WaterStep Shoe Drive a Success!

Harrison County Public Library partnered with WaterStep during the “All Together Now” summer reading challenge to run a shoe drive. WaterStep, a Louisville based company, designs and implements sustainable water projects and programs around the globe with funding from shoe drives. In addition to their mission of providing sustainable safe water solutions, WaterStep helps during times of disaster with WOW (Water on Wheels) carts, mini-water treatment plants. To date, WaterStep has responded to 33 disasters, the most recent being the floods in Eastern Kentucky at home and the earthquake in Turkey abroad.

One out of ten people in the world live without a safe water source. WaterStep shoe development coordinator Ron McKulick challenged the library to collect 600 pounds of shoes during the two-month drive.  McKulick estimated that the library collected a total of 360 pounds; 200 lbs. in June and 160 lbs. during July. The goal may not have been met, but the library shoe drive provides safe water for life to 120 people.

Library administrative assistant Diana Lasky enthused, “I am so grateful to Harrison County and the library staff for making this community service project successful!  It just amazes me that 3 pairs of shoes can fund safe water to a person for life!”

Harrison County has year-round WaterStep shoe collection boxes at the YMCA of Harrison County, Harrison County Community Services, Old Capital Cleaners, Harmony and Health, and the Mortenson Dental Corydon office.  Individuals and businesses who are interested in learning more about WaterStep may visit their website at https://waterstep.org/.

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Who’s Awesome! – Tiffany Thieneman – July 2023

Congratulations, Tiffany Thieneman!

Tiffany Thieneman, public services manager, is HCPL’s July Who’s Awesome! winner. Tiffany was one of twelve nominations for the honor this month.

Melissa Schellenberger a reference assistant at Corydon, actually nominated Tiffany twice this month. She wrote, “Tiffany is a great boss. She’s always positive and upbeat! She is a super kind person!” And Melissa added, “Tiffany is always thoughtful and kind. She has a very positive attitude!”

Another anonymous nomination stated, “Tiffany went above and beyond for the Fun Committee Shark Week celebration. She ordered fabulous cookies for a combo Shark Week/National Sugar Cookie Day from Country Confections and she put together a very fun shark survival kit that included buttons that staff could wear to promote Shark Week all week long plus some yummy snacks. Tiffany promotes Fun Committee activities with flyers she creates. She presents a friendly, happy, positive demeanor to patrons and staff alike even when handling unpleasant duties. As public services manager she does a great job supervising reference staff, dealing with outreach patrons and coordinating and presenting adult programming. Tiffany is awesome!”

Reference assistant Liz Dennis nominated Tiffany in June writing, “Tiffany brings the morale up! She is always happy, smiling and sees the positives. Her position, as Public Service Manager, is very befitting. Both her patrons and employees enjoy her. Thank you for all you do for our team!”

Tiffany joined the HCPL staff as public services manager, a newly created position, in January of 2022.

Each month a winner is selected by random drawing. Other staff members nominated in July were Connie Gresham, Kaitlyn Taylor, Julie Phipps, Kelli Witsman, Donna Seewer, Bob Ohlrich, Kathy Fisher, Amanda Applegate and Jessica Stroud.

Article by Alisa Burch, Director

 

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Who’s Awesome! – Trevor Smith – June 2023

Congratulations, Trevor Smith!

Trevor Smith, systems administrator, is HCPL’s June Who’s Awesome! winner. Trevor was one of thirteen nominations for the honor this month.

Carla Ward, a Lanesville branch employee who nominated Trevor, said, “As part of the IT team, Trevor is always willing to help me. He has helped answer questions or helped me fix problems. I can’t wait for him to come help us with the Makerspace.”

Trevor was also nominated by Public Services Manager Tiffany Thieneman this month. Tiffany stated, “Trevor helped cover the Reference Desk when one of the staff members was not feeling well and needed to leave early. Trevor always seems happy to help in whatever capacity is needed. Thanks for being awesome, Trevor!”

Last month, IT Head Jessica Stroud nominated Trevor writing, “Attempting to think of new services that could employ chat GPT/AI Trevor brainstormed use of an E-Librarian and configured it to suit HCPL patron’s needs. Pure awesome! Way to go, Trevor.” Steven Schifcar, head of maintenance and grounds, nominated Trevor in February stating “He helps me whenever I need help.” And Diana Lasky echoed those sentiments in her nomination, “Trevor always helps, quickly, efficiently and pleasantly to any IT issues, but goes above and beyond and will help with anything (moving items) even though it is not related to IT. Thank you!”

Trevor joined the HCPL staff as systems administrator in August of 2017.

Each month a winner is selected by random drawing. Other staff members nominated in June were Tiffany Thieneman, Diana Lasky, Liz Dennis, Jennifer Schroering, Jessica Stroud, Connie Gresham, Ann Allen, Teresa Douglass, Leo Stiner, Eden Ransdell and Heather Wyss.

Article by Alisa Burch, Director

 

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Cake Pans and Toys and Things, Oh My!

Cake pans are available for checkout at Harrison County Public Library from the Library of Things. There are thirty different styles of cake pans available. Need a special character pan to surprise a child or grandchild? The collection includes a castle, Diego, flower, Care Bear, Spiderman, SpongeBob, 3D rubber ducky and more. There are specialty pans for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Halloween as well as more traditional Bundt, loaf, and mini muffin pans. Before you make a cake pan purchase, check the Library of Things notebook at any branch or the HCPL online catalog.

Adventure Packs include binoculars, a nature field guide and a magnifying glass in each backpack.  These packs are only checked out from the Corydon branch, Youth Services Department.

The Library of Toys began a year ago with LovEvery kits. LovEvery provides developmentally based play for newborns to 4 year olds. Many more  items have been added to the library since then. Coding Critters help teach coding concepts to the very young. STEM kits featuring Rapunzel and the Gingerbread Man help children problem solve.  Games for tweens, teens or a family game night are available with How I Survived, Disney Villainous and Horrified. The toddler set and older will enjoy a toddler game night kit, a musical instrument set and a kindergarten readiness kit.   Young Athletes bags include books, balls, scarves, rubber discs, bean bags and a play guide.  

All Library of Things/Library of Toys items are available for a one-week checkout period.  Items may be placed on hold to be sent to a branch location with the exception of the Adventure Packs.  Jigsaw puzzles will be coming soon to the Library of Things. Drop by the library to check out at all the things available or search the online catalog.

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Who’s Awesome! – Sara Deatrick – May 2023

Congratulations, Sara Deatrick!

Sara Deatrick, the Elizabeth Branch lead circ associate, is HCPL’s May Who’s Awesome! winner.  Sara was one of twenty nominations for the honor this month.

 Liz Dennis, who works at both the Elizabeth and Corydon branches, nominated Sara saying, “Mrs. Sara knows her community and patrons. She is very astute and resourceful. She goes out of her way to explain information to patrons and is very thorough. She is an asset to the library.”

Pat Schwartz, who worked with Sara at the Elizabeth Branch, had this to say about Sara in a previous nomination, “Sara is a great asset to the Elizabeth branch. She is a very compassionate person. People love her in the Elizabeth community. While I worked at the Elizabeth branch I experienced a community that takes care of its people. Sara does a lot for the community and it reflects well on HCPL.“

Sara started her career at HCPL as a youth assistant in May of 2003. She was promoted to lead circ associate when the Elizabeth Branch opened in October of 2012.

Each month a winner is selected by random drawing. Other staff members nominated in May were Corinne Burton, Trevor Smith, Amanda Applegate, Kelly Powell, Leo Stiner, Teresa Douglass, Eleisa Mason, Diana Lasky, Ann Allen, Julia Phipps, Melissa, Schellenberger, Bethany Banet, Savannah Wallace, Connie Gresham, Lynn Hardesty, and Sarah Dorton.

Article by Alisa Burch, Director

 

 

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Miniature Art at the Library

Have you seen a diorama at your local library branch?  The Harrison County Public Library is currently displaying dioramas by local artist Donna Shaw of MiniMaples Studio. Shaw, who lives in Jeffersonville, has been crafting in miniature since 2015.  In 2022, she partnered with the Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana for the MiniMaples Literacy Project to get school students excited about reading and books through art.  This summer the project has been expanded to public libraries.

HCPL is displaying four dioramas this summer to “encourage students (children) to read and grow their creativity and imagination,” which is Shaw’s goal.  The library suggests families look at the intricate details in the dioramas and check out books that are related to each miniature display.

Click to enlarge

Ocean Depths can be found at the Corydon Branch. Is your child interested in sharks, coral, starfish or the ocean? This diorama is for you.  Checkout    non-fiction books on all these topics at any library location.  (Don’t forget to look closely…I spy a bunny with a ducky swimming ring.)

Click to enlarge

Ocean Depths can be found at the Corydon Branch.
Is your child interested in sharks, coral, starfish or the ocean? This diorama is for you.  Checkout non-fiction books on all these topics at any library location.  (Don’t forget to look closely…I spy a bunny with a ducky swimming ring.)

Click to enlarge

Tis the season for gardening. Big Old Garden features a huge tree, a bird feeder with realistic birds and a small pond complete with lily pads. Try books like Everything Bird: What Kids Really Want to Know About Birds, Tell Me Tree: All About Trees for Kids, Over and Under the Pond, or My First Book of Garden Wildlife.

Click to enlarge

Scaredy Squirrel can be found at the Lanesville Branch.  If you aren’t familiar with this book character, ask an elementary school-aged child. Scaredy Squirrel stories by Melanie Watt include adventures at the beach, birthday party, camping, and making friends, to name a few.

The dioramas are expected to rotate branches throughout the summer so everyone can experience all of the miniature art. Drop by the library soon to view a diorama, join the summer reading challenge and check out books.

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poetry society of IN

Poetry Society of Indiana’s Young Voices Annual Poetry Contest

Indiana Poetry Contest For Grades 3 – 12

The Poetry Society of Indiana announces the 2023 Young Voices Annual Poetry Contest. First-place winners will receive public acknowledgment on the PSI website and social media platforms. The poems may be published in the annual anthology Ink to Paper.

Contest Guidelines

  • Open state-wide to public, private, and homeschool students in grades 3-12
  • Recommendation by a teacher required
  • Original unpublished work only
  • One poem submission per student
  • 30-line limit (including blank lines)
  • No submission fees

Contest Categories

  • Category 1:  Grades 3 & 4
  • Category 2:  Grades 5 & 6
  • Category 3:  Grades 7 & 8
  • Category 4:  Grades 9 & 10
  • Category 5:  Grades 11 & 12

Deadline for submissions is September 20, 2023.

There is no fee.  Additional details are available on the PSI Young Voices Annual Poetry Contest page.

About Poetry Society of Indiana: Poetry Society of Indiana (PSI), founded in 1941, is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and encouraging poets in Indiana. PSI seeks to unite poets in friendship and understanding while recognizing cultural heritage and linguistic contexts. Prior to 2016, Poetry Society of Indiana was known as Indiana State Federation of Poetry Clubs (ISFPC).

All questions should be directed to [email protected], with “Young Voices contest” in the subject line.

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Old Shoes = Clean Water: HCPL to Host Shoe Drive

Donate your old shoes to help people around the world have access to clean safe water. Harrison County Public Library will be sponsoring a WaterStep shoe drive from May 15 – July 31, 2023 during the “All Together Now” summer reading challenge.

  • Boxes for shoe collection will be at all 5 branch locations
  • ALL types of footwear accepted (used and new)
  • Shoes may be worn; just no holes in the soles
  • No moldy, mildewed or muddy shoes accepted
  • Help WaterStep by tying laces together or rubber banding flip-flops

So how in the world do old shoes provide clean water?  At a recent Step Ahead meeting presentation, Ron McKulick of WaterStep stated that it only takes 3 pairs of donated shoes to provide 1 person with clean water for LIFE.

WaterStep is a non-profit organization that has been in operation for 25 years bringing safe water to communities in developing counties, after natural disasters, and in emergency situations. Since its beginning, WaterStep has helped to provide safe water to eight million people in 67 countries.

WaterStep designs and builds safe water and disinfectant equipment locally in Louisville, KY.  Materials to build the equipment are purchased by funds from shoe donations, individual donations, grants and product sales. WaterStep does not receive any state, federal, or international funding.

Ron challenged Harrison County Public Library to sponsor a shoe drive and have a goal of acquiring 600 pounds of shoes.  That could potentially help 200 people have access to clean water. The video links WaterStep Shoe Program and WaterStep Helps Hurricane Laura Survivors provides a brief overview of some of the benefits of the shoe drive.  For more information, visit WaterStep.org

You can help provide clean water by donating the shoes you no longer wear during the summer reading challenge “All Together Now.”

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INDOT Public Comment and Meetings for Statewide Transportation Improvement Program

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is in the process of updating the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) to cover the years 2024-2028.  The STIP is Indiana’s five-year planning and construction document that lists all projects and project phases expected to be funded within the next five years using federal funding, as required per Title 23, United States Code (USC). The STIP also includes state-funded projects that have been deemed Regionally Significant. The current STIP (2022-2026) and draft version of the 2024-2028 STIP are available here.

The 2024-2028 STIP is available for review and comment until June 22, 2023.

Virtual Town Hall
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Session 1 1:00 – 3:00 pm (EST)
Session 2 5:00 – 7:00 pm (EST)

IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE EVENTS:

Wednesday, May 17
Session 1 1:00 – 3:00 pm (EST)
Session 2 3:45 – 5:45 pm (EST)
Marion Public Library
600 S Washington St
Marion, IN

Thursday, May 18
Session 1 1:00 – 3:00 pm (EST)
Session 2 5:00 – 7:00 pm (EST)
Broad Ripple Park Family Center
1426 Broad Ripple Ave
Indianapolis, IN

Wednesday, May 24
Session 1 1:00 – 3:00 pm (CST)
Session 2 4:00 – 6:00 pm (CST)
Dean and Barbara White Community Center
6600 Broadway
Merrillville, IN

Wednesday, May 31
Session 1 1:00 – 3:00 pm (CST)
Session 2 5:00 – 7:00 pm (CST)
Evansville Public Library Central
200 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Evansville, IN

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Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do – Best Wishes in Your Retirement!

Two of HCPL’s long-term employees, Ann Crecilius and Nancy Rosenbaum retired in April.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, both had to leave without co-workers being able to wish them goodbye and good luck in person.

Ann Crecelius joined HCPL as a part-time youth services staff member in September of 2003. After years of working in the children’s department she switched to technical services/cataloging where she did an outstanding job. Her supervisor, Bethany Banet, said Ann was teaching her replacement Jennifer Schroering things that Bethany herself didn’t know or realize. Ann was well known for being exact and precise. Staff often described Ann as caring, pleasant and positive.

Nancy Rosenbaum also joined the HCPL youth services staff as part-time summer reading help in June of 1999. Summer came and went and Nancy stayed! With the addition of Nancy to the staff, the library was able to offer toddler programming and outreach to daycares. Nancy worked in youth services until the Lanesville Branch opened in 2009 and she was made the Lanesville lead circ associate. Nancy’s programs, whether storytimes for youth or cooking programs for adults, were always popular. Patrons and staff alike love her sense of humor and gift for gab. Her co-workers at Lanesville had planned to surprise her with a week-long celebration. 

HCPL director Alisa Burch expressed her regards by saying, “Thank you Ann and Nancy! Though we didn’t get to say it in person, your years of hard work and dedication were greatly appreciated. You will be missed. In fact, you already are. Take care. Have fun. Visit often.”

Article by Alisa Burch

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