MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove

Dedication Day Arrives

2012-03-05T19:01:00.000-05:00

Mooresville Public Library

(the Carnegie Building, 1916)

(Photo by J. P. Calvert)

January 27, 1916, was dedication day at Mooresville Public Library. It was the big event in town at the time, as evidenced by the front page of The Mooresville Times (January 28, 1916). Click each image below to enlarge.

Laminated Copy of The Mooresville Times

January 28, 1916 (Vol. 27, No. 14)

I could paraphrase the newspaper articles, but there's something charming about reading accounts contemporaneous to the events described. So please click the images below to read the original stories. If the newspaper clippings appear too small (even after enlarging), then right-click them and select "open link in new tab." You may then go to View on your web browser's menu bar and select "Zoom" (a value of 200% or 400% should suffice).

Reading the original newspaper makes you feel more like you were actually there at the time. This is a historical artifact of enormous importance, because it is the only copy MPL has of the first two pages of that particular Times edition. The microfilm copy in the MPL Indiana Room Collection, which the Indiana Historical Society filmed from paper copies available at the Indiana State Library, omitted the January 28, 1916 issue of The Mooresville Times. Apparently, the State Library did not have a paper copy of that particular edition. So this yellowing, laminated original is the only record MPL has of the Carnegie Library's dedication.

The Carnegie Library was a showcase of Mooresvillian civic pride. The structure sat 40 feet north of the front of an 80-ft.-by-153-ft. lot. The 56 ft.-by-36-ft. building was constructed in an Elizabethan architectural style. The exterior was vitrified fire clay brick (four shades of tan) inlaid using dark brown mortar, with stone trim and twin gables. The original roof was tile.

The Carnegie Library employed a steam heating system and, of course, no air conditioning, which didn't generally exist in 1916 (although American scientists had experimented with A/C as early as the mid-19th century). Interior lighting was semi-indirect, meaning that some were overhanging lights while others were recessed behind wall plating.

The reading room consisted of three adult tables, three children's tables, and two reference tables (for librarians' use). The basement included an auditorium with a seating capacity of 300, which could be utilized by local organizations and school groups for meetings, programs, and events. It was the forerunner of today's MPL Bonita Marley Community Room. In addition, the basement was equipped with a complete kitchenette.

The 4,000 square foot facility initially provided shelving for 6,000 books, which was subsequently increased (during the 1920s) to 8,300 volume capacity. The library's initial collection featured 1,143 books, or less than half the number of volumes currently contained within the MPL Indiana Room (2012). But acquisitions steadily increased, so that, by 1937, the Library housed 8,400 books and had 2,245 borrowers. By 1936, the Library's annual circulation of books was 20,250.

Quick quiz! How many items does MPL currently have in its various collections? Take a wild guess. Well, let's check the latest inventory report. As of this very minute, MPL has 86,232 items in its collections. Were you close? I'd have wagered around 90,000, but then I have access to the reports.

The 1916 Library Board published the Library's policies on cards distributed to the public. These were nicely printed on classy cardstock, which were disseminated when patrons obtained their first library cards.

MPL's First Library Policies (1916)

Inside Pages of MPL's First Library Policies (1916)

MPL Library Board of Trustees & Librarians (1916)

The Library also posted its rules for using the assembly hall downstairs.

Library Rules Governing Assembly Hall (1916)

Now that Mooresville had its own fabulous library, residents of neighboring Morgan County townships were interested to see if they could utilize this valuable community resource. Madison Township residents were the first to seek lending rights to MPL. Did they succeed? Find out next time.

Philanthropy Delivers the Dream

2012-03-05T18:58:00.001-05:00

On January 9, 1913, the Carnegie Corporation formally offered the Mooresville Public Library Board of Trustees a $10,000 grant to construct the town's new library building. This offer was acknowledged on January 17, 1913, when Dr. C. L. Hallam, Secretary of the Library Board, sent the following letter, of which we have a photocopy. (As always, please click the images to enlarge.)

Letter of Acknowledgement of $10,000 Carnegie Grant Offer

From Dr. C. L. Hallam, Library Board Secretary (Later President)

January 17, 1913

Legally speaking, Dr. Hallam's request for a $12,500 grant amount (rather than $10,000) would be construed as a counteroffer. The Carnegie Corporation must have been disinclined to increase the sum, as the Library formally accepted the original $10,000 offer on May 4 & 6, 1915.

Library Board Formally Accepts $10,000 Carnegie Grant Offer

by Resolution (enacted May 4 & 6, 1915).

Why the two-year delay? The Library Board minutes remain silent on this point, but one may make some reasonable inferences, based upon an understanding of how local Hoosier governmental spending was driven at the turn of the 20th century. As part of the grant application process, the Library (and the Town of Mooresville, Indiana) were required to furnish statistics as to how much revenue the library tax levy, which was authorized in May, 1912, would generate for an "annual income" to the library. To make this determination, the town (and Brown Township) government needed to actually collect tax dollars and determine the sustainability of an annual budget from the town (and township) coffers. That meant at least two taxing years (1913-1914) were needed to accurately gauge, or trend, incoming tax revenues. Once this data was compiled, construction began in earnest during 1915, following formal acceptance of Carnegie's offer.

While awaiting the tax revenue reports, the Library Board considered multiple construction bids and proposed contracts for furnishings, supplies, and other resources. Considerable effort was expended to maximize the purchasing value of the $10,000 grant.

Construction began in 1915 and proceeded rapidly. By December 20, 1915, the work was nearly completed. Library Board Secretary D. B. Johnson applied to the Carnegie Treasurer to secure the final $2,000 installment of the $10,000 grant. The Library was formally dedicated a month later.

Consider that $10,000 in 1915 dollars built an entire library for the citizens of Mooresville and Brown Township. Roughly speaking, how much would that sum purchase in today's dollars for our library? Find out by clicking here. [Thanks, Indiana State Library, for furnishing our Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) grant to make that purchase for the MPL Indiana Room.]

In our next installment, we'll attend the library dedication ceremony. Well, sort of.

Andy Gives the Thumbs Up

2012-02-21T16:42:00.000-05:00

The first Mooresville Public Library (MPL) board of trustees held its inaugural meeting on June 21, 1912. The first board members were: Dr. C. L. Hallam and Dr. W. L. Thompson (appointed by the Mooresville Town Trustees); Mrs. W. H. Sage and D. B. Johnson (appointed by the School Board); and Mrs. W. F. Hadley, Pearl Bradley, and H. C. Scearce (appointed by the Morgan County Circuit Court). At its first meeting, the board elected Johnson president; Mrs. Sage, vice president; and Dr. Hallam, secretary.

Dr. William L. Thompson, Mooresville, IN physician (ca. 1920)

One of the Library board's first actions was to recommend that Brown Township (Morgan County) citizens be invited to join the Town of Mooresville in supporting the Library in exchange for lending and use privileges. G. R. Scruggs, Brown Township Trustee, was named ex officio to the Library board, and Mrs. W. H. Henderson served as Brown Township's Library board representative.

G. R. Scruggs (at age 86) (1940)

In 1920 the residents of Madison Township (Morgan County) joined Brown and Mooresville to support and use the Library, but fiscal constraints compelled Madison to withdraw from the arrangement in 1928.

Sarah Scott Edwards, Librarian

First Library Director

Mooresville Public Library

(March 1913-August 1913)

Sarah Scott Edwards Montage

At its next meeting, July 3, 1912, the Library board decided to request funding from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Would a stipend be forthcoming to construct the new library facility? Well, it's sort of a trick question, since we know the Library was, in fact, constructed. Andy gave the thumbs up (well, his foundation did, anyway), and so $10,000 was granted to the Library board to construct its new building at 30 West Main Street. The Town Board had purchased the 80 ft.-by-153 ft. lot in April, 1913. MPL's first librarian (i.e., library director) was Sarah Scott Edwards, who served from March, 1913 to August, 1913.

Helen Hadley Ward, Librarian

Second Library Director

Mooresville Public Library

(August 1913-February 1918)

Andrew Carnegie

American Industrialist & Philanthropist

His Foundation Built 2,509 Libraries (Between 1883-1929)

Helen Hadley Ward, the second librarian (i.e., library director) of Mooresville Public Library, oversaw planning and construction of the new facility. T. L. Bookie, an Indianapolis architect, designed the structure, while construction contracts were awarded to Frank Marine and Charles Ferguson, local general contractors, and Sam Wade, another Mooresville resident, who installed heating, plumbing, and electric. Other local businesses, such as F. E. Carlisle and Wilson & White, provided furnishings.

Sam Wade (1882-1968) at his plumbing shop

on East Main Street, Mooresville, IN

Next time we'll discover the layout of what was commonly known as the Mooresville "Carnegie" Library, which was dedicated on January 27, 1916.

Your Photographic Memories Are Welcome, Too

2012-02-14T14:30:00.001-05:00

Recently we called for patrons to share their memories of the Library as part of our century anniversary celebration. That includes any photographs that you might have of Library programs, events, people, or other activities. If you could include these as email attachments to wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us, we'd appreciate it.

Furor Over Proposed Library Site (Spring 1913)

2012-02-08T10:28:00.002-05:00

We continue sauntering along memory lane with more historical tidbits from a century ago, when the Mooresville Public Library was first established.

Between January and May, 1912, citizens of the Town of Mooresville, Indiana signed petitions to construct a new library building and authorizing tax levies by which to subsidize the project. The Mooresville Town Board adopted a resolution in May, 1912 to levy a library construction tax. At this time, the first Library Board of Trustees was also created.

Further financial developments swiftly followed. In June, 1912, residents of Brown Township, Morgan County were invited to support the Mooresville Library (in exchange for use privileges). In July, 1912, a $10,000 grant application was made to the Andrew Carnegie Foundation to fund building construction. It was this grant that ultimately paid for the town's new library.

Before foundations could be laid, however, there was the important question of where the library should be situated. Between February and April, 1913, there were public discussions on this issue, and the Town Board initially proposed to purchase the land on the east end of West Washington Street, upon which the former Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church had been located. Perhaps you know the place.

Painting of the old Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church

(1839-1882)

West Washington Street, Mooresville, IN
(Click Pictures to Enlarge)

Photo of old M.E. Church

(From p. 28 of A Brief History of Mooresville and Vicinity,

by Almira Harvey Hadley [1918])

2007 photo of the former old M.E. Church site

When this location was initially proposed for the new library, a public furor promptly erupted. This, presumably, was unanticipated by the Town Board, as they apparently felt that this was a "done deal." Not so, said a critically vocal public. Why all the fuss? The site was well-wooded with trees that were nearly as old as the town itself (founded in 1824). What was not to like?

Old Cemetery (active 1829-1889)

located behind the former old M.E. Church site

Behind the old M.E. Church was the old town cemetery, which was active between 1829 and 1889. The town founder, Samuel Moore, was the last person buried there. Proponents of the lot as a library site suggested that the building could sit approximately where the old church had been. The immediate neighbors in the back yard were quiet, in any event, which would be ideal for a library atmosphere. (I'm not joking; this was quite seriously offered as a justification.)

Few public proposals have sparked such vehement controversy in Mooresville. The masses arose, if not with pitchforks and torches, then certainly in elevated voices of protest. "Nobody wants a library next to a cemetery," one prominent townsperson declared at a public meeting. "An air of gloom would descend upon the structure," another citizen stated, "which would both depress and discourage [the library's] use." While everyone respected the deceased buried in Old Cemetery, few wanted a library immediately adjacent to their last resting places.

During March-April, 1913, the Town Board scrambled to secure a more suitable library location. No public revenues were used to purchase land for the library. All monies were privately donated. Thanks to a significant donation from Arthur Newby (of Indianapolis 500 Brickyard fame) and Judge Smith MacPherson, as well as contributions from the general public, a lot was purchased at 30 West Main Street, directly across from the McCracken House, which was a popular inn and restaurant that drew customers from across central Indiana via the Interurban railway.

MPL_flashcard__12_McCracken_House_1-border

McCracken House (1912) on West Main Street, Mooresville, IN

Directly across from the new library site (1913)

Having secured the land for the new library, there remained the question of providing citizens with temporary library services. In March, 1913, a temporary reading room was established on the second floor of the I.O.O.F. Building, which was located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Main and Indiana Streets in downtown Mooresville.

MPL Treasure Trove: I.O.O.F. Buildings (Mooresville, Indiana)

I.O.O.F. Building, downtown Mooresville, IN (ca. 1885)

The townsfolk were quite pleased with the new library lot at 30 West Main Street. But actual construction was yet to come. Actually, the town needed first to hire an architect and general contractor. But none of this could proceed without money, and, for that, the citizens of Mooresville had to await the decision of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.

Share Your Favorite Library Memories

2012-02-08T09:26:00.000-05:00

As part of our Library's 100th anniversary celebration, we invite our patrons to post their favorite library memories in the comments section of this blog. What have been your most memorable library experiences? What have you enjoyed most, or found most helpful? Do you have any funny stories to share? We would enjoy hearing from you about all that and more.

If you would rather tender your comments anonymously or would prefer not to post to the comments section, please feel free to email wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us instead. We would like to quote some of your stories, but we can do so without identifying you, if you would prefer.

Thank you in advance for helping us celebrate our century of continuous customer service.

This Month's Library News (a Century Ago)

2012-01-26T14:24:00.003-05:00

As part of our 100th anniversary celebration during 2012, we will be looking back a century to see what library news was breaking in Mooresville, Indiana.

The proverbial ball was rolling in January, 1912, as concerned citizens were circulating petitions for signature demonstrating public support for construction of a new public library in Mooresville. This public push began in October, 1911. The Friends Aid Society met at the home of Mrs. George Carter to campaign for a new facility. On December 12, 1911, a meeting was held at F. E. Carlisle's furniture store with representatives of local organizations, including the Likely Literary Club, Bay View Club, several churches, the Board of Education, and the school superintendent, A. C. Payne. Carrie E. Scott, librarian and a representative of the Public Library Commission, presided. Enthusiastic support prompted a public meeting on December 18, 1911 at the Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church, which is now the Mooresville Town Government Center. Jacob Dunn, president of the Public Library Commission, and library board members from Plainfield and Martinsville encouraged Mooresville's efforts to reestablish its library. By January, 1912, efforts were well under way to garner public support in town and surrounding Brown Township in Morgan County.

1912 view of West Main Street (looking west from the intersection

with Indiana Street) in downtown Mooresville, Indiana.

The new library would be built on the right,

where the second stand of trees is visible

(Click images to enlarge photos)

In the photo above, the word bank was traced in ink on the sign above the entrance to Farmers State Bank. To see additional photos of downtown Mooresville during this time period, click here and here and here and here. For yet more history about downtown, just browse this blog's archives.

In January and February, 1912, officials of the town government began searching for prospective sites for the new library. Stay tuned to learn some of the surprising possible locations that were initially selected, and the resultant public furor that shaped the final decisions.

McCracken Hotel & Restaurant (1912)

Here's a teaser: The eventual library locale was directly across from this popular restaurant.

Want to take a walking tour of downtown Mooresville? Probably not in January, but here's some information, anyway. Watch our local history trailer, too.

Updated Library History & Timeline

2012-01-18T14:10:00.000-05:00

For our 100th anniversary this year, we have updated our online handout materials summarizing the history of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana). The new documents describe the Library's historical development and furnish a timeline of significant milestones over the century.

History of Mooresville Public Library

A Landmark Century at Mooresville Public Library

For the timeline, you may want to jump around to view the pages in order. (When converted from MS-Excel to PDF format, the pagination scrambled.) The content's all there; now we just have to get it all in the right order.

One Hundred Years of Public Library Services

2012-01-10T00:32:00.000-05:00

This year (2012) marks the 100th anniversary of the citizens (and government) of the Town of Mooresville, Indiana, organizing a library board and authorizing a tax levy toward construction of a new public library. There had been intermittent library service during the 19th century, with a local lending library first established in 1855. But the first municipal effort toward establishing a permanent, ongoing public library began in May, 1912, with passage of the levy and creation of the library board.

Mooresville citizens began to rally for a public library in October, 1911, but it took several months of meetings and displays of public support to entice the Board of Town Trustees to institute fundraising through taxation. Taxes were no more popular a hundred years ago than now, and so it took some effort to garner widespread support from Mooresville residents.

The Library will be celebrating throughout 2012, and our patrons, of course, will be invited to participate. We have enjoyed a century of library service to our community, and we look forward to another century.

Explore the history of MPL (click here).

Redemption After the "War to End All Wars"

2012-01-09T15:32:00.000-05:00

Opposites may attract in electro-magnetism and certain other physics phenomena, but like attracts like in the world of wandering souls. Such is the premise of the novel The Keeper of the Bees, by Gene Stratton-Porter. It is a story of crushed spirits (courtesy of the atrocities of World War I, for the main character) in search of healing and redemption.

This was Hoosier author Stratton-Porter's final novel, which was published posthumously in 1925. Stratton-Porter (1863-1924) probably wasn't expecting this to be her last published work, but it is a fine example of her naturalist writing, with plenty of her moral and ethical perspective infused in the text to satisfy fans. It is a magnificently crafted, superbly written tale of the restorative powers of the human spirit. Once again, her descriptive capabilities, which were typical of her other novels, were the distinctive feature of the story and were unsurpassed here.

Do we have the title available in our online Evergreen Indiana catalog? Naturally. (Get it? Stratton-Porter was a naturalist, so, naturally . . .)

One's Swamp is Another's Paradise

2011-12-18T22:32:00.003-05:00

Hoosier author and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter (1863-1924) wrote many books, but A Girl of the Limberlost (1909) may be her best. The Library's very own feline roving reporter, Cauli Le Chat, reviews the book on her blog, Cat's Eye View @ MPL. It's well worth a cursory perusal.

Microfilm, the 21st Century Way

2011-12-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

The MPL Indiana Room has just acquired a digital microfilm scanner. Now patrons will be able to scan high-resolution images of microfilmed documents, such as old local and county newspapers, magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post (where I once worked), county tax receipts, funeral home records, and other sundry historical documents. The new gadget is a ScanPro 2000, and it comes to us thanks to a generous Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the Indiana State Library.

ScanPro 2000 in Action

Too young to remember microfilm reels? I've got that covered. You can find pictures of anything on the Internet.

Typical Microfilm Reels

Microfilm consisted of miniaturized positive or negative images of photographed documents, such as newspapers, magazines, books, letters, or other printed matter. These had to be projected onto a screen to make the readable, and even then they were sometimes illegible using the old-fashioned light-projection microfilm readers.

Old-Fashioned Light-Projection Microfilm Reader

Old microfilm reading machines shone light through the microfilm, projecting the images onto a screen. The projections were usually sufficiently clear, but there were times when they were fuzzy, too dark, or too light. That was just the nature of the technology, however. One could print (black-and-white) screen images on paper, and these were sometimes blurry or, again, too dark or too light. The machines had focus and dark/light printing controls, and these ordinarily worked moderately well. Sadly, that was not always the case. Again, this was no fault of the machine manufacturers or sellers; rather, it was just the limits inherent in technology that was developed, for the most part, half to three-quarters of a century ago.

Modern digital microfilm scanners take high-resolution digitized images that may be computer-enhanced and saved (in a variety of digital formats) to a computer drive, network drive, or portable USB memory device. The ScanPro 2000 will capture impressively minute details of the microfilmed materials much more clearly than they may be presently printed on paper. It will revolutionize the Library's historical and genealogical research using this storage medium.

Microfilm may be a soon-to-be century-old information storage technology, but it is still usefully functioning and has the advantages of long-term storage capabilities (longer and more reliable, perhaps, than digital computer files). So don't discard your microfilms too soon, libraries out yonder. Our patrons will be enjoying their research value for the foreseeable future.

As for our old microfilm reader, that's a museum piece. There's value in that, too.

William R. Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator

P.S. My colleague, Cauli Le Chat, MPL feline roving reporter, has her particular viewpoint about the Library's new technological acquisition. It's worth your time, as she's a lot funnier than I.

New MPL YouTube Channel Design

2011-12-10T13:41:00.002-05:00

We have a new look on the Library's YouTube Channel. See what you think of it.

"Flat" Dovydas on Video

2011-12-04T18:39:00.001-05:00

"Flat" Dovydas Balčiūnas, our visitor from Vincas Grybas Gymnasium, in Lukšiai, Lithuania, has been enjoying his time visiting the Library and attending the Victorian Christmas celebration yesterday in downtown Mooresville, Indiana.

Like "Flat" Stanley of literary fame, "Flat" Dovydas travels the world in an envelope through the mails. It is an exciting and imaginative way to see the world, and to have the world see you.

My library colleagues like to make videos for the MPL YouTube Channel, and so we decided that "Flat" Dovydas needed a video, or "promo trailer" as we call it. (We also call them "program trailers" when they promote a library program. We've got all kinds of names for our videos!)

Did You Miss Victorian Christmas?

2011-12-04T18:13:00.002-05:00

If you missed the Victorian Christmas Celebration in downtown Mooresville, Indiana yesterday, my colleague, Cauli Le Chat, has taken some digital photographs, and you can see them in her blog, Cat's Eye View (at MPL). Just click the hyperlinks below:

Part One: Reindeer, Music, Horse-Drawn Carriages, and Other Downtown Fun

Part Two: Father Christmas, Old Bicycles, Motorcycles, Stilted Dude, Music, and Much More

Part Three: Bivouac at the Old Carnegie, Slobberdogs, Horseys, and Some History

Our new Lithuanian friend, "Flat" Dovydas Balčiūnas, really enjoyed seeing all the sights, sounds, and excitement at the festivities. Plus there was great food! We all had great fun.

Remember to visit all the wonderful shops in downtown Mooresville, as well as all the businesses in town. You will be amazed at all the interesting things you can find.

Real Reindeer at the Library

2011-12-01T17:15:00.001-05:00

Sammy the Toucan and Miss Jaymi, the MPL Early Literacy Specialists, have prepared a PSA (public service announcement) inviting you and your families to attend the Library's "Animals of the North Pole" program (courtesy of Silly Safaris) during the Victorian Christmas Celebration in downtown Mooresville, Indiana, on Saturday, December 3, 2011.

Who can resist such a cute invitation? Hope to see you Saturday!

2011 ILF Conference Workshop Update

2011-11-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

Twenty-eight librarians walked away with some really cool bags of Cauli Le Chat and Beatrix Butterfly giveaways when they attended a workshop called Animal Odyssey: Marketing With Library Animals at last week's Indiana Library Federation (ILF) Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The workshop was a joint effort between Beatrix Butterfly, Cauli Le Chat, and a couple of librarians from Greenwood Public Library (Greenwood, Indiana) and Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana).

MPL and GPL librarians, along with "Flat" Cauli III, presented a PowerPoint slideshow with some fun videos and cool original music by the MPL composer, Danny Buckley. Courtesy of Greenwood Public Library and Baskets From Junior's Farm, Beatrix gave away a free prize, an official Beatrix Butterfly basket filled with Hershey chocolate bars! Beatrix knows what makes librarians happy.

If you missed the fun at this workshop, or if you'd like a second look, ILF has kindly uploaded our PowerPoint for your perusal. Click here to download a PDF version.

We hope everyone who attended the workshop enjoyed it and was inspired to use "spokescritters" to promote their libraries.

Marketing Libraries Using Animal Spokescritters

2011-10-20T23:03:00.002-04:00

Here is an excerpt from the 2011 Indiana Library Federation (ILF) annual conference program schedule of workshops.

________________________________________________________________________

Animal Odyssey: How Resident Pets Can Market Your Library Through Online Social Networks (1 LEU/1 PGP)

Imagine a public library in a small Hoosier town of less than 2,000 residents. The library’s local cat has his own blog that has 73,000 readers! (It’s Tober, the Thorntown [Ind.] Public Library Cat.) Library resident animals are a powerful, yet often under-utlized marketing and public relations tool, as famously demonstrated by Dewey Readmore Books, the (late) cat at Spencer (Iowa) Public Library, about whom many bestselling books have been written. Learn to use social media, such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, podcasts and YouTube, to give voice to your library pets and, through their unique and humorous perspectives, promote library programs, collections and events. Give you library a global online footprint while patrons (especially kids) enjoy following the antics and insights of your library’s animanls, be they cats, birds, rabbits, other furry mammals, fish or reptiles.

Presenter(s): William R. Buckley, Mooresville Public Library; Janet E. Buckley, Greenwood Public Library

Audience: Public Librarians, School Librarians, Support Staff, Technology, Children’s Librarians,
Cataloging/Reference, Library Trustees, Library Directors, Marketing/Communications

Room: Harrison C

________________________________________________________

If this sounds interesting, and you're planning to attend the 2011 ILF Conference in Fort Wayne next month, we look forward to seeing you at the workshop.

For those attending, as well as those unable to attend, we have an MS-PowerPoint slideshow (presentation file) that is downloadable from 4shared.com. Just click the hyperlink below to access the download site.

http://www.4shared.com/file/KmG4h9tf/ILF_Library_Animal_Workshop_20.html

We have downloading instructions posted to DocStoc.com, which appear embedded below.

MS-PowerPoint Slideshow Downloading Instructions to 2011 ILF Conference Workshop, "Animal Odyssey: Marketing With Library Animals" -

We hope to see you at ILF in November!

October is Family History Month

2011-10-04T16:51:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago, Congress enacted a resolution declaring October to be Family History Month. Visit the Indiana Room at Mooresville Public Library to research your Hoosier roots, particularly from Morgan and Hendricks Counties.

We have several videos promoting family history, genealogy, and local history. We hope you enjoy them.

Prepare to Be Scared Silly

2011-09-29T16:11:00.000-04:00

Miss Suzanne, or Her Spirit?
(Or Just a Blurry Photograph?)

Our favorite Youth Services Librarian, Suzanne Walker, is going to scare you out of your socks! On October 28, 2011, at Mooresville (Indiana) Pioneer Park (8:00-9:00 p.m.), join Miss Suzanne to hear some of the creepiest Halloween stories you have ever heard. These tales of terror will send chills down your spine!

This program is appropriate for grades 4 and up, along with their parents or guardians. It is NOT--repeat, NOT--suitable for younger children. We don't want any tears from tiny tots or early grade schoolers.

Join us, if you dare! Please register online through our website calendar, or call the Library at (317) 831-7323.

Sharing Spooky Halloween Stories

In keeping with the haunted Halloween spirit(s) (just a little ghostly joke there), here's a book trailer of a true-life ghost story collection. Pretty scary!

Click play button (in middle of picture) to start book trailer

2011 Taste of Mooresville Postponed

2011-09-21T09:41:00.001-04:00

Bad news in today's Mooresville-Decatur Times: The 2011 Taste of Mooresville, about which I blogged earlier this month, "has been postponed until further notice due to scheduling conflicts."

The newspaper article continues:

"The Mooresville Kiwanis Club would like to thank the community for the support of this event, and we look forward to a future date for the Taste. For information concerning refunding of tickets sold, contact B.J. Pendill at 317-831-0056."

It Has Been a Great Four Years

2011-09-05T00:53:00.002-04:00

A few days ago, this blog's readership passed 10,000 viewings. Thanks to everybody who has made that milestone possible. We appreciate your interest in what the Indiana Room at Mooresville Public Library (MPL) has to say.

On a personal note, yesterday marked my fourth anniversary working at MPL. It has been a wonderful four years. I've enjoyed it. I hope we have served you well and will continue to do so.

I'd offer cake, but it would be of the cyber variety, which is rather dry and hard to swallow without a nice cool beverage. Speaking of which, I'm off in search of refreshments. Got any change for our vending machines? All proceeds support library programs, which is a sweet deal all around.

Thanks for Following My Blog,

Bill Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian

Taste of Mooresville is Returning Sept. 29

2011-09-03T23:25:00.000-04:00

The seventh annual Kiwanis International Taste of Mooresville will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on September 29, 2011 at Jones Crossing Banquet & Event Center, located on the corner of State Road 67 and Allison Road. The event is sponsored by Franciscan/St. Francis Health.

This is a huge culinary adventure for Mooresville, Indiana. You get to sample the cuisine of over 15 local restaurants and bid on unique auction items. Of course, the real reason for people to attend is to help raise money for local charities, such as Churches in Mission and community youth organizations.

Advanced tickets are $15; you pay $20 at the door the day of the event, so buy yours early and save. Tickets are available at Citizens Bank, First Merchants Bank, HomeBank, M & I Bank, and Regions Bank.

Inside Jones Crossing

You won't want to miss this taste bud treat of the season. If you like auctions, there will be many intriguing items upon which to bid.

Three Years and Counting!

2011-08-25T14:51:00.000-04:00

Today in Library History: On August 25, 2008, the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library in Zionsville, Indiana, became the first library to migrate its online catalog system to the Evergreen Indiana open-source ILS (integrated library system). Seventeen libraries followed by January, 2009, including my Library (in October, 2008). Today, Evergreen Indiana (E.I.) includes a consortium of over 90 public, school, institutional, or research libraries across the state. The E.I. online catalog encompasses over 6.2 million items for 821,000 Hoosier residents.

Happy third birthday, Evergreen Indiana!

To celebrate, here are a few of our E.I. promo trailers and parody videos.

Mooresville Roots & Rhythm Festival (Saturday, August 27, 2011)

2011-08-23T14:14:00.000-04:00

The Mooresville Roots & Rhythm Festival will be held this Saturday (August 27, 2011), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in historic downtown Mooresville, Indiana. Here is the basic info. You should attend if you can. It's a lot of fun! Mooresville Public Library will have a booth, with lots of great giveaway stuff.

Event Dates: August 27, 2011 - August 27, 2011 Location: Mooresville, Indiana

5th Annual Roots & Rhythm Fest CAR,TRUCK, & BIKE SHOW LIVE American, Blues, & Roots Music Delicious FOOD Art & Artist Demonstrations Games & events for the kids! AUGUST 27, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Downtown Mooresville, Indiana. (Main Stree & Indiana Street) Various visual & performing artists, vendors, and food will be in the Hadley Mini-Park area. Sponsored by The Mooresville Revitalization Group. Proceeds from the event benefit downtown revitalization efforts and events such as Victorian Christmas. ____________________________ Contact Rosemary Rogers at 317.437.0102 for information about registration for cars for the event. Contact Jeff Whitney at 317.441.1808 for information about registration for bikes for the event.

ALA Banned Books Week, Sept. 24 Through Oct. 1, 2011

2011-08-15T19:33:00.001-04:00

The American Library Association (ALA) has slated September 24 through October 1, 2011, as Banned Books Week. Visit the ALA website for lots of interesting information about censorship and our freedom to choose what we read. We have a promo trailer for this year's Banned Books Week:

MPL Promo Trailer, 2011 ALA Banned Books Week

We made a video last year for the 2010 event, which you might also enjoy.

MPL Program Trailer, 2010 ALA Banned Books Week

Visit your favorite library (or libraries) to check-out challenged or banned books. You might be surprised to discover some of the works that have been challenged or banned from libraries. It is well worth exploring.

William R. Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian

2011 Old Settlers Parade & Fair

2011-08-08T11:39:00.000-04:00

We have some photos posted from the library's float in this year's Old Settlers Parade and from our booths at the Old Settlers Fair, which began as a picnic in 1870 but morphed into a festival during the 1960s. Click here and here to see the pictures.

Have a Second Helping of Murder Mystery

2011-07-30T19:30:00.000-04:00

October 14 and 15, 2011, may seem like forever into the future, but it's only eleven weeks away. If you're like us at the Library, then the time will just fly past, so we'd better prepare for an entertaining evening.

Do you have a taste for MURDER? Are you good at piecing together clues to find the perpetrator(s)? Can you do this while eating a scrumptious meal? If so, then you won't want to miss the MPL Murder Mystery Dinners in October, presented by Meghan Adams, MPL adult programs coordinator, and the Friends of Mooresville Public Library. The Adult Dinner is October 14; the Teen Dinner is October 15. Everything happens at the Library, and we need you to enjoy the great food and catch the killer(s) before dessert.

Our revised program trailer tells the tale:

Register using the Library's online calendar. More details will be posted on the online calendar as the event dates approach, so you should check back often. Past attendees have raved about this extravaganza. It is THE social event of the Fall season in Mooresville, Indiana. Don't miss it.

What Do You Geek?

2011-07-30T19:13:00.000-04:00

The Indiana State Library (ISL) has launched a Hoosier version of the geekthelibrary.org promotional campaign. Visit the ISL website for lots more information, and click to enlarge the image below.

Mooresville Public Library is participating in the excitement, as our promo trailer suggests.

You can get your geek on at MPL. There is much to geek at libraries. I geek local history, among other things. What do you geek? Let us know.

It Could Be You

2011-07-30T18:57:00.000-04:00

Here is yet another reason to visit Mooresville Public Library's booth in the Community Organizations Tent at this year's Old Settlers Picnic and Festival (at Pioneer Park, Mooresville, Indiana) on August 7-9, 2011. You could win this grand prize, if you sign-up there.

Win This Authentic Buggy Basket

(Includes Vehicle Items Shown--Click to Enlarge)

Sign-Up at the MPL Booth

at the Old Settlers Celebration

August 7-9, 2011

Sorry, but MPL employees, trustees, and their families are not eligible to participate.

Since signing up is free ("no purchase necessary"), then you should try your luck. Somebody has to win; why not you?

Fundraiser for Mooresville Public Library at Zydeco's on August 3, 2011

2011-07-30T18:06:00.001-04:00

What better way to support Mooresville Public Library than by eating great food? Come to the library fundraiser at Zydeco's Restaurant on Wednesday, August 3, 2011. Here's a handy bookmark with the important information you'll need to make your reservation.

MPL Bookmark: Zydeco's Fundraising Night

We hope to see you there. If you're interested in the history of the building Zydeco's currently occupies, check out one of our historic flashcards.

MPL_flashcard__18_Scruggs_Drygoods_1-border

Here's one of our "treasure trove" handouts about Scruggs dry goods store, predecessor to Zydeco's (about 100 years ago) at the same location in historic downtown Mooresville, Indiana.

TreasureTrove-Scruggs-July2008

MPL Program Trailer #21: Cat's Eye View at MPL, a Blog by Cauli Le Chat

2011-06-20T00:02:00.000-04:00

At long last, Cauli Le Chat, MPL feline roving reporter, has her own program trailer on the Library's YouTube Channel. It's about time, we say. Enjoy it with us, won't you? The kitten is adorable.

Wanda of the Golden Dawn

2011-06-11T09:10:00.002-04:00

To help celebrate the 90th birthday of Wanda Potts, MPL Indiana Room Librarian Emeritus, we offer a poem, which we have made into a video (included on our YouTube Channel's Program Trailer playlist, among others). Here's the "video poem."

Here's the poem.

Wanda of the Golden Dawn

Happy 90th, Wanda! We hope you enjoy today's celebration at the Library to which your life's work has been devoted.

P.S. Here are Bob Hope and Shirley Ross singing "Thanks for the Memory" (1938), from the motion picture The Big Broadcast of 1938.

A Birthday Celebration for Mooresville's True Historical Treasure Trove

2011-06-03T01:28:00.001-04:00

Next Saturday (June 11, 2011), Wanda Potts will be celebrating her ~~90th~~ 29th birthday at a party hosted in the Community Room of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana). It is open to the public. Bring the gift of your questions for Wanda. I'll explain presently.

Some of my readers may not know (or know of) Wanda, so allow me to elaborate.

MPL Indiana Room

The MPL Indiana Room and Wanda Potts are interchangeable. Wanda was the Indiana Room Librarian from 1966 to 2002 (although a local newspaper article a decade ago said she started working in that position in 1967, but I think that's slightly off the mark). Virtually EVERYTHING contained in this collection, which is devoted to genealogy as well as state and local history, was assembled by Wanda, with the help of a few assistants and volunteers over the years. Our Library has this material entirely because of her dedication and diligence in preserving the community's historical records. Quite simply, she is the town historian par excellence. No living individual knows as much about the history of Mooresville, Indiana (and surrounding communities) as Wanda.

Wanda Potts (the 1998 Recipient of
the Mooresvillian of the Year Award)

Most of us have some detailed knowledge of our hometowns, especially when we were growing up. But can you tell me what business occupied the southwest corner of a central downtown intersection in your hometown? In 1938? 1913? 1882? 1968? Pick any date you like. Do you remember that level of detail about your hometown? Wanda does. She remembers more historical information about her hometown than most of us retain about our own lives. She is the living, breathing history of Mooresville, and that makes her an invaluable treasure. How do you know where you are if you don't recall where you've been?

Wanda as "Sweet Rosie O'Grady"

(From the 1943 Movie Starring Betty Grable)

Movie Poster (1943)

I wonder if Wanda had Lloyds of London insure her legs for a million dollars, as was done for Betty Grable's legs? I wouldn't be surprised. Those are pretty nice legs, so a library colleague tells me.

How was I able to track down these historical tidbits? You guessed it. Wanda's 3,000-plus vertical files in the Indiana Room Collection had the corroborating details. You just have to know where to look.

Wanda's birthday party will be a joyous affair, with fond recollections of the good ol' days. But we need your help! We want YOUR questions about Mooresville history--questions that only Wanda could answer--to ask her at the celebration. Email your questions to wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us (please type "Questions to Wanda Potts" in the subject line). If you visit the Library, we have a question box (using old-fashioned, but reliable, 3" x 5" note cards--Wanda would appreciate the low-tech approach) on the circular book display across from the new books (for adult readers) bookshelves. Write down your questions and drop those cards into the box. What could be easier?

We hope to see you at Wanda's celebration. There will probably be some food--always a good reason to visit the Library--but, most importantly, you will be sharing the wisdom and life's work of a pillar of our community. That, my friends, is well worth the price of admission, which is free, of course. We are a public library, after all, and the information and research assistance we provide in our Indiana Room Collection is due entirely to Wanda Potts. So, thanks are definitely in order.

Watch our program trailer (above) to see some of the photographs Wanda Potts safeguarded in our historical collections.

Here is another of our program trailers, this one promoting the Library's self-guided walking tour of downtown Mooresville, Indiana, made possible, once again, by Wanda's resources in the MPL Indiana Room.

In this program trailer (above), we learn why Wanda's work is so significant.

One of the number one records of 1939, when Wanda Potts graduated from Mooresville High School, was "Stairway to the Stars," performed by Ray Eberle (vocalist) and Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (recorded June 26, 1939).

William R. Buckley
MPL Indiana Room Historian &
Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

A Tremendous Marketing Force for Public Libraries

2011-05-23T21:01:00.002-04:00

Fans of Tober, the Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library Cat, may have noticed that his blog viewership has now surpassed 80,000. That is an amazing audience for a public library serving a community whose population is well under 5,000 (according to the 2009 estimate, it was 1,627; it was 1,520 in the 2000 U.S. Census). Residents of western Boone County served by TPL certainly have a fabulous library facility, resources, and staff available. But, then, the same could be said for public libraries in general. What makes TPL stand above others is Tober.

Tober the Thorntown Library Cat

promotes a recent booksale

(photo courtesy of Tober's Blog)

The most famous American library cat, Dewey Readmore Books (1988-2006), late of the Spencer (Iowa) Public Library, has millions of readers worldwide, thanks to several bestselling books about Dewey written by librarian Vicki Myron.

Library felines attract a following, which makes them a potent marketing force. They are patron favorites who can promote library programs, events, resources, and activities as effectively, if not more so, than even local or regional human celebrities. As a goodwill ambassador, Tober has no equal in Hoosier public libraries. Tober's online postings are a must-read for his many blog followers. "He" writes clever, imaginative articles that subtly advertise the library and its resources.

Of course, most public libraries do not have resident felines or canines, although reading programs such as Paws to Read have effectively joined patrons and pets to boost reading and literacy. Many public libraries, however, have other types of resident animals, including birds, fish, rodents, lizards, amphibians, and others. These animals, too, could "write" blogs or tweets designed to inform and entertain library users. For instance, Morgan the Library Bunny, at Morgan County (Indiana) Public Library, blogs, tweets, and posts to Facebook.

Public libraries without resident animals may also invoke this critter marketing technique. Cauli Le Chat, feline roving reporter at Mooresville (Indiana) Public Library, has her blog, even though she doesn't live inside the library (rather, she hangs around outside and lives in a nearby neighborhood).

In an age of declining revenues, libraries need innovative strategies to educate and inform the public about their community value. Resident (or non-resident, affiliated) animals may lend their voices, faces, and personalities to charm patrons and advertise library initiatives. Ask yourself: Who would you rather visit at your public library? Tober or a human library representative, such as, say, me? Well, that's not a fair comparison--Tober clearly wins, paws-down--but I think we might all agree that library cats, dogs, rabbits, parrots, or other wildlife would be clear preferences.

Congratulations, Tober, on reaching the 80,000 blog readership mark. I can only dream of having so many blog followers.

William R. Buckley, J.D.

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

The Thirty-Nine Steps at IRT (Read the Book, Too!)

2011-05-05T11:31:00.000-04:00

The 39 Steps, the Tony Award-winning play adapted by Patrick Barlow, based upon an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, began its run at the Indiana Repertory Theatre on April 20 and will be playing through May 13, 2011. Remaining show dates include May 6, 10, 11, 12, and 13. It is billed as a combination of Alfred Hitchcock, who directed the 1935 movie version, and Monty Python's Flying Circus (BBC Television series, 1969-1974). That should deliver plenty of laughs and excitement. If you have never seen a stage production of this mystery/suspense story, now is your chance. Don't miss it.

Sarah Nealis as Annabella in The 39 Steps, now playing at IRT

(Click here to learn more about cast & crew)

Did you know that The Thirty-Nine Steps was first a novel before its stage and screen adaptations? Scottish writer John Buchan presented his mystery/suspense novel The Thirty-Nine Steps in 1915, during World War I's first years. Buchan wrote the book while bedridden--recovering from a duodenal ulcer--and its success skyrocketed the author to the heights of literary popularity. It was the first of five novels featuring Richard Hannay, an action-adventure character whose aplomb, pluckiness, and ingenuity enabled him to escape a continuous series of difficult situations.

Buchan characterized 39 Steps as a "shocker" novel, in which the story's events were so improbable that readers would have to be willing to suspend disbelief and engage the adventure. Readers were certainly willing and able to join the fun. The book was eventually adapted for plays, motion pictures, and television programs. The most famous movie adaptation was undoubtedly director Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 version starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. The movie helped define the thriller genre and introduced a new generation to Buchan's work.

Our book trailer gives a hint of what to expect.

The novel is nearly a century old, but it holds up well and delivers sufficient excitement, adventure, and intrigue to keep the reader turning pages until the end.

If you have an Evergreen Indiana library card, you may place a hold on the book. Click here or here for copies in the E.I. catalog.

Revised MS-PowerPoint Slideshow for E.I. Conference Workshop on May 6, 2011

2011-05-02T19:46:00.000-04:00

For my upcoming workshop at the 2011 Evergreen Indiana Conference, I have revised my MS-PowerPoint slideshow to include an Evergreen Indiana promotional holiday video created by North Webster (Indiana) Community Public Library. To download a free copy of this slideshow, click the hyperlink below.

http://www.mediafire.com/?6q2ez94jk2f2ycy

This hyperlink above will take you to the Media Fire website.

www.mediafire.com

Look for a yellow box to start the download procedure. It looks like this:

Once you have clicked the yellow box link, this window should pop-up:

Select either "open with [Microsoft Office PowerPoint (default)]" or "save file," depending upon which choice you wish to make.

When you attempt to run the MS-PowerPoint Show, this security alert will probably pop-up:

There are Macros and ActiveX controls in the PowerPoint slideshow, so you should choose "Enable the content" and click the OK button. Otherwise, the slideshow may not display properly.

In the slideshow, if the embedded video boxes appear with X's on the PowerPoint slides, this indicates broken hyperlinks. However, the titles of each video (as shown on the slides above the X boxes) are also hyperlinked, so clicking the titles should open a pop-up window playing the videos. Active textual hyperlinks should appear in blue or purple.

Please email the presenter should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest.

National Historic Preservation Month

2011-05-02T18:46:00.003-04:00

May is National (and Indiana) Historic Preservation Month. To learn more about efforts to preserve our historic buildings, places, cemeteries, and cultural resources, please visit the Indiana Department of Natural Resources website.

North Webster (Indiana) Community Public Library has an ingenious approach to spotlighting the importance of historical cemetery preservation. Each year the library holds a cemetery tour, in which personators portray deceased residents by their gravestones. It personalizes the cemetery walk and hammers home the realization that the memories of these folks' lives are a significant weave to the fabric of our collective historical experiences. It is a wonderful way to promote family history and preservation of vital historic sites such as cemeteries. Please enjoy these videos from the 2010 cemetery walk courtesy of North Webster Community Public Library.

"Video/Online Social Networks" Workshop at E.I. Conference--PowerPoint Slideshow Now Available to Download

2011-04-29T15:25:00.003-04:00

Click the hyperlink below to download the MS-PowerPoint slideshow presented during the "Video/Online Social Networks to Promote E.I. & Your Library" workshop at the Evergreen Indiana Conference sponsored by the Indiana State Library on Friday, May 6, 2011. The presenter, William R. Buckley, of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana), has uploaded the slideshow (in MS-PowerPoint Show format) for the convenience of attendees (and others interested) who would like to have a viewable copy with active hyperlinks.

http://www.mediafire.com/?pk31qc1u4qgh7m3

This hyperlink above will take you to the Media Fire website.

www.mediafire.com

Look for a yellow box to start the download procedure. It looks like this:

Once you have clicked the yellow box link, this window should pop-up:

Select either "open with [Microsoft Office PowerPoint (default)]" or "save file," depending upon which choice you wish to make.

When you attempt to run the MS-PowerPoint Show, this security alert will probably pop-up:

There are Macros and ActiveX controls in the PowerPoint slideshow, so you should choose "Enable the content" and click the OK button. Otherwise, the slideshow may not display properly.

In the slideshow, if the embedded video boxes appear with X's on the PowerPoint slides, this indicates broken hyperlinks. However, the titles of each video (as shown on the slides above the X boxes) are also hyperlinked, so clicking the titles should open a pop-up window playing the videos. Active textual hyperlinks should appear in blue or purple.

Please email the presenter at billb@mooresville.lib.in.us should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest.

You Could Look It Up

2011-04-28T16:38:00.002-04:00

In 1941 James Thurber wrote an amusing short story called "You Could Look It Up," in which a three-foot tall adult was a pinch-hitter in a baseball game, just so he could be "walked" (because the pitcher couldn't fathom the strike zone in someone so diminuitive). This ploy was actually used in 1951 by the St. Louis Browns, with Eddie Gaedel, at 3 feet, 7 inches, going to bat (once in his major league career) against the Detroit Tigers.

There are many such curious historical tidbits lost to conventional histories. Ripley's Believe It or Not has been a long-standing staple because of readers' appetites for the obscure, unusual, and peculiar. Indiana has its own version of Ripley's in Indiana's Believe It or Not, by Fred D. Cavinder (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990). Interestingly, the book was republished under the title Amazing Tales From Indiana (1990), prompting me to suspect that Ripley's may have threatened a lawsuit (or perhaps filed one) for trademark infringement. Whatever the title, the book is a gem of Hoosier historical minutiae. Its success brought forth a sequel, More Amazing Tales from Indiana (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003), in which Cavinder delighted readers with more surprising historical facts that people probably didn't learn when studying Indiana history in the third or fourth grades.

Cavinder, who was an Indianapolis Star reporter for over three decades and editor of the Star Magazine for 16 years, handles the stories deftly with an entertaining and engaging prose. Each story is short and sweet (most are less than a page in length), and the scope and variety will easily hold your attention.

Let's test your knowledge of obscure Hoosier history:

Which Indiana county has the highest elevation?

I once lived there, so I know the answer, as will many of my readers. But, in case you haven't had time to search the Internet for the answer, Cavinder tells us: Randolph County, from or near which originate many Hoosier streams and rivers.

(Almost) President John W. Davis

Dr. John W. Davis, of Carlisle, Sullivan County, Indiana, was a compromise candidate at the 1852 Democratic national convention. He lost to Franklin Pierce by a single vote. Pierce, as the Democratic candidate, won the election and became the country's 14th president. It could just as easily have been Davis, which would have given Indiana a second holder of that prestigious office (Benjamin Harrison was the Hoosier state's sole American president; William Henry Harrison, his grandfather, was from Virginia).

Where (and when) could you find magnetic water in Indiana?

If you had lived during the 1870s, you might have visited Jim Bailey's homestead near Plymouth, Indiana. His water well produced an estimated 500 gallons a minute, and metallic objects became magnetized when placed into the water. A compass needle would be affected if held within two feet of a bucket of Bailey's "attractive water."

Whose grave was in the center of a Hoosier highway?

Nancy Barnett, who settled with husband William in Johnson County, Indiana, around 1821, lived on three acres of land near Sugar Creek. When she passed, she was buried, pursuant to her last wishes, overlooking the creek. As the decades passed, highway construction forced removal of the cemetery's graves--except for Nancy's. Descendants of Nancy Barnett fought governmental projects for many years, and Cavinder included a photograph in the 1990 edition of his book showing Nancy's grave, complete with an official state historical marker, sitting in the middle of County Road 400 South (what was once Hill's Camp Road). The road separates into two tracks to accommodate the interment.

Cavinder delights readers with dozens of similar historical tales. If you are interested in Hoosier history and enjoy the offbeat and peculiar, then look for Cavinder's books (the ones mentioned above, plus many, many others about Indiana) at your public or school library.

The End of a Landmark (1881-1989)

2011-04-23T14:28:00.006-04:00

On the northeast corner of the intersection of Main and Indiana Streets in downtown Mooresville, Indiana, which was the site of Samuel Moore's general store (1824-1859), was built the first Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) building (1859-1881). Destroyed by fire in 1881, it was rapidly replaced by the second I.O.O.F. Building, which housed a variety of businesses and organizations over nearly a century, including the I.O.O.F. Morgan Lodge #211 (1859-1920s), Pleas Mills Dry Goods (ca. 1890s-1930s), Kroger Grocery (1940s), and Tompkins Jewelry (1950s). Most of the structure was demolished in the mid-1960s, but a portion of the first floor was salvaged and continued to host businesses until 1989, when the last of the second I.O.O.F. Building fell to demolition.

Thanks to Jack Broyer, we have photographs of I.O.O.F. Building #2's last day. (All photos are dated April, 1989).

Warren Insurance was the final occupant of the remnant of the second I.O.O.F. Building. The remaining structure was demolished in April, 1989.

A front end loader/backhoe brings down the last vestiges of I.O.O.F. Building #2. Notice the businesses (in April 1989) across North Indiana Street in downtown Mooresville

Citizens Bank was (and still is) located immediately north of the demolished structure (on North Indiana Street in downtown Mooresville)

Note the dedication stone commemorating Samuel Moore's general store, which was the first wood-frame business in Mooresville and was situated at this location (1824-1859). The stone remains at the site, which today is Hadley mini-park.

A surprisingly tall pile of rubble left by the demolished one-story remnant of the second I.O.O.F. Building

Looking south toward East Main Street in downtown Mooresville. The building visible across the street was constructed in the 1890s by George W. Bass and was home to Citizens Bank from 1931 to 1966.

The MPL Indiana Room has some digitized materials (see below) that summarize some of the history of the site.

MPL Treasure Trove: I.O.O.F. Buildings (Mooresville, Indiana)

MPL Treasure Trove: Mooresville Moments (1999): I.O.O.F. Buildings

ILF District 8 Library Video Workshop (April 27, 2011): MS-PowerPoint Slideshow

2011-04-21T23:50:00.003-04:00

Click the hyperlink below to download the MS-PowerPoint slideshow presented during the "Trailers Rock" workshop at the Indiana Library Federation (ILF) District 8 Conference held on April 27, 2011. The presenters, Suzanne Walker and William R. Buckley, of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana), have uploaded the slideshow (in MS-PowerPoint Show format) for the convenience of attendees (and others interested) who would like to have a viewable copy with active hyperlinks.

http://www.mediafire.com/?l8fxa55b8mm1d4l

This hyperlink above will take you to the Media Fire website.

www.mediafire.com

Look for a yellow box to start the download procedure. It looks like this:

Once you have clicked the yellow box link, this window should pop-up:

Please email the presenters at wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest.

1949 Soup Box Derby Competition in Downtown Mooresville, Indiana (UPDATED)

2011-04-20T13:47:00.008-04:00

The Library recently received a donation of an undated photograph of a Soup Box Derby competition, which was held in downtown Mooresville, Indiana. (SOUP box? Isn't it called "Soap Box Derby"? Not this one--I'll explain presently.) When and where did this event occur? There are several suggestive clues in the photo. Can you see them?

Undated Photograph Purported to be Downtown Mooresville, Indiana

A comparison to a more current photograph (see below) of downtown Mooresville enables us to positively identify the buildings in the picture above to be the south side of East Main Street, in downtown Mooresville. So location is definitely nailed down; but what about time period?

The spectators' clothing and hairstyles are suggestive of the 1940s, although a small town such as Mooresville would have seen similar styles well into the late 1950s and early 1960s. The businesses occupying various downtown buildings, all of which still stand today, are a solid method of establishing date ranges. Knowing, for example, that, during the 1940s, Voelz & Son Market was located in the Jake Mann-constructed building shown in the photo is extremely helpful. Mooresville Homes & Auto Supply was nearby Voelz during the late 1940s and into the 1950s. So we may narrow our date range between, say, 1947 and 1952.

Fortunately, the MPL Indiana Room Collection has approximately 2,500 vertical files detailing local, county, and state history. These files were assembled over the Library's 100 year history (and earlier, from information saved by thoughtful residents who later donated them to the Library). The librarian most responsible for compiling and safeguarding these rare, irreplaceable historical materials was Wanda Potts, MPL Indiana Room Librarian (1966-2002), who was Assistant Director during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Helping Wanda amass this historical gold mine were MPL Director Bonita Marley (1961-1984), her assistant, Myrtle Keller (1960s-1970s), and current MPL volunteer Beth Hensley.

Among our vertical files is one captioned "Soap Box Derby (Mooresville)," which includes a packet of undated photographs that include a smaller print of the photo above. Happily, the packet is marked "1949 Soap Box Derby" (yes, the file tab and photo packet both say "soap box derby," but that's a mistake, as we will see shortly), and newspaper clippings from 1949-1950 reprinted some of these pictures contained in the packet.

Thanks to the resourcefulness of Wanda Potts and her colleagues, we may definitively date the donation photo above to the 1949 Soup Box Derby race. We know from the newspaper clippings (Mooresville Times, July 7, 1949) that Bud Beasley, who drove the Gibbs Regal Store car, won the Class A Division. (Gibbs Regal was a local grocery store at the time.) The Class B Division title was captured by Larry Laudig. Ray House, who was the timer at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was the official starter for the Derby. Beasley edged Laudig for the grand championship title.

Compare the 1949 photo above with a more recent picture (May 8, 2008) of the same section of downtown Mooresville (below).

A Portion of the South Side of East Main Street,

Downtown Mooresville, Indiana (May 8, 2008)

Soup or Soap? Another Mystery

The Mooresville Times over the years used both "soap" and "soup" in articles about the races. It was referred to as the "Soup Box Derby" in the July 7, 1949 edition. The local newspaper referred to both the 1949 and 1950 races as "soup box derby" events (Mooresville Times, July 27, 1950). Local reporters mentioned the "1953 Soup Box Derby" in a newspaper article (Mooresville Times, Aug. 6, 1953).

The 1934, 1935, and 1965 races, however, were identified as "Soap Box Derby" contests. (Mooresville Times, Aug. 6, 1934; Aug. 22, 1935; July 22, 1965). So what's the difference?

Thanks to alert reader Larry Laudig, who won the 1949 Class B Division Title and was runnerup that year for the grand championship title, we know who "put the soup" in the derby racers. As Mr. Laudig mentioned in our comments section, in 1949 Mooresville was running a local race that was not affiliated with the National Soap Box Derby competition. The name was presumably trademarked, and so Mooresville officials changed their local event to the Soup Box Derby. It is a catchy title, if you think about "souped up" (i.e., fast-running) cars. "Souped up" was certainly a commonly used expression in the vernacular of the time period.

Based upon the newspaper accounts from 1950 and 1953, the races held during those years must also have been unaffiliated with the National Soap Box Derby, and so explains the name differential.

Careful reading of the newspaper clippings cited above also reveals why the 1934-1935 and 1965 races were called "Soap Box Derby." The 8/6/1934 Times story stated that "Raymond Kerns, living about 3-1/2 miles southwest of Mooresville in the Bethseda neighborhood, won the Indianapolis All American Soap Box Derby." The 7/22/1965 Times column said that Mark Marksbary, then a Mooresville High School sophomore, won the 28th annual Bloomington Soap Box Derby and competed in the national races. One may presume that these events, held in Indianapolis and Bloomington, were affiliated with the national Soap Box Derby organization and therefore were permitted to use the "official" soap box derby name.

Many thanks to Mr. Laudig for alerting us to this important distinction! We appreciate receiving first-hand knowledge of historical events, which we can then trace through the secondary source historical materials available at Mooresville Public Library (in the Indiana Room Collection) to assure that correct details are provided.

Samuel, Meet Samuel

2011-04-20T09:38:00.000-04:00

Recently, our Library's Youth Services Department conducted our annual chick hatching experiment, about which you may have read in our hatching chicks blog. A record number of chicks hatched this year, and each hatchling received its own special name. One chick was called Samuel, after Samuel Moore, the founder of Mooresville, Indiana. (You may read more about founder Samuel in past postings on this blog. Use the search line in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.)

Recently, Suzanne Walker, M.L.S., MPL Youth Services Librarian and Head of the YS Department, posted an update about Samuel (the chick). In one of the photos, Samuel (again, the chick) held himself with great dignity and self-assurance. Along with the white feathers under his chin and on his chest, the picture reminded me of Samuel Moore's photograph in our Indiana Room Collection, in terms of posture and dignified manner. Compare for yourself.

Samuel (the founder) had a sense of humor, despite the seriousness of his expression in the photograph, so I think he would have been amused at the similarities with Samuel (the chick).

2011 Tri-Kappa Art Show on Display at MPL

2011-04-19T16:27:00.001-04:00

This week the 2011 Tri-Kappa art show has been on display at Mooresville Public Library. Students from public and private primary and secondary schools serving the communities of northern Morgan County, Indiana, presented their artistic creations for our enjoyment and education. There is much fine work to see.

There were too many pictures (35) of the artwork to upload directly onto this blog, so we have uploaded them instead to the Library's Flickr.com account, which you may access by clicking the hyperlink below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mpl46158/

We hope you enjoy this wonderful art exhibition. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by my Library this week to see these expressive creations in person.

P.S. Since art is so colorful, here is Donovan singing his hit single "Colours" (1965). Donovan (Donovan Leitch, Litt.D., University of Hertfordshire, 2003) was known in his early career as the "Scottish Woody Guthrie," and his impact of 1960s music (folk, folk rock, and folk jazz fusion) can scarcely be exaggerated.

Complete Our Adult Programming Survey

2011-04-12T14:49:00.001-04:00

Our patrons' feedback is important to us. Throughout the year we offer patrons an opportunity to complete surveys on various topics concerning our collections and services. We just completed a computer lab survey, and we would like to thank everyone who shared ideas.

We are now conducting an adult program survey to see which types of programs our patrons would like to have offered at our Library. These may be obtained by visiting the Library and asking at the Circulation Desk. The survey form is shown below, which you may click to enlarge.

2011 MPL Adult Programs Survey

(Available at the Library Circulation Desk)

Take a moment during your next visit to pick-up and complete this important survey. We want to improve the quantity and quality of our services, and you can help us focus our adult programming to best satisfy your wants and needs.

Bill Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us

P.S. In another of our Library blogs, our feline roving reporter, Cauli Le Chat, closes most of her posts with a music video tied to something discussed. I'd like to give that a try, too. In keeping with our survey theme, here is "The Opinions of Paddy Magee," a mid-19th century Irish folk song performed by David Kincaid.

New Blog Features

2011-04-11T12:26:00.000-04:00

We have added some new features to this blog. (For a more humorous description, take a look at our feline roving reporter's blog, Cat's Eye View @ MPL, by Cauli Le Chat.)

You may now subscribe to this blog by email. There is an email subscription box on the right side. Simply type your email address and click the submit button.

We have also added a video thumbnail strip hyperlinking some of our videos from the MPL YouTube Channel. Simply click the thumbnail, and a video pop-up window will appear to the left.

We hope you enjoy these additional blog features. If you would like to see other "Blogger gadgets" added to the blog, please let us know in the comments section.

Thanks for reading!

Bill Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

CONTENTdm, Metadata, and Old Settlers History

2011-04-11T11:46:00.001-04:00

In S631 Advanced Cataloging, students at the IUPUI School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS) are learning to use CONTENTdm software to create metadata for digitized images. For you library folks out there, CONTENTdm is an OCLC product, so I imagine subscriptions must not be cheap. (This is why I forgot everything from a CONTENTdm workshop I took in 2008 at INCOLSA--my Library couldn't afford to subscribe.) However, CONTENTdm is easy to use, quite flexible, and it organizes uploaded or linked materials (and their associated metadata) rather nicely. For my project, I have assigned metadata to Old Settlers Picnic & Festival (Mooresville, Indiana) photos and videos from the MPL Indiana Room Collection. Want to see? Just click the URL below:

http://class11026.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=%2Fp11026coll5

[UPDATE (7/8/2011): It looks like OCLC or the course instructor has taken down the class postings for this CONTENTdm assignment. So the link will "time-out," which means you can't see the project. That's too bad.]

Need more information about metadata, including definitions? Try this manual published by the National Information Standards Organization (NISO). If you'd like to learn more about CONTENTdm, please visit the OCLC web site. You might also like to watch one of OCLC's videos.

Bill Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

MPL 100th Anniversary Original Logo & Flag Design Contests

2011-04-07T13:48:00.000-04:00

May, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Mooresville Public Library. We have many ideas for a year-long celebration. Here are a couple:

commemorative 100th anniversary library logo
commemorative 100th anniversary library flag

But we need truly fabulous designs. That's where you come in.

MPL 100th Anniversary Original Logo Design Contest
Announcement & Rules
(Right-click & select "Fullscreen" to see enlarged version)

In case the embedded graphic above becomes weird and "unviewable," here's the URL:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/75582306/MPL-100th-Anniversary-Original-Logo-Design-Contest

MPL 100th Anniversary Original Flag Design Contest
Announcement & Rules
(Right-click & select "Fullscreen" to see enlarged version)

Here's the URL, if this document (above) is hard to read:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/75582308/MPL-100th-Anniversary-Original-Flag-Design-Contest

If you are a . . .

Morgan County, Indiana resident, and
Graphics designer (or wannabe) interested in submitting your original logo and/or flag designs

. . . this is your chance at immortality and fame (sorry, no fortune, although there will probably be prizes awarded to the winning selections.) As the "official rules" indicate, email PDF formatted original designs to me. An independent committee of qualified experts (probably not me) will evaluate your submissions, which become the sole property of the Library upon submission and cannot be returned.

Make a lasting contribution to Mooresville, Indiana (and MPL) history. Design the commemorative logo and/or flag to help us celebrate 100 years of excellent library service.

Bill Buckley
MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services
Mooresville Public Library
wecare@mooresville.lib.in.us

Celebrating National Library Week (April 10-16, 2011): Presenting Our New Program Trailer

2011-03-31T11:11:00.000-04:00

Continuing our anticipated celebration of National Library Week (April 10-16, 2011), we present our program trailer that forecasts a foreboding future if folks forget (what great alliteration!) how important libraries are to their everyday lives. Although library services appear to be "free," they must be funded, and in the case of public libraries or academic libraries at public institutions, we taxpayers must pony up the cash. That's not a popular theme these days, but it is important to remember what happens to governmental services when the money stops. It is a mistake to take these things for granted.

National Library Week is April 10-16, 2011

2011-03-30T11:36:00.000-04:00

National Library Week is April 10-16, 2011. You should celebrate by reading, and then, to relax, read some more. You could also read while you're waiting for the week to arrive.

The slogan for this year is "visit your library today and create your own story." Quoting further from the official American Library Association (ALA) poster:

Today’s libraries can help you discover a new and exciting world. Take advantage of the free access to books and computers, homework help, assistance with resumes and job searches, accurate financial information, adult education courses, support for new Americans, CDs, DVDs and much more. Don’t forget, your librarian is information smart and can help you find the right answer @ your library.

Visit the American Library Association (ALA) web site to read more about National Library Week. April is School Library Month, too, so students, visit your school library, as well as your public library.

You may download the official ALA National Library Week poster from here. Author John Grisham is honorary chair. Our Library has a couple of unofficial posters, featuring our feline roving reporter, Cauli Le Chat, and her "cub" reporter, Harley Quinn (along with the "Lady With the Red Hair"). Click on the images below to enlarge them.

Census & Demographic Information (and More) for Mooresville, Indiana

2011-03-26T15:48:00.000-04:00

If you are researching census and demographic information, weather, population, education, and other information pertaining to Mooresville, Indiana, you should take a look at the following resources:

City Data, Inc. web page for Mooresville, Indiana;
Profiles of Indiana (Grey House Publishing, 2d ed., 2010) (MPL Call No. I REF 317.72 IND)

These resources contain a wide variety of statistical and textual information about Mooresville, Indiana, and includes some material on Morgan County, Indiana.

Old Settlers Parade, Picnic & Fair is August 7-8-9, 2011

2011-03-15T11:03:00.001-04:00

Each year we are asked when the Old Settlers Parade, Picnic & Fair will be held at Pioneer Park in Mooresville, Indiana. This year's dates are August 7, 8, 9, 2011. We post this information now so that interested persons searching the Internet will find it.

Search our past blogs (using the search bar located in the upper left-hand corner of the blog screen) for articles concerning Old Settlers. We have a few local history videos and book trailers pertaining to the subject. We reprise a couple below.

March 12 is Genealogy Day

2011-03-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

Today (March 12) is Genealogy Day. If you have never explored the wonderful, engaging, and surprising maze that is your family history, there is no better day than this to begin your investigations.

Our library has prepared various program trailers pertaining to genealogical and local history research, which we offer for your enjoyment.

Our library's YouTube Channel has a local history & genealogy playlist that includes several historical videos and program trailers, if you would like to watch them.

On Saturday, October 22, 2011, from 9:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M., the Indiana State Library will be hosting the Indiana Genealogy & Local History Fair. The event is open to the general public, and admission is free. Vendors interested in securing space may review the materials below.

Collection Deselection: Weeding, or a Great Name for a Rock-and-Roll Band?

2011-03-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

Deselection is the opposite of acquisition in library collection development. To make room for new books, one must discard old, outdated, dilapidated, worn-out, and damaged materials. Since time immemorial, this process has been called weeding by librarians, but somehow deselection sounds less drastic. It is a term generated from the politically-correct culture, which engenders a belief that expressions must be softened so as not to offend someone. I can certainly understand the desire not to offend, but I must concur with Professor William Strunk when he advised his English students (including famous author E. B. White) at Cornell University nearly a century ago to carefully choose, and use, the right word to best express one's meaning.

Consequently, I prefer the term weeding to describe the process of thinning library collections. After three and one-half years at our library, during which time I had weeded approximately a half dozen books, I have decided to apply my collection development learning (from last semester's library course on this subject) to best advantage. Thus far, a bunch of books have been weeded. (But see * paragraph below.) They will be available later this year in book sales sponsored by the Friends of the Library (FOL). Meanwhile, they must be removed from the library's ILS (integrated library system)--what once was the card catalog--and then transferred to FOL for sales preparations.

Why was weeding necessary for the MPL Indiana Room Collection? We had absolutely no more shelf space, plain and simple. No room was available to shelve newly-secured items, and so tough choices must be made. What stays and what goes is always a difficult process, but fortunately we have detailed criteria from which to make rational deselection decisions.

If you stop by the Indiana Room, you will see the progress we're making, and there will now be plenty of expansion room for acquisitions. That's good news, because you can never have too many books.

William R. Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian & Reference Coordinator, Adult Services

* Paragraph: Should it say "a bunch of books have ..." or "a bunch of books has ..."? Since bunch is singular, traditional English usage calls for a singular verb, e.g., has. (The preposition of books is ignored when considering subject/verb number agreement.) However, modern English usage favors the interpretation of bunch as a collective noun, thereby requiring a plural verb, e.g., have. This is nicely analyzed in the University of Pennsylvania's Language Log (Jan. 13, 2007). This illustrates that grammarians truly have way too much free time on their hands.

Black History Month: Spotlight on Hoosier Bicyclist Major Taylor

2011-02-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

Check out our earlier blog about Major Taylor, world champion Hoosier bicyclist. Our book trailer below gives a brief summary of one of his biographies.

Pioneers: Westward Bound, and Closer to Home

2011-02-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Horace Greeley (1811-1872), New York Tribune editor, is often credited with coining the phrase, "Go West, young man," since he included it in an 1865 editorial. The phrase actually originated with John B. L. Soule, who used it in his 1851 editorial in the Terre Haute (Indiana) Express. The correct phrase is, "Go West, young man, and grow up with the country."

Throughout the 19th century, hundreds of thousands of pioneers travelled westward across the American plains and mountains. Many followed the Oregon Trail and the Sante Fe Trail, among others, and these journeys were long, brutal, and rugged. Our book trailer below features a popular children's book that recounts some of the adventures along the Oregon Trail.

Closer to home and a few decades earlier than the "Oregon Trailers," there were pioneers who left the eastern American states across the Appalachian mountains to settle in Morgan County, Indiana. Many came from North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. They sought the inexpensive lands promised by the federal government--lands surveyed according to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787--and the further prospects of independence, wealth, and personal freedoms.

Those early Morgan County and Mooresville, Indiana pioneer days are recounted in several books, including:

The Pioneers of Morgan County: Memoirs of Noah J. Major. (S. Cline, ed. & comp.) Indianapolis: Edward J. Hecker, 1915; republished by the Morgan County History & Genealogy Association (2006).

Fogleman, Margaret W. Early Mooresville: Centennial Souvenir, 1824-1924 (1924).

Matthews, John. Ye Early Pioneers (1875), reprinted in Fogleman, op. cit.

Hadley, Almira Harvey. A Brief History of Mooresville and Vicinity (1918).

Each of these titles is available at Mooresville Public Library through the Evergreen Indiana library consortium.

Modern Hoosiers can hardly imagine what it must have been like for these hardy folks to settle this territory, with its unbroken forests that stretched literally from Ohio to Illinois. Using hand tools and the strength of humans, livestock, and horses, they cleared the trees and cultivated the soil. My own family's settlers told of cut-down trees large enough for a team of oxen or horses AND wagon to stand upon a single stump. Can you imagine majestic oaks or sycamores, some nearly a thousand years old, with circumferences so large that a classroom full of children could hold hands and barely encircle the trunks? Those were true pioneers, and, thanks to them, we live today in places they settled and towns they founded. It would truly be a privilege to shake their hands and express our gratitude. This is why I sometimes visit the old town and county cemeteries and sit in quiet contemplation, silently expressing my thanks to the spirit of these people from whom some of us are descended.

MPL Book Trailer #90: Pioneer Cat, by William H. Hooks & Charles Robinson (Illustrator)

2011-01-23T13:59:00.000-05:00

Speaking of pioneers, as we are about to, our book trailer for Pioneer Cat (below) features an instrumental version of the folk song Old Settlers, music written by Daniel E. Buckley, MPL composer.

Pioneer Cat, written by William H. Hooks and illustrated by Charles Robinson (Random House Books for Young Readers, 64 pages, 1988) (ISBN 039482038X), is a children's book in the Stepping Stone Series.

Nine-year-old Kate Purdy and her family leave St. Joseph, Missouri, bound for the Oregon Trail and westward migration. Kate finds a cat and decides to keep her. So the cat and her kittens become stowaways, for whom Kate and her new friend, Rosie, must secretly care. Along the journey, Kate and her new friends, both feline and human, and her family (as well as the other families traveling together) must overcome a staggering array of obstacles, hardships, setbacks, and surprises. The pioneers must learn to interact with Native Americans, in addition to wild animals and nature's most rugged, rigorous landscapes. It is truly an adventure like no other, and young readers will enjoy taking the trip vicariously with Kate and her companions.

School Library Journal recommends the book for readers ages 9-12, while Publisher's Weekly gauges the audience to be ages 8-10.

Morgan County, Indiana Historical Resources, Part #1

2011-01-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

Middle-aged patrons who visit the MPL Indiana Room to research county history frequently say that they couldn't have cared less about the subject when they were younger, but now that they have reached their forties, fifties, or sixties, their curiosity about their county history has blossomed. So they arrive, looking for introductions.

An excellent starter resource for Morgan County, Indiana history is Morgan County (2007), one of Arcadia Publishing's Postcard History Series, written by Joanne Raetz Stuttgen and Curtis Tomak. This book is a collection of historical postcards and photographs from roughly the last 125 years. It is divided into geographical sections, each focusing upon a Morgan County community or area for which these images have survived. The visual history is enjoyable and provides a smooth introduction to life as it was once lived in this part of central Indiana. Copies are readily available from online booksellers or various Hoosier public libraries (see bottom of next paragraph).

Another fine compilation of historical anecdotes for Morgan County, Indiana is Morgan County Scrapbook, volumes I-II (1985; reprinted, 1996), edited and compiled by Becky Hardin, who was the county historian at the time of publication. The first volume is a collection of historical snapshots for various communities in the county, examining primarily business and cultural history, with prominent persons highlighted. Each geographically defined section features short articles that include reproduced newspaper clippings and photographs along with commentary. Volume two concentrates upon schools and churches. There is a substantial amount of county history available in this set, and anyone interested in researching the subject should be sure to peruse these resources, which are available at Mooresville Public Library, Morgan County Public Library, Plainfield-Guilford Twp. Public Library, Greenwood Public Library, and the Indiana State Library (among libraries in the Evergreen Indiana integrated library system). Copies may be purchased from the Morgan County History & Genealogy Association.

If you live (or have ever lived, or plan to live) in Morgan County, Indiana, you will find that it has a rich, extensive, and interesting history spanning two centuries. Beneath the surface of everyday life, there is much from the past awaiting your discovery and exploration.

Precipitated Spirit Paintings, the Bangs Sisters, & Camp Chesterfield, Indiana

2011-01-19T20:15:00.000-05:00

Psychic mediumship has become a more socially acceptable topic, at least for the popular media. Books, television programs, movies, and web sites devote considerable attention to the subject. Although scientific materialism, which discounts survival of bodily death, and so-called "mainstream" religions continue to disparage psychic phenomena, millions of people entertain at least a casual interest in the subject. Much of this criticism has been directed toward spiritualism, which became a religious movement over 150 years ago and has endured critics, many professing "the truth" of alternative faiths. Religions have a long history of sniping at one another, and, unfortunately, so does science, which itself can become a religion (commonly called scientism, which is a belief in certain scientific viewpoints as a matter of faith rather than veridical evidence). True science, of course, openly and objectively considers the facts based upon experiment and careful observation of data, regardless of preconceptions or prevalent theories.

Today is not unlike a century ago, when millions actively believed in survival of bodily death and communication with the departed. Then, as now, these pursuits were ridiculed by establishment science, with its reductionist, materialistic interpretation of life and death. Unlike today, however, the press ofyesteryear brutally attacked those inquiring into psychic phenomena. Only the most courageous scientists and investigators publicly studied the matter and published their results.

Two organizations that attracted some of the last two centuries' brightest minds were the British Society for Psychical Research and its American counterpart. Some of the most brilliant scientists of the period--Alfred Russel Wallace, Oliver Lodge, William Crookes, William Barrett, Camille Flammarion, Charles Richet, Cesare Lombroso, Gustave Geley, and William James, to name just a few of the intellectual cream-of-the-crop--investigated paranormal activities for decades, carefully scrutinizing the evidence, remaining skeptical but open-minded (for the most part), until, finally, after (it bears repeating) decades of intensive research, they were ultimately convinced of the reality and genuineness of the phenomena. Many academics, such as Frederic W. H. Myers, Richard Hodgson, and James Hyslop, as well as prominent authors, such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Hamlin Garland, and Maurice Maeterlinck, and other professionals, such as Vice-Admiral W. Usborne Moore, the Rev. William Stainton Moses, and the Rev. Charles L. Tweedale, devoted enormous time and energy to psychical research. They, too, reached favorable conclusions regarding the truth and authenticity of certain of the paranormal phenomena they encountered. Along the way, these researchers and many others also discovered fraud and were prompt to discredit charlatans; but all were equally prompt to admit that they had witnessed bona fide paranormal phenomena. This pioneering exploration of psychical science has been all but forgotten today, but anyone interested may easily ferret reprints of the fascinating original publications.

One expression of mediumistic power is the spontaneous production of paintings attributed to spirit forces. The Bangs sisters of Chicago were carefully studied by Vice-Admiral W. Usborne Moore, and he received convincing proof, under ideal test conditions, that portraits of deceased persons could be rapidly painted by "spirit forces" in the sisters' presence. Usborne Moore, who began his study totally skeptical, stated in his book, Glimpses of the Next State (London : Watts & Co., 1911), that fraud or collusion could be absolutely excluded as an explanation for the Bangs sisters' precipitated portraits, given his stringent precautions in place during the creation of the artwork.

The sisters' paintings were created at many places, including a Hoosier religious community, Camp Chesterfield (Chesterfield, Indiana), which is located in Madison County and appears on the National Register of Historic Places. Many Bangs precipitated spirit portraits are displayed there. A few of the paintings may be seen in The Bangs Sisters and Their Precipitated Spirit Portraits, originally compiled and written by Irene Swann (Chesterfield, Ind. : Hett Memorial Art Gallery & Museum, 1969, rev. 1991), a copy of which is available in the MPL Indiana Room Collection. These paintings are well-crafted, tasteful representations of deceased persons, some of whom allegedly were the impetus behind the artwork.

To learn the mechanics of precipitated spirit painting, you should read Usborne Moore's book, or Precipitated Spirit Paintings, by Ron Nagy (Lakeville, Minn. : Galde Press, 2006). The color images included in Swann's and Nagy's books are striking and intriguing. Readers may decide for themselves as to the likely origins of the art, but it remains another of those interesting paranormal mysteries that are, if nothing else, fun to examine.

Karl C. B. Muilliwey

Paranormal Investigator & Author of Haunting at Sycamore Lake (see book trailer below)

Guest Blogger

May Wright Sewall: Courageous Crusader in Education, Women's Suffrage, World Peace, and ...

2011-01-16T23:33:00.000-05:00

May Wright Sewall (1844-1920) was a courageous crusader for women's suffrage, world peace, mediation, and education. She and her husband, educator Theodore Lovett Sewall, founded the Girls' Classical School in Indianapolis. She was universally acknowledged as an extremely organized, personally driven, highly intelligent woman who was eminently practical, pragmatic, logical, and keenly analytical. She was also known to be tough-minded and could handle business efficiently. She skillfully interacted with a wide range of socially and politically active people. Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library has a collection of May Wright Sewall's papers in its digital archives that you may wish to peruse, if you would like to learn more about this remarkable woman's tireless efforts to serve, as her acquaintances said, "so many good causes." Pulitzer Prize winning author Booth Tarkington plainly stated that, along with Benjamin Harrison and James Whitcomb Riley, Mrs. Sewall would be considered as one of the "three most prominent citizens" of Indianapolis, during a time of unprecedented growth and social and economic expansion.

Most people who knew May Wright Sewall had no inkling of another of her passionate interests: psychical research. For nearly forty years she studied psychical and mediumistic phenomena with the same skeptical, critical mind that she applied to all her other professional activities. She kept her spiritualistic pursuits private, because she feared that these would be misconstrued in the press and would be used as weapons by opponents of the causes she championed. She was reluctant to commit her personal paranormal experiences to print, but, upon the encouragement of her closest friends, including Booth Tarkington, she agreed to publish her purported communications with the deceased.

Neither Dead Nor Sleeping, first published in 1920 by Bobbs-Merrill of Indianapolis (thanks to Booth Tarkington), and which was republished in a special edition by Cathar Press in 2008 after nearly 88 years out-of-print, recounts twenty years of alleged communications with purportedly deceased spirit entities, including her late husband, deceased composer Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894), and late physician Père Condé, whose across-the-veil instructions cured Mrs. Sewall of Bright's Disease, which her earthly doctors had declared incurable and ultimately fatal. The information is presented honestly and directly; it is difficult to imagine a more straightforward, sincere presentation. The author intended to describe what for her were true, factual events, just as she had done in each of her other books on the various subjects she mastered.

It is interesting that ad hominem arguments often acknowledge the lucid, insightful, and well-reasoned aspects of a particular person, only to dismiss their investigations into psychical, paranormal phenomena as being, at best, eccentric or, at worst, insane. Even Mrs. Sewall's biographer, Ray E. Boomhower, dismisses her interest in psychic science as having fallen into the depths of the spiritualistic "craze" (and, therefore, by implication, gross ignorance). This is the typical response by someone who knows nothing about the subject but is prepared to peremptorily dispense with it. Even if one reads no further than Mrs. Sewall's book, one will learn that this was no foolhardy lady writing whimsical nonsense; rather, it is a carefully analyzed investigation of events that shake the foundations of our world views based on normal, everyday experiences.

Whether or not one believes her, Mrs. Sewall's story is fascinating on its face and reads like an adventure with the unknown. It reminds us that, even in places like Indianapolis, there are hidden mysteries worth exploring.

Oops! Wrong Blog! Sorry, Professor Challenger

2011-01-16T19:08:00.000-05:00

Oops! This should have appeared in our library's readers' advisory blog instead of here. Click here to read about The Complete Professor Challenger Stories, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes.

Titanic Artifact Exhibition at the Indiana State Museum

2011-01-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

The Titanic Artifact Exhibition at the Indiana State Museum ends its nearly four month run tomorrow (Sunday, January 16, 2011). If you missed seeing it, that's a shame. The exhibit displayed items recovered from various salvage operations made to the ship's final resting place on the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean (at a depth of two-and-one-half miles).

What made this exhibition memorable was its personalization. At the beginning, you are assigned a ticket with an actual passenger's name and descriptions about his/her personal life. You learn passengers' occupations, social status, traveling circumstances (alone or with companions), and a few interesting facts about these individuals. Then you walk through the exhibit, exploring recovered artifacts along side vivid descriptions of the ship, its crew and passengers, and circumstances of the ship's maiden voyage leading up to the crucial iceberg collision. There were an amazing array of artifacts, most restored to spectacularly pristine condition, considering their exposure to salt water at pressures of up to 6,000 pounds per square inch. Some of the visitors (to whom certain passenger identities were assigned) may have encountered these persons' artifacts, or they may have seen their verbal descriptions or photographs. Near the exhibit's end there was a discussion of how the artifacts were recovered, and a looping video showed images of items in the debris field, many of which were on display.

Upon exiting, visitors found passenger and crew lists indicating survivors and those who perished. Everyone searched for the name of his/her passenger that had been assigned. Mine was Arthur H. Gee, of Lancashire, England, who, at age 47, was traveling alone to New York bound for Mexico City to manage a British factory. He planned to retire upon his return home. I discovered if he survived the Titanic's sinking. After experiencing the relics from the sunken ship and the vivid details of its first and final voyage, I felt a powerful personal impact in learning "my" passenger's fate.

If you, too, wish to know what happened to Mr. Gee, click here.

I first became facinated with the Titanic at age 10 after seeing the first episode of an Irwin Allen sci-fi television program, The Time Tunnel, in which the two main characters, scientists played by James Darren and Robert Colbert, travel back and forth through time (sort of an Americanized Doctor Who without the story line sophistication), beginning with the Titanic. Although I found reading difficult, I attempted and completed Walter Lord's classic book, A Night to Remember (first published in 1955 and adapted as a motion picture in 1958). I subsequently saw the film on television a year or two after reading the book. What made the Titanic story personally significant was the coincidence of its sinking on my birthday, and the survival of Daniel Buckley, an Irish third-class passenger, born in 1890, who was an accomplished song writer (click here to watch and listen to a rendition of his most famous song). My surname ancestors were poor, London East Enders who had emigrated to America in the late 19th century, but seeing my surname in the passenger and crew manifests (at the back of Lord's book) gave me pause, although there is no family relationship of which I am aware. (Daniel Buckley served in the U.S. Army in World War I and was killed in combat trying to save the lives of his wounded comrades. He was one of the last (possibly the last) American soldier killed in the war.

Coincidentally, my son's name is Daniel, although it had nothing to do with the Titanic passenger. He, too, is a composer, as you may know by watching our library's YouTube videos. These coincidental details bring home the human tragedy of the Titanic's sinking. There needn't have been so great a loss of lives, if the White Star Line had cared more about providing ample lifeboats instead of unimportant aesthetic or space-use considerations.

If you are able to attend the exhibition in the future at its various touring destinations, please make every effort to go. It is an emotional and thought-provoking, human experience.

MPL Program Trailer #13B: Support Your Libraries (Cosmic Version)

2011-01-13T19:38:00.000-05:00

We have tried another variation of our Support Your Libraries program trailer. This video features as its soundtrack "Cosmic Liturgy (Doctrine of a New Beginning)" from the music CD Andromeda by Daniel E. Buckley (2011). We hope you enjoy it.

This compares favorably to our previous two versions.

We hope you enjoy this (and all of our other) YouTube videos.

First Anniversary of MPL YouTube Channel

2011-01-11T21:52:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday, January 9, 2011, was the first anniversary of the MPL YouTube Channel. We talk more about it in a couple of our other blogs (click here and here again to read them). I'd be interested to learn which of our 138 uploaded videos is/are your favorite(s). Drop an email to billb@mooresville.lib.in.us to let me know. Sorry, no prizes or anything. Just my heartfelt thanks for your interest and support.

Which is my favorite video? Thought you'd never ask.

Free MPL Bookmarks!

2011-01-08T13:42:00.002-05:00

We are revising some of our free bookmarks today. Here are two that feature a couple of our blogs, like the one you're reading, actually. Click on each image to enlarge it, if you would like to print the bookmarks. To visit the blogs, just click the text hyperlinks above each image.

MPL Indiana Room Treasure Trove Blog

Cat's Eye View (@ MPL)

Thanks for following our blogs!

MERLIN Magnifying Reader Machine Available in MPL Indiana Room

2011-01-06T17:37:00.000-05:00

At the MPL Circulation Desk, there is a Microsoft-PowerPoint slideshow continuously running called Town Crier, which alerts patrons to upcoming library events, programs, services, and other activities or items of interest. There are four slide categories, designed by Suzanne Walker, MPL Youth Services Librarian: Patron Connect, Book Connect, History Connect, and Event Connect.

One slide (at top) advises that the library's Indiana Room offers a MERLIN magnifying reader machine for patrons who need to enlarge what they are looking at. The magnifier enlarges anything that is placed on the scanning platform--print materials or other physical objects--and projects the larger image onto the screen. The picture below gives a clearer illustration:

MERLIN is available thanks to a generous donation from the Mooresville (Indiana) Lions Club in March, 2005. The magnifier is a wonderful tool for anyone researching difficult-to-read documents, fine print, or obscure details.

If you are interested in using MERLIN, please visit the MPL Indiana Room, or check with the MPL Information or Circulation Desks.

Revisiting MPL Book Trailer #39: "The Divine Life of Animals: One Man's Quest to Discover Whether the Souls of Animals Live On," by Ptolemy Tompkins.

2011-01-05T23:50:00.000-05:00

As I discussed in a previous blog, Ptolemy Tompkins' book, The Divine Life of Animals, is intriguing, well written, provocative, and analytically grounded. It will open readers' minds to interesting philosophical and religious discussions. Our book trailer is reprised below.

I revisit Tompkins' book to mention an experience that personally validated the divinity of animals. Skeptics will scoff that my interpretation is anthropomorphic, and that the displayed behavior was nothing more than a bizarre instinctive ritual. (In critical thinking circles, the previous sentence is called "setting up a straw person," meaning that a statement is submitted solely for the purpose of being subsequently struck down.) But, instead of countering the proposition, I merely smile and, seeing no need to say anything, say nothing. I gave up trying to convince people of my opinions when I changed careers over two decades ago, when formerly I was paid handsomely to persuade ordinary people that my clients' positions were valid, truthful, and, usually, worthy of compensation. Arguing was great fun, especially when I was a high school debater, but that was so long ago that hardly anyone living would remember it.

The divinity of animals was convincingly demonstrated to me one summer day a few years ago, when one of my cats, an adult marmalade male named Jack (for Jack-O-Lantern) was sitting a few feet from where I was finishing some minor landscape repair. I noticed that Jack was casually watching something in the tall grass a few feet further from us. From the grass emerged a field mouse, who walked slowly and deliberately toward a piece of limestone. This was about three feet from me and a little over a foot from Jack. The cat and the mouse eyed one another with mild curiosity. Then, an incredible thing happened. Jack and the mouse simultaneously stretched toward each other and affectionately touched noses, as Jack was prone to do when he expressed affection to other members of our family (humans, cats, and dogs). A moment later, Jack carefully reached out with his right paw, the thumb of which he routinely sucked like a human baby, and, rather delicately, flipped the mouse onto its back. The mouse promptly righted itself but did not run and did not seem overly concerned. Jack repeated the process a couple more times, with the mouse merely turning itself back on its feet and awaiting the next flip. I decided that it might be best to separate the pair, in case instinctive predator/prey behavior surfaced violently, and so I reached out to pick up Jack. He stepped lightly sideways to avoid my grasp, and the mouse, apparently sensing that the game was being interrupted, turned in a most emotionally detached fashion and sauntered into the tall grass again. Neither animal moved quickly. The mouse clearly felt no fear, and Jack showed no predatory interest, although Jack was an accomplished hunter and routinely left partially mangled carcasses of mice and moles on our front porch for our inspection and praise.

Both Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson remind us to recognize divinity in surrounding nature. Jack and the mouse gave me a fine display of their spirituality. It was one of the most amazing sights I've been blessed to witness.

Jack was killed by a motor vehicle nearly four years ago. Although I still grieve his physical absence, I am convinced that we will meet again and will touch noses, so to speak, in a different type of existence. I didn't need Tompkins' book to satisfy me at a deeper emotional level of this truth (I have had other, further experiences that convinced me beyond reasonable doubt), but I admit that, intellectually, Tompkins' rational analysis was, at times, compelling.

William R. Buckley

MPL Reference Coordinator & Indiana Room Historian

billb@mooresville.lib.in.us

Samuel Moore Parkway (Old State Road 67)

2011-01-03T19:01:00.000-05:00

Recently I saw a street sign at Old State Road 67 and Indianapolis Road in Mooresville, Indiana, which announced that I was driving along Samuel Moore Parkway. Historically, this was State Road 67 (now, "old" because the "new" S.R. 67 bypass had been opened in 1959 and became dual lane south of Mooresville in 1964-65). "Old" 67 entered town, not surprisingly, as it still does, becoming Main Street and running up to the Indiana Street intersection, when the "old" state road turned left and moved south toward Brooklyn and Martinsville.

This was the main artery moving traffic through and into Mooresville. According to the local newspaper, last July (2010) the Mooresville Town Council voted not to rename Old S.R. 67 as Samuel Moore Parkway. The article says "Sammy Moore Parkway," which may be accurate as far as the council's discussion was concerned, but nobody familiar with the town founder would have called him Sammy. "There was nothing Sammy about Samuel Moore," concluded Wanda Potts, Mooresville historian and Indiana Room Librarian at Mooresville Public Library (1966-2002). Now, Sammy is a fine nickname (just ask my daughter), and I think it quite descriptive of some famous, courageous Mooresvillians (e.g., Sammy L. Davis, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient), but it is too informal to capture the austerity, formality, and reservation of Samuel Moore.

Renaming the old stretch of state highway after the town founder makes sense. Moore platted the village in 1824, and the town bearing his name still expresses the mark he made on its geography, business development, social structure, growth, and historical significance. The first frame construction business was Moore's general store, which stood where Hadley mini-park is located today. The heart of Mooresville was Samuel Moore; therefore, it seems logical to rename the original heart of the town's transportation network, Old S.R. 67 (before it joins Indianapolis Road), after him.

There is, of course, the perfectly valid argument that "Old 67" is so entrenched in the public consciousness that renaming it would be more symbolic than practicable. There, too, is considerable history behind the old state road designation, and this should not be lightly discarded.

Perhaps I missed mention in the Mooresville-Decatur Times of the renaming in the latter half of last year, but if it were done, it is certainly a welcome historical tribute to a man whose vision launched the town many of us call "home."

William R. Buckley
MPL Reference Coordinator & Indiana Room Historian
billb@mooresville.lib.in.us

SOURCES:

Blevins, Aaron. "Old Ind. 67 stays Old Ind. 67 for now," Mooresville-Decatur Times, July 10, 2010, p. A1.

"Rd 67 dual lane set for 1964-65," The [Mooresville] Times, March 7, 1963.

"Rd. 67 bypass ribbon cutting at Rd. 144 cross scheduled today," The [Mooresville] Times, Dec. 10, 1959, p. 1.

Erosion of Our Collective Historical Consciousness

2010-12-27T01:32:00.000-05:00

In the Sunday edition of The Indianapolis Star (Dec. 26, 2010), at the bottom of page A1, reporter Will Higgins wrote about the imminent transfer of the Ernie Pyle historic site in Pyle's hometown (Dana, Indiana), from the Indiana Natural Resources Commission to a private group devoted to the preservation of Pyle's historical contributions. Dana is a tiny town in remote Western Indiana--a few miles further west, and it would be in Illinois. But it epitomizes the archetypical Hoosier agricultural community, with its historically important homegrown ethos of hardworking, honest citizens that made Indiana the heartland of American family values.

From Dana arose Indiana's most famous journalist, Ernie Pyle, whose writing resonates as profoundly today as it did during World War II. Take any of Pyle's wartime books, and you will learn volumes about the real people who fought against fascism and tyranny. Pyle's hometown is intensely proud of his historical significance, but there are fewer residents there to preserve this history than in years long past, when townsfolk who knew Pyle still lived. Nonetheless, an enthusiastic group of Dana citizens is undertaking the arduous task of raising private funds to preserve the Pyle historic site.

This is the modern theme in historical preservation. Governments are relinquishing their roles as the keepers of the public memory. History is poor political capital--most people don't seem to care about history and know pitifully little about it--and so politicians expend little, if any, efforts to finance its preservation. This has been especially true during the tough economic struggles the nation currently faces in its "Great Recession." It requires more backbone than most politicians could muster to commit public revenues to ensure that future generations will have important historic sites to visit and personally experience.

So government-directed historic sites such as the Ernie Pyle museum are left to private parties who must somehow finance their operation through charitable contributions. Raising money for history, like the arts, is like Sisyphus forever condemned to roll the rock uphill. People will unthinkingly drop $10 or $20 on the statistically improbable (impossible, for all intents and purposes) chance of winning the state lottery but would flatly refuse to contribute even a dollar to help preserve a historic artifact or locale. But citizens must do it, if it is to be done at all, because governments will shirk the duty.

Why should we care? What difference does history make? It's over and done with, so why bother preserving it? If you think that way, let me set fire right now to all of your family photographs, personal letters, or keepsakes. History is not something outside or apart from the people living it. History is us--our ancestors, you and me, and our descendants--and we must protect it if any of us is to learn and understand what our culture has been (and is becoming), as well as how our own life's experiences are integrated into the fabric of time. Each of our lives has had significance because we recognize our place in the historical texture of our hometowns and communities. Sites devoted to famous persons, such as Ernie Pyle, remind us that he was like us, an ordinary American, who grew up in a farmhouse similar to those that some of us live in today. That history reminds us who we have been, who we are, and who we will become. If that history is lost through neglect, then we are lost, and our lives become meaningless in the great cosmic scheme.

Of course, I have a professional stake in historical preservation. People call me the town historian of Mooresville, Indiana, a title which is only partially accurate at best, since I am neither a native nor an expert. I can name a half-dozen persons off the top of my head whose local (or county) historical knowledge far exceeds mine, the best of which is Wanda Potts, the true town historian (and one of my predecessors at Mooresville Public Library, the Indiana Room Librarian from 1966-2002). But my job (as the current keeper of the flame) is the preservation and retrieval of local historical and genealogical information, and so I appreciate daily the value history plays in the lives of my patrons. What a terrible shame if our little library's local history & genealogy collection (roughly 5000 books, periodicals, microforms, vertical files, and realia) vanished because politicians feared adverse taxpayer reaction to public expenditure to safeguard it. Now multiply that ten thousand-fold, and consider the consequences when more governmentally funded historic sites, libraries, and archives are closed or sold off to private collectors (or worse), or that must be maintained by generous, diligent, interested private citizens at their own (or private contributors') expense, or that are closed, forgotten, and left to decay.

Once that history has gone down the drain, it is lost. Period. Think about your family photographs and memorabilia I mentioned before. How would you feel if you lost them in a flood (as I did) or a fire (as my grandmother did) or due to taxpayer apathy (as the citizens of Indiana and elsewhere are experiencing with closure of public historic sites)? Our collective history is simply bigger piles of personal family snapshots, letters, documents, and artifacts. I don't want to lose any of them. I hope you don't, either, and will see the value in publicly subsidizing their protection.

William R. Buckley

MPL Indiana Room Historian

billb@mooresville.lib.in.us

P.S. Our library has prepared a few videos promoting historical and genealogical collections in libraries and archives (the first two videos below) or promoting libraries generally (the third one). To watch, just click the images below. We hope you enjoy them.

MPL Music Review: Touch of Winter: 10 Journeys Through White Magick

2010-12-26T18:34:00.001-05:00

Karl C. B. Muilliwey, author of the paranormal book Haunting at Sycamore Lake, has submitted a music review of the CD Touch of Winter: 10 Journeys Through White Magick (Archangel Productions, 2010), by MPL composer Daniel E. Buckley. Click here to read Muilliwey's review. To listen to the album, please visit Shady Creek Station's web site or the composer's web site.

New Blog Design

2010-12-23T16:54:00.001-05:00

We have just redesigned several of our blogs, including this one, to include more hyperlinks to the library's various social networking sites and online patron services. We hope you will find the new design easier to navigate and more aesthetically pleasing.

New MPL Blog! Cat's Eye View, by Cauli Le Chat

2010-12-19T21:22:00.000-05:00

Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) has a new blog! Feline roving reporter Cauli Le Chat is pounding the four-legged beat to deliver the latest library news of interest to cats (and humans). Many libraries have resident cats--a good thing, by any acceptable standard--but MPL is among the vanguard with its star reporter, whose "nose for news" can sniff out the facts and keep readers abreast of current events at the library.

Check out Cat's Eye View (at Mooresville Public Library) at http://mplcatseyeview.blogspot.com/

Cauli Le Chat, MPL Roving Reporter, Four-Legged News Beat

(a.k.a. "Kit Cauliflower," former boxer, lightweight feline division)

[Pssst! Don't touch the ear. She still has a mean right hook.]

New to Evergreen Indiana Catalog: Book Trailer Hyperlinks

2010-12-13T01:59:00.000-05:00

The Evergreen Indiana (E.I.) Cataloging Committee recently approved the inclusion of book trailer hyperlinks in consortium catalog records. Patrons (and library staff) who search for books in the E.I. online catalog will see a section of the item record called "online resources," which, for designated listings, will include book trailer hyperlinks.

Here is an example. Suppose you are looking for a copy of the classic novel Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. You find this record in your library's OPAC (online E.I. catalog) (click image to enlarge):

Clicking the book trailer hyperlink in the E.I. catalog record (see red box in graphic above) would play the book trailer attached to this record, which would look like the video below:

Book trailers are videos describing a particular book. They are comparable to movie trailers describing coming attractions in movie theaters. By including book trailer hyperlinks in the E.I. catalog, persons interested in a certain book may watch, if available, a book trailer providing more information about the book's plot or themes.

Look for book trailer hyperlinks in the "online resources" section of E.I. catalog records.

Imperceptible: Book Debut & Signing, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 (2-4 pm) at MPL

2010-12-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

Mooresville (Indiana) High School teacher Sharon Eickhoff and her students from the Class of 2012 will be at Mooresville Public Library on Thursday, December 9, 2010, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. for the book signing and debut of their latest publication, Imperceptible, which will be available for sale at the MPL Circulation Desk. (See the above graphic, prepared by Susan Haynes, Community Relations Coordinator, Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation.) Click on the image to view a larger version (I think).

This event affords an opportunity to meet with the authors of this fine book, including Ms. Eickhoff, who supervised and directed the venture. We hope you are able to attend.

In case you missed our earlier blog, we reprise our book trailer featuring Imperceptible.

Plainfield-Guilford Twp. Public Library (Indiana): 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Grant Proposal

2010-12-02T19:41:00.000-05:00

Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library (Plainfield, Indiana) is vying for $50,000 in Pepsi grants to promote early childhood literacy. Their proposal is called "One Thousand Books Before Kindergarten" and will be designed to encourage parents to read 1,000 books (or more) to their preschool children during their first five years (or so). Plainfield Library has produced an excellent video describing the program:

You are invited to support Plainfield Library's proposed program by voting through Facebook (or other online mechanisms). Visit this web site for more details.

North Webster (Indiana) Community Public Library: 2010 Cemetery Walk Videos (Update)

2010-12-02T15:59:00.000-05:00

North Webster (Indiana) Community Public Library has included its 2010 Cemetery Walk videos on its Indiana Room web pages. Check out these highly innovative and respectful tributes to folks from their community who have become part of the local historical fabric.

http://www.nweb.lib.in.us/indiana_room/walk.html

This creative use of live video and personations brings local history truly alive.

Music Soundtrack for MPL Book Trailer #83 (Imperceptible) by 2006 MHS Graduate Danny Buckley

2010-12-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

If you have read our earlier blogs, you might have seen our book trailer for Imperceptible, a book written by students in the Class of 2012 at Mooresville High School (Mooresville, Indiana). The soundtrack to this video was composed by Daniel E. Buckley, a 2006 MHS graduate (and a 2010 graduate of Millikin University, in Decatur, Illinois). Danny was a four-year participant in MHS choirs and completed the AP Music Theory course taught by Jason Damron. These experiences, combined with his interest in guitar, redirected Danny's educational objectives. He earned a B.A. in music business and was a four-year classical guitar ensemble performer. He plans to earn a master's degree in music composition.

For the past year, Danny has served as the volunteer composer for Mooresville Public Library. He has written original musical compositions used in all but two of MPL's YouTube videos (http://www.youtube.com/mpl46158). For more information about his work, as well as MP3 samples of his original compositions, please visit his website at http://www.dannybuckleycomposer.com/

Imperceptible, by MHS Class of 2012, For Sale at MPL

2010-12-01T15:51:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in our previous blog, the Mooresville (Indiana) High School Class of 2012, under the direction of MHS teacher Sharon Eickhoff, wrote the book Imperceptible (Lexington, Ky. : CreateSpace, 2010) (ISBN 9781439271674), which will be available to purchase at the Circulation Desk of Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana) beginning Thursday, December 9, 2010, with proceeds going to the Friends of the Library (Indiana Room Fund). The book is also available for purchase from Amazon.com.

To watch our book trailer for Imperceptible, check out our earlier blog at
http://mplreadersadvisory.blogspot.com/2010/12/mpl-book-trailer-83-imperceptible-by.html