Cataloging Parties Scheduled
Speaking of libraries evolving to engage with their community, Pierceton Public Library continues to work toward their public launch as the 129th public library member of Evergreen Indiana. To help facilitate that, we have scheduled several cataloging parties. If you’d like to join us, please fill out the linked form here so I know who to expect when. And, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me or Britta. Anyone with an active Cat2 or Cat1 permission is welcome to participate. Dates for the cataloging parties are included in the form.
MORE LIBRARY NEWS
Knightstown Public Library will be closing its main branch for several months as it gets some accessibility upgrades including a new elevator. In the meantime, they will be opening a temporary branch with a limited collection at the Cary Center in Knightstown. The bulk of their collection will be put in storage. During the construction, Knightstown items will not be holdable, but the temporary branch will be open to the public with similar hours to normal.
New Trainings
Britta has scheduled some new trainings for member library staff. You’ll find them on the calendar at https://evergreenindiana.org. One of the coolest things (I think) is that she has divided up the Basic Circulation course into Patron Management and Circulating Materials. These two courses along with Searching the Catalog and Holds and Transits will make for very well-rounded patron service staff in your library.
Additionally, there will be two opportunities to learn more about how to use the Reference Solutions databases (accessible by all EI member libraries) on June 7 and June 12. Click on the dates to register or find registration links on the calendar at https://evergreenindiana.org.
Annual Conference Registration Reminder
Don’t forget to register to attend the Evergreen Indiana Annual Conference to be held on Friday, August 18 at the Garrison Conference Center. More information is available here. Also, if you’re interested in submitting a session proposal, the deadline has been extended to Friday, June 9 and you can submit here.
InfoExpress Courier Transition
It’s likely your library has felt some of the pain as the InfoExpress Statewide Program transitions from one provider (NOW Courier) to another (Pillow Logistics). Thank you to all of you for your understanding and patience. While the next few weeks might get a little hairier, I have full confidence in this transition and an improvement to overall service with our new courier service.
Finally…
It is HARD to believe that this end of an era has arrived. I unfortunately don’t get to shout out all of the incredible librarians out there that have impacted me as a professional and as a person. So, when I get the chance, I indulge just a little. Nick Schenkel has been, not just a fixture, but a kind and enthusiastic supporter of public libraries and Evergreen Indiana for many years. I’m glad that I got the opportunity to meet him several years ago and then serve with him on various committees and initiatives and hither and yon. He’s retiring and, while it’s well deserved, he is also irreplaceable in this community of practice we have here in Indiana libraries.