Looking to integrate more authentic children’s programming for Juneteenth, Hispanic Heritage Month, AAPI, and more? Learn about how a thematic programming formula can help your library plan and facilitate children’s programs for cultural recognition and heritage months. Join us for a robust listing of programming examples for year round: from food to art, from storytimes to STEM, and more.
Date Recorded: 4/8/2025
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenters: Justine Carlotta, MLIS, is the Children’s Department Manager of Westchester Public Library
Caregivers often face overwhelming physical, emotional, and mental challenges while balancing caregiving with their own well-being. In this session, librarians will learn how to support carPegivers by connecting them with trusted health resources from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other key organizations. Participants will explore effective strategies for making libraries welcoming, resource-rich spaces for caregivers and gain practical tools to help prevent caregiver burnout within the community. Join us to strengthen your library’s role as a supportive hub for caregivers, fostering resilience and connection.
Date Recorded: 01/08/2025
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenter: Bobbi L. Newman, MLIS, MA, Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist, Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Region 6, Wellness Ambassador, Senior Librarian, The University of Iowa Libraries
The Indiana State Library offers book club kits, storytime kits, Lego and Duplo kits, Escape Room kits, and NASA Science kits. Join us to learn how to use the new kit checkout system with live demonstrations.
Date Recorded: 3/25/2025
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenters: Suzanne Walker, Director – Indiana Center for the Book and Indiana Young Reader Center Librarian Librarian, Kara Cleveland, Professional Development Office Supervisor, Indiana State Library
ILF Advocacy Committee co-chairs, Vanessa Martin and Julie Wendorf will talk about the importance of advocacy and will give updates for the coming 2025 legislative session. Vanessa Martin – ILF Advocacy Committee, co-chair & Director, Greensburg Decatur County Public Library.
Vanessa Martin has been the director at the Greensburg Decatur County Public Library since 2016. She is also the current co-chair of the ILF Advocacy Committee. She has 18 years of experience working in Indiana public libraries. She has also been active in the governance of Evergreen Indiana, serving on different committees. She has held many job titles, but simply put, she is passionate about libraries and helping others.
Julie Wendorf – ILF Advocacy Committee, co-chair & Director, Crown Point Community Library. Julie Wendorf has been the director of the Crown Point Community Library since 2018. She is a member of the ILF Board, board representative on the IPLA Board, the co-chair of the ILF Advocacy Committee, and current ILF Vice President. She is active in community service organizations including Rotary International and Lions Club. She has a passion for library collaboration projects with other community organizations and doing library outreach. Julie will be busy testifying at the legislature during the webinar.
Date Recorded: 3/12/2025
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenters: Vanessa Martin / Director of Greensburg Decatur County Public Library and ILF Advocacy Committee co-chair and Julie Wendorf / Director of Crown Point Community and ILF Board of Directors President
To improve the lives of all Indiana children, Indiana Youth Institute provides access to reliable data and resources to empower, educate, and equip those who impact youth. Join us for a dive into the recently released 2025 Indiana KIDS COUNT® Data Book during this State of the Child presentation! Learn and engage with the best and most recent information on child well-being, to inform leaders, policymakers, youth workers, and advocates, like you, with go-to sources for critical data to create positive change for youth in your community.
Engage and inspire readers with TeachingBooks resources that can be used both with patrons and behind the scenes. In this webinar, we will highlight ways to implement resources in your youth services library programming as well as new tools to complement your work. Learn about the Collection Analysis and other toolkits, ready-to-use resources for your book clubs and story times, homework help features, and more.
Kick-off summer reading 2025 with this presentation about the Collaborative Summer Library Program’s Color Our World “art” theme, including suggested resources for planning and other general information.
Date Recorded: 1/7/2025
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenters: Beth Yates, Children’s Consultant at Indiana State Library
Are you looking to spice up your library programs? Does the thought of cooking classes make you blanch? This session focuses on cooking programs for preschoolers through teens. We will introduce the basics of adding cooking programs to your list of library activities, sharing resources, recipes, techniques, and tips for success. Let us make cooking a whisk you’ll be willing to take!
Date Recorded: 11/27/2024
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenters: Erika Wagner, Programming and Outreach Librarian and Cindy Baumeister, Branch Supervisor / Crown Point Community Library
As Indiana public schools adopt state-mandated curriculums aligned with the Science of Reading (SoR), what can public libraries do to support parents and teachers? What resources might they be looking for? In this session, we’ll talk about the ways libraries already support SoR through Every Child Ready to Read, and then share the adjustments we’ve made to our collections to complement the Fundations curriculum adopted by Carmel Clay Schools in 2021.
Date Recorded: 11/14/2024
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenters: Jennifer Humphrey, Carmel Clay Public Library
The League of Women Voters of Indiana will introduce you to The Citizens’ Handbook and discuss ways you can provide this important resource to others, demonstrating its pragmatic use for addressing issues that impact citizens in your community.
Indiana ranked 50th in voter turnout for the 2022 General Election according to the 2023 Indiana Civic Health Index; this is an abysmal statistic and one we must all work to rectify. Indiana Libraries, as the information centers in our communities, can help to educate everyday citizens using this new resource. The Citizen’s Handbook commissioned by the League of Women Voters of Indiana and written by Dr. Darren Wheeler and Stacy Wheeler of Ball State University, is a factual, easy-to-read, short primer on our systems of governance. A QR code in the Handbook and links to resources make this easily accessible for all.
Date reorded: 7/25/24
Format: Archived YouTube Webinar
Presenters: Barbara Tully, Cindy Lorentson Cook, Linda Hanson and Kate Munson, League of Women Voters of Indiana