All Indiana Counties

Indiana Room is great! Love the Indiana Room In researching my ancestors, I have had several occasions to take advantage of the Indiana Room resources and staff. It has always been a rewarding experience. Betty Menges and Nancy Strickland are always pleasant, professional and eager to assist. Thank you, Betty and Nancy Daniel, Retired       Daniel, Retired    -   Floyd County

Love the Indiana Room! Our thanks to the staff in the New Albany Library Indiana Room. We have been looking for a relative for several years. She had not been buried in the cemetery with her siblings. We gave all the info we knew to "Detective" Nancy and her staff on one of our numerous trips. It did take her a while, but as we were scanning newspaper articles for other relations, here she comes with a grin on her face and 3 papers in hand. Yes, she had found our relative.       Joyce , other    -   Floyd County

Love the New Albany library! From Ann Arbor, MI my wife and I spent a couple of days at the New Albany library researching ancesters. The people were so very helpful and so very patient in helping us to find information. The library building is pleasant, clean and attractive. It is a credit to the city and county.       James, Executive/managerial    -   Floyd County

Libraries needed I wanted to let everyone know we need our local libraries. I use the New Albany Public Library for researching family history. Not all is found searching the Internet. It would be a shame if they had to cut back keeping this branch up to date with new research material. Thank-you for your time.       Bill, other    -   Floyd County

Romance Blooms at the Library I met my wife at the library! We were both working at a nearby library -- she in Children's and I in computers -- and we got to know each other as I volunteered (out of sheer charity, of course!!) to help her at her work. We eventually got engaged, while still working at the library, and married, while still working at the library!       Jeff, Computer technical/engineering    -   Marshall County

Reading Is Essential I almost dropped out of school. I hated it. I had a hard time learning to read and struggled with all my other subjects as a result. I wasn't exposed to books or encouraged to learn before first grade. Thankfully I got inspired in my Junior year, stuck with school, earned a college degree later in life, and am now an avid reader. When I moved to Shelbyville, I came to the library to find out about the community and I pondered what it would be like to work here in such a pleasant atmosphere. Years later, after spending about a decade in a fast-paced, stressful job in Indianapolis, I did land a job in the library Outreach Services. Now I'm making a difference in my community and I'm closeby if my family needs me. I present storytimes and read aloud to audiences of all ages outside the library walls and I teach parents and caregivers of children ages 0-5 about early literacy. I'm passionate about getting kids and families onto books because I know firsthand that reading is essential for success in today's world.       Cheryl, Librarian    -   Shelby County

I Love the Library Thanks to authors and writers who inspire our writing. But above all library has been my most interactive option for all my college work. Research, especially, has been made successful by libraries and I just thank all that participate to make my dreams come true.       Magdalene , Homemaker    -   St Joseph County

HS Student Speaks about INSPIRE INSPIRE for Tomorrow's Leaders Hello my name is Wes and I am a student at Northwestern High School in Kokomo, Indiana. I recieved word that the state budget cuts are not allowing the research source INSPIRE to be available to students. I am outraged at this for a couple of reasons. One is that I just finished a research paper that GREATLY affected my grade and maybe my ability to graduate. I feel that if I had the oppurtunity to use INSPIRE to help me with my paper then future students should as well. If the state cuts out this program then they are showing that they DO NOT care about the education of tommorrow's leaders. Furthermore, I feel that everyone should be presented with the upmost oppurtunity to explore all resources and expand their minds. This is an absolute travesty to the education system. Some people don't use it, but I'm sure that if they knew about it, they would. So if you care about education and the leaders of tommorrow, then you will not take INSPIRE from the grasps of our minds. Thank you and God Bless.       Wes, Student (K-12)    -   Howard County

WorldCat on INSPIRE Helpful I use INSPIRE frequently when I am cataloging items, and I find it very easy to use. I search WORLDCAT for items that don't have an ISBN or MN. I can search by title in WORLDCAT and then use the OCLC number to search for the item in CONNEXION. WORLDCAT is also helpful when assigning call numbers to items.       Heidi, Librarian    -   Hamilton County

WorldCat on INSPIRE Is an Advantage One afternoon when I was covering the Reader's Advisory desk around the holidays, a patron came up and asked if we had any books about a specific artist or his works. I did both subject and author searches on the name (not familiar to me) and did not find anything to meet her needs. She asked about a specific title that she was interested in, so I looked it up on WorldCat in INSPIRE to get more detailed bibliographic information (possible for an ILL request). In WorldCat, I clicked on the link to see what libraries own the title and found that it was at the Indianapolis Museum of Art library. I also clicked on the link to the artist as subject and found some additional titles for her, most of which were also at the IMA library. She was excited to find this out, since she hadn't considered contacting the IMA. I offered to get more information for her about their lending policies and hours, but she continued on her own. Having open access to WorldCat has made a big difference in my ability to provide accurate information to both patrons and ILL staff about books that we don't own.       Lisa, Librarian    -   Hamilton County

Thank You, Indiana!! Here at Western High School, the staff and students depend on the information found through INSPIRE. We use Ebsco Host and Biography Resource Center the most. INSPIRE inspires us to complete thoroughanddetailed research. Thank you, Indiana!       Shawn, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Find Your Favorite Author or Book I love the library because you can find your favorite author or book. It can help you on homework or reports and if we did not have a library we would not be able to do this because some people can not afford a computer or internet. People could not get to college.       Shawn , K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Librarian Makes the Library Wonderful My library is very importtant to me. It is a wonderful place to relax, do your homework, study, and many other things. This is my first year at the Jr. High, and already I have read enough books that triple what I had last year in reading counts. It is a wonderful thing to do, I spend my time reading in my room rather than watching T.V. My Lilbrarian Mrs. Heinkel, is what makes the library a wonderful place in which to spend time and enjoy books. She is a great person, and I think that our library is the cleanest, nicest, and the most enjoyable place to be.       Emily , K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Reading Is a Great Way to Learn I LOVE the library so much. My librarian has taught me so much about the library that I check out for people and stamp their books for them. The libraries are great places to be when you're bored and alone because the librarians brighten my day when I'm sad or feeling upset. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE OUT LIBRARIES IN THE SCHOOLS. Reading is a great way to learn about the Civil War... Some kids can't afford to buy books so they come to the library to check or rent a book or a movie. Reading is a great way for better education and if you take that away their is no education for us to read so please don't take them away.       dezzie leann, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Love the Library I LOVE the library because it lets you pick from a multiple amount of books and the library has the best books. You can choose from fiction, nonfiction, and what happend back in the past. They can help on reports and if we didn`t have a library we would have to do it at home and some people can`t aford the internet and people would not get a education and not all people can afford a book either.       Shawn, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Live in the Library! I enjoy the library just as much as I enjoy reading. I wish sometimes that I could live in the library. It is so peaceful. Just me and the books. I would like to live in the library but that is quite impossible. Because I have a family and I need to be with them. So always remember the places books take you and you may see that I am not crazy after all. I LOVE THE LIBRARY!       Beth, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Library Expands Horizons Ever since I was little I have loved to read. The library has given me a chance to expand my horizons and read new things. The library has also helped do reseach on whatever school project or report I am doing.       Laura, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

A Library Story My story is about the library. It gives you information and books that open your mind. Say you have to write a report about a famous person. I would look in the library cause it has about all the famous people you can think of but not like Kelly Clarkson or Tony Hawk. But like Jeff Gorden and Curt Shilling. What about books -- fiction books, nonfiction, all kinds of books. I would pick fiction and nonfiction because it makes you think about the story. You imagine the story in your head and you get pictures in your head. You think the part you read and you try to get a picture. It makes you wonder and think, and think on your future. I like books and hope the library will still be here in the future to get all the books I need.       Abigail, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Love the Library I love the library. It is were I go when I am bored to death. It is the best part in school other than math class. Without it I would be 15 times dumber than normal. So keep the library!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!       Justin , K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Library Helps Us Kids My story is that the library is awesome. You can come and read if you are feeling down about something. Plus another thing is that you can find anything you want almost. I like our library because it has all the books I like. I mostly read fiction. The library is cool because you can read your troubles away. And it is nice and quiet until a class comes in. I like the teacher in charge, too. You should go to the library at least 2 times a week. Because I think it helps to read if you're angry because then you can relax. That's why they shouldn't take away the library. It Helps Us Kids!!!!       Tyler, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Love the Library I LOVE the library so much. It comforts me so much. It makes me feel so good that I have a place to go and feel loved. My librarian thaught me so much about the library that I feel that I would love to be a librarian. I think tha library is a great place to be througout the day. The libray is my comfort zone and if you take it away from me I will cry. Please don't take away the libraries. Reading is wonderful and I LOVE to READ. Thank You for taking the time to read my story. Please....do not take away the libraries.       dezzie leann, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Keep Our Libraries The library is a great place. I do my homework here in the mornnings because it is quiet and our librarian is the niceest person ever. I love to check out books at our library, especially when I find subjects I am interested in because they have a lot of books by the same author. I also like to research on the computers and I like all the different reference books to choose from. The best part of the library I think is that there are over 200 books to choose from and I don't think ANYONE should take the library away. That would be the worst thing ever and it would take away education from us and I don't think that is right. I don't know what I would do with out a library to research and check out books to read. I think it is a very very bad idea to get rid of librarys.       Rachelle, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Our library ROCKS MY WORLD The library is a place I like to go to get away from people. If I have a problem all I have to do to get it out of my mind is to go the library, and check out a book. Our library may not be big, but it is a very relaxing place to be. Our librarian Mrs. Heinkel helps make it that way by buying new books and helping the people who need help. One more thing is that our library is not just a place to check out books, its a place to read, laugh, and research anything you need to know. I would like to thank Mrs. Heinkel for begin so nice to us. I would also like to thank Mrs. Roberson for helping Mrs. Heinkel keep the libray in the shape it is. Our library ROCKS MY WORLD!!!!       Emily , K-12 student    -   Blackford County

LIbrary Is My Favorite Place The library is a great place to learn. Most people think it is all about books but you can also learn from all the books and from the librarians. The library is my favorite place. Even more than my bedroom! I love to read.       Sarah Beth, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Love the Library I love the library. I come every morning and read and do homework. The Library is a second home to me. I don't know what I would do if they took them out of schools. It would be boring because the public library doesn't always have the books the school does. So always remember to read, it is one of the best past times. Thank you to all the libratians out there who give there time to getting books for us school kids!       Sarah, K-12 student    -   Blackford County

Computers and Libraries My first experience with a computer came while I was employed with the local school corporation. I had a granddaughter in college and I learned how to exchange e-mails with her. When I retired in 2000, with no computer at home, I started coming to our local library computer lab. I am no computer expert and the staff here in the lab is always willing to help me with any problems I happen to have. I have taken some of the informational classes offered by the lab staff and they have helped me become more at ease using the computer. I still e-mail grandchildren and friends, but am now able to search for the latest information on any new medications I am taking, and can exchange genealogy information with a newfound relative in Alaska. The availability of the library computer lab was most helpful when it came time for my husband and I to make a decision on the new Medicare prescription plan. I was able to pull up many different options and together we were able to make a well informed decision thanks to the availability of the library, the computer lab, and the staff. I look forward to many more years of enjoyment at the computer.       Hazel, Retired    -   Decatur County

Library Plays a Big Part The Greensburg Public Library plays a big part in my life. It is a great place to experience. The quiet corners and the window settings give me a sense of peace. I have been using the Library four or five times a week for over three years now. All the Staff are very friendly and add to the pleasant sensation I experience while there. The Computer area, where I spend most of my time, is up-to-date providing fast access to the Internet. All the staffare very helpful when things aren't going exactly the way they should! This does not happen very often. The help provided is always friendly and I have witnessed Staff helping others as they would a neighbor. I know the Board and Staff are always looking for books and technology that will enhance my use of the Library. Their efforts enhace our community. In my estimation the Greensburg Public Library is a fine example of what a Library should be.       Hank, Service/customer support    -   Decatur County

Family Loves Library My family loves our library! We are blessed to have such a knowledgeable and caring staff. Our children's librarians are always looking for fun and creative activities to encourage a love of reading. When my older son has a research assignment for school, or a topic to investigate, our library is the first place we come to begin our research. We begin our search with the help of our wonderful computer lab assistants. They introduced us to INSPIRE. We have discovered that INSPIRE is a wonderful tool to use for his research assignments. Thank you so much!We love our Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library!       Jen, Homemaker    -   Decatur County

Public Library Is a Plus I am director of a small public library. We serve a wide variety of people in our small community. Our patrons comment that our library has a good selection of up to date materials for all ages and interest levels. We offer story hour and summer reading programs for children. We also have tours for both preschool and school children. This is a great way to introduce children to all the library has to offer and many return with their parents. I feel public library is a plus for the community.       Coleen, Librarian    -   Miami County

Enjoy the Library! I have enjoyed working at Converse Jackson Township Library for 6 years. I head the summer reading program and story time during the school year. I enjoy spending time with the area children. We have good turn outs for these programs and they all say how much fun they have at our library.       Cami, Librarian    -   Miami County

5-Year Old Thinks Library Is the Best I remember Mrs. Graves reminding us that the library was a quiet place. We didn't dare misbehave because back then (late 1970's) kids actually repected their elders. I loved reading the Nancy Drew books. My five year old daughter thinks the library is the best place in the world to visit. And she thinks it is really nice of the library to let us read their books and watch their movies for free.       Julie, Clerical/administrative    -   Jackson County

Proud of Library I have worked at the Converse Public Library for the past three years, and unlike other jobs that I have held, I have always look forward to coming into work. I love the ladies I work with, and I have taken great joy in forming relationships with our wide array of patrons. Although I currently attend Ball State, I still occasionally fill in at the library when needed. Over the years, I have spent most of my time working in the children's department, and I am proud of the programs we offer our kids. Along with story times, we also provide a five week summer reading program complete with a concluding party and prizes for all our participants. Working at the library has showed me how important it is to be involved in the community; I am a better person having had this work experience.       Megan, College/graduate student    -   Miami County

Thank you, Indiana libraries. A year ago I moved here from a Chicago suburb. Since then I have been truly impressed by INCOLSA, the libraries of Indiana, and INSPIRE. Thank you for making so much information available to Indiana residents.       Audrey, Librarian    -   Vanderburgh County

Research made easy! While doing research about a local artist, I came across an article on the Internet that came from a book published in 1931. I went to the local library and asked for an interlibrary loan to confirm the accuracy of the article. I gave her the name of the book, author, and date. She called later to say that she couldn’t find the book, and that she even searched on Amazon. A former student of mine works for INCOLSA, so I e-mailed him to see if he could locate the volume. He promptly replied that it was available at two university libraries and another library, all close to home. He had used Inspire.net’s online research library. I made the copies I needed from one of the libraries. About a week later, I placed an article about the history of the local school corporation on the Internet. My wife was reading through the author’s sources and found the book we were searching for in his list. The author was a local person, whose sister is a librarian at the library that couldn’t find the book. My wife and I suspected the volume was available in the local library. Sure enough, all five volumes were located not 10 feet from the reference librarian’s office. Even more embarrassing is that I forgot that I have a link to Inspire on the web site that I maintain. Next time I need a book, I will be inspired to use Inspire.       Raymond, Computer technical/engineering    -   Spencer County

Internet Access Helps Grow Business I had a gentleman who came in to use the internet to help him in his new business. He is an auto mechanic and works on engines from all makes of cars and years. He has started a web site similar to blogging where he sends out questions, or requests help, on a certain problem he has in repairing the vehicles. Mechanics from all over email solutions to him or information that may be of help. He also responds to others who have similar situations. He said it has been very helpful in his business. He can't afford the internet yet so he uses ours.       Waterloo, Librarian    -   DeKalb County

INSPIRE knowledge put to immediate use After attending an INSPIRE workshop, I left feeling amazed at how much information was available on the site. Little did I know that I would use INSPIRE that same night, when my 4th grader came home with a social studies project on Hoagy Carmichael. Without INSPIRE, it would have taken quite a bit of time to narrow the search, but using INSPIRE KIDS (new version) we found information that was understandable for her.       Kristi, Librarian    -   Kosciusko County

Students Use INSPIRE The students and staff at Bluffton High School utilize INSPIRE in the following ways: * Classroom research * Group assignments * Biography research * LitFinder for poetry anthologies We utilize Ebscohost the most for magazine and newspaper articles.       Bluffton High School, Academic/educator    -   Wells County

Silver-Haired Perspective They Were Not My Feathered Friends: During my last two years of high school, I was a part-time janitor for a small public library. In addition to the inside custodial duties, I maintained the outside grounds and kept the front steps swept. Completing the sweeping part of my job would have been very easy, if it had not been for the couple of dozen pigeons that made their permanent residence on the top ledge of that stone building. From that overhang, there was almost a continual falling of feathers, nesting materials, and bird wastes. The regular library patrons were astutely aware of the air-drops; consequently, they would always navigate very quickly through the hazardous zone. Of course, they would never gaze upwardly while being in that targeted area. Since, the vast majority of the litter fell on the 11 steps that led up to the front door, I had to sweep and clean that entire stairway every morning and afternoon; except on Sundays when the library was closed. I simply abhorred those dirty, feathered creatures. My distain for those polluters was further augmented by a comment I overheard one afternoon while sweeping the steps. As a young mother and her preteen boy walked by me, I hear her tell him, “Son, if you don’t go to college, you might be like him and have to clean-up bird-do.” I knew my life could be a little more dignified and less complicated if somehow I were able to eliminate those cooing predators. But, any attack strategy would have to be approved by the head librarian. That boss lady was in her early sixties, of small stature, very educated, extremely articulate, very precise in her speech pattern, easily excitable, and in some respects had the personality of Chatsworth Osborne’s mother on the Dobie Gillis television show. Since, I was basically a non-sophisticated rural-type kid; she appeared to me as the 800-pound gorilla. Just one of her not-so-pleased looks would cause my heart to skip-a-beat. Amazingly, one day I was able to approach her with a most innovative plan. My idea was to use my dad’s twelve-gauge shotgun and eliminate or at least greatly reduce the size of the permanent roosting flock. Holy Smokes! You would have thought that she had just discovered that Jack-the-Ripper was in her presence. She simply went ballistic. So, in an attempt to settle her down, I told her of my alternative plan of scaling the wall (mountain style) and placing some poison on the ledge. Well, for the next several minutes (seemed like hours) the librarian sternly lectured me on the various flaws in my thinking process. She stated I could be arrested for discharging a firearm in the town limits, the gun shots would alarm the nearby neighbors, I could fall and break my neck, the birds would scatter the poison resulting in other birds/pets to die, and that I had undoubtedly been watching too many “shoot-em-up” westerns on television. Needless to say, those pigeons continued to bestow havoc on my daily routines. Several years later (1976), Christine and I decided to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary by taking a trip to Indiana. She had never been there and was anxious to accompany me on a physical journey down memory lane. Near the top of our priority list was to visit the library and see the infamous pigeons. Within a few seconds of our arrival at the library, Christine laughed and pointed to the top ledge. When I looked up, I was taken aback to discover that there were no birds in sight. Someone had placed some chicken wire over the area that once housed the pigeons. Why o’ why, didn’t I think of that simple solution? Periodically, over-the-years, whenever I have a brief bout of self-importance; my wife will adjust my ego, by reminding me about how I allowed some supposed dumb fowl to create a two-year messy fiasco for me.       John , Professional    -   Sullivan County

A Fine Library I wish to put in my opinion of this fine little Library that I use probably as much as anyone of your members. I use the Interlibrary Loan System a great deal. I use the Indiana Room to trace my family after I tracking them to Clark County. For years, I have attended the Clark Grant Historical Society in the library meeting room, which has a wonderful old map of all the numbered Grants and pictures of the old Rose Island Resort. I look for used books in the lobby to find a choice book that has been put for sale. I started using the Internet at the Library before I owned my own computer several years ago. The staff were helpful in answering my questions and so friendly. They call me by my first name when I arrive. When Pres. Jim Michael of Ancient Kentucke Historical Assn. was trying to find a suitable place to put the Brandenburg Stone, Librarian Tamsie Meurer was very glad to display it at Charlestown Library. I love this small Library, which is makes it easy to find needed materials, especially with their new on-line catalog.       Adrienne, Retired    -   Clark County

Lots of Reading Going On Because our junior and senior high schools have a daily silent reading program, students are discussing books and carrying books all the time. The Harrison Co. Public Library has its catalog online and if our school library doesn't have a material, we immediately check the Public Library's list. We have a lot of reading going on in Harrison County thanks to our schools and libraries!       Trish, Librarian    -   Harrison County

Thank You Library You allowed my children into a world of infomation. Thank you.       Ben, Professional    -   Boone County

Salem Public Library Is Wonderful Resource The Salem Public Library has wonderful resources for our small community. Not only is there a wealth of information, but the atmosphere of the building and the employees make it an enjoyable place to visit! Being a journalist, it's nice to see they have several computers for people to use for writing, as well as an abundent amount of resources for freelancing. We are lucky to have such an asset in our town.       Monika, Professional    -   Washington County

Library = Floodgate of Information I moved to Rising Sun a few years ago. Before now I had lived only in large cities. I've always wanted to live where the major ground cover was grass and not cement. During my short time here, I have come to love many aspects of the area; my favorite outdoor activity is to walk alongside the beautiful Ohio River with my dog. But perhaps the biggest surprise and delight of the area for me is the Ohio County Public Library and its wonderful staff. I knew from the day I saw the charming brick building on the corner of Main and High Streets that it would not be long before I would be going there to explore its contents. On my first visit to the library, I timidly walked around, explored the shelves and tried finding things for myself on the library computer. Before long I was approached by the librarian. She offered to help me find what I was looking for. Once I mentioned my interest in women writers of women detective stories I opened a floodgate of information. This was the beginning of one of the greatest reading adventures of my life.       Joann, Retired    -   Ohio County

Thank You for INSPIRE The INSPIRE web source is a great place & I usually find what I’m looking for. Thank you for maintaining such a great resource!       Dale, Retired    -   Bartholomew County

INSPIRE Is a Timesaver I enjoy the convenience of being able to see full text magazine articles on Inspire. It's a tme saver and so much easier than trying to run down all those separate issues.       Betsy, Executive/managerial    -   Bartholomew County

Libraries Have Surprises Libraries have many surprises. In school we got the impression that Indians were always the losers in white man’s courts. A library book of memoirs of an early pioneer lawyer has a chapter on the “White River Massacre." Two white men waited until the Indian men were out hunting to invade and kill their camp’s women, children, and babies. The men were caught by white officers, tried by a white jury, and hung. It seems that white man’s justice was done. But the Indian tribes left the area. They did not approve of White Man’s justice and were upset by the hanging. The memoir does not see this as an Anthropological or Two Different Cultures problem but neither White nor Indian understood what the other culture would find as acceptable justice.       Mary, Retired    -   Hamilton County

Videostreaming Used in School Media Center Video streaming is one way to see what's happening in our school and in the Media Center. Our SPTV News crew produces a 7-minute news show by gathering nd editing school news and video and recognizing student achievements. The show is distributed within the school each day. Using their technical skills students now capture, export, final edit, compress and upload the broadcast to our website as video streaming. Parents, community members, former students & others can now watch our daily SPTV News by going to the school website, clicking IMC, selecting SPTV News and clicking on the link "Watch Now". Video streaming is another great way to share information and showcase student information and technology skills.       Barbara, Academic/educator    -   Marion County

Storyteller Born at Library As a child, I lived in a neighborhood where there were no other children, so I had no playmates, that is until I discovered the library and its myriad books. I read every biograpy and classic I could find. Then, I discovered Andrew Lang's rainbow fairytale books and read them from cover to cover. I told the stories to whoever would listen. Thus was born a storyteller. I began telling in our local library. Later, as a teacher, I told in my classes. Now, I tell professionally full-time.       Sharon , Self-employed/own company    -   Jennings County

Library Is Wonderful I live in White County, but I am a public school librarian in another county. Monon's library and its staff are wonderful! The library is filled with a variety of materials, all interesting and current. I am always able to find whatever I need when I visit. The staff is friendly and willing to help in any way that they can. Monon's library is great!       Julie, Librarian    -   White County

Summer Reading Fun This morning, I stumbled across an old email from my 13-year old daughter. It reads: MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, We simply must go to the library and sign up for the summer reading program. She sent that gentle reminder because we had not made it in to sign up on opening day. We are so thankful for Allen County Public Library's excellent summer reading programs. I've had kids involved in each level, and have found each one to be so very well done. I appreciate having an ally in my efforts to instill the love of books. We are year-round library users (as homeschoolers, I don't know how we'd make it, otherwise!), but the pure fun of summer reading draws the kids every year. It's only January as I write this, but I won't be surprised if their questions about programs for the coming summer start soon.       Jane, Clerical/administrative    -   Allen County

INSPIRE is Great! I used INSPIRE a lot in 8th grade for President's reports. It's great!       Lydia, K-12 student    -   Adams County

Information Access 24/7 Our Media Center has designed a student friendly website that helps them access the IMC 24/7. Students can check availability of materials in our library and go beyond our media walls, too. Connecting to INSPIRE and several authoritative Marion County Databases through our website is a key research strategy for students day or night. A great deal of valuable information can be gathered about reading, research projects and media projects. Our Media computers are set to come up the the IMC webpage, an invaluable tool for all!       Barbara, Academic/educator    -   Marion County

Thanks for the Library The school librarian is a very helpful and nice person to work with. If we ever have problems finding a book, we can ask the librarian nicely. He will help you find the book you are looking for. If you need... a quiet and relaxing place, [come to the library.] The librarian is a person you can always count on. He will help you find an answer to anything. If you can't find it, he will find it, check it out to your name, and then it is all yours for a short amount of time. The school has just as many books as you can imagine. The library is a very important place to everyone. Thanks for the library. (5th gr.)       D. J., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

Reading Is Important What my school library does for me and all of the other students in my school is it teaches kids what the important part of reading is. I think all kids should read. It will excite their imaginations and will help them when they get older. I think my library is very good for younger and older people; it also helps if you have a project or something and can help you find information on what you need. I think the computers are a big help because the Internet could help you find information on anything you need. The computers also help you find books with Athena. It also lets you take AR tests. (7th gr.)       J. H., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

My Library Helps Me My library helps me a lot. We have a very big library. It has a lot of books. Mr. Forrester helps me a lot with where to find the books. In our library it also has computers so that we can find our books: like what shelves they are on and what part of[the library]the books are in. We have a large selection to choose from. We have little kid books, and we have big kid books. We also have grown up books. That is why I like our library. (7th gr.)       E. W., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

Reading Makes Me Happy My library is good because it has books I like in all kinds of categories. I think the librarians are the all time nicest people because they help me look for a book I would like to read. I have read tons of books from the library, and every single one was a great book. The books I read at the library are books that have helped me read in the first grade. They still always help me improve on my reading skills. No matter what day I go, I always come back to class as the happiest person just from reading an exciting book from the library. I have gone to the library starting in kindergarten, and the good thing about it now is in a way no one has changed from the library. They are all still very nice people. I still enjoy going to the library for those reasons and because it just excites me when I go to the library because I never know what I will learn the next time I go to the library. I like to look at the newest books at the library so I can learn a lesson from that book I read next. (7th gr.)       J. G., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

I Love to Read Ever since kindergarten I have loved to read, and the library has helped me do that by offering me hundreds of books to choose from. It has also helped me to extend my reading level by teaching me things through books that I never knew such as how they mummified people in ancient Egypt. One other way the library has helped is by giving me books to boost my vocabulary. (7th gr.)       C. S., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

My Librarian is the Best The library is to help you look up things on the computers. To find books so you can find things out, and so you can just read funny books. Mr. Forrester helps you look for books. He can find them in a second. He is the best librarian because he is funny, nice, helps you, and all kinds of other nice things. I think that he is special because he can just get to books and you can just check your books out, and you're done. He looks for books for kids and stuff all the time. The library helps me because when I can't find any book in my room, then I can just go there. The other kids might like the library because you can read all kinds of books like funny, sad, long, and short books. That's why I like the library. (5th gr.)       A. G., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

My Library Is Like Home In my mind my library is a place where I can learn, a place where I can let my mind travel through the books I read. It's also a place where I can go and find research for a project, and it's a place where I can go and have a nice quiet place to do my test. I guess what I'm trying to say is the library is kind of like a home because it's a place where I can relax and be comfortable. That's what my library is to me. (5th gr.)       T.W., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

My Library Is the Best My library is a great library because you have lots of great books and the librarians are nice because they help you find books. They have lots of fun kids' stories and lots of great chapter books like Junie B. Jones. That is why my library is the best. (3rd gr.)       A.S., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

Looking for a Good Book? The library helps me to find books. (2nd gr.)       M.K., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

Libraries Make Better Readers The library helps me to be very smart and be a better reader. (2nd gr.)       A.W., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

The Library Helps You Read The library lets you checkout a book and return it in two weeks. And it helps you read. (2nd gr.)       A.R., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

Library -- Very Smart The library helps me to be very smart. (2nd gr.)       D.S., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

Library Media Specialists Help Mr. Forrester helps me by telling me if I have a book at home. He helps me by telling me where the book is in the library and so does Mrs. Swaidner. (2nd gr.)       K. M., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

Library Has Lots of Good Books Our library has a lot of books you might like. They have interesting facts and good books. You can get easy to read books or hard books to read. You can use Athena to find books you like to read. If you have a question, Mr. Forrester can help you. The best thing the library does is helps me to read about interesting facts and learn. (2nd gr.)       A.B., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

First Grader Says Library Is Fun At the library it is fun. You learn a lot of stuff. At the library you have to be quiet. I learn about snakes. They rattle their tails and that means stay back. The library is very fun. (1st gr.)       C.J., K-12 student    -   Huntington County

Celebrating Special Events through Libraries Special weeks lend themselves to reading, writing and contest opportunities. During Teen Read Week, Veterans Day Week, and National Library Week, for example, our Media Center has contests created by our own Media Credit students. Through database research our Media Credit news students select famous quotes from literature or patriotic quotes in the case of Veterans Week. These are broadcast over our school news program. Winners earn five or six prizes, including a book. The process is fun, celebrates special events, and also meets some of those Indiana standards!       Barbara, Academic/educator    -   Marion County

School Libraries Hone Skills Library Media Credit is a great way to involve students in school. They have an opportunity to help other students, while honing their own skills in research, information finding, database expertise, media projects, television production, distance learning, reading, and creativity. It's another way to get connected and learn leadership skills.       Barbara, Academic/educator    -   Marion County

Get Excited About Reading We love "The Movie, The Book", which is one of the ways we get excited about reading at our school. "The Movie, The Book" involves a free movie and refreshments + the gift of the book on which the movie is based. After reading the book we write and talk about the two different media and make comparisons. It's fun and motivating.       Barbara, Academic/educator    -   Marion County

Libraries for a Lifetime Books, newspapers and other printed materials have been an integral part of my daily life for most of my 80 years. My earliest memory of exposure to the wonderful stories in books is of sitting on my father's lap and being read to. Later, we usually shared an apple. Then came the public school experience with all the textbooks and school libraries, followed by the fabulous Indiana University Library visits to study and to do research. Libraries, with all their many resources, are truly citadels of learning thru all the formative years as well as a source for life long continuing education. They are a "port in a storm." And then there is the pleasure of reading a good book--what a way to rest and relax. I have visted libraries East to New York City, South to Georgia State College for Women, North to University of Notre Dame, West to the University of Illinois, and to the shores of the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco. My neighbor to the South, Vincennes, has a great library. I must confess--I have a love affair with the Sullivan Library! It's the friendly faces, the helping hands, the genealogy section, the childrens' activities taking place and the serenity of the house that have won my heart. I hope that the Sullivan Library and I can grow older together.       June, Retired    -   Sullivan County

INSPIRE Proves Its Worth Daily Library users both old and young have found Inspire to be a rich resource for homework assignments, job searches, health information, and much more. And users are thrilled to learn that they can search from any convenient computer connected to the Internet. Inspire proves its worth everyday.       Mike, Librarian    -   Ripley County

I Love Using INSPIRE I truly love using INSPIRE to find information for our patrons. We recently needed information on Jim Morrison and the Doors, which we were able to find by searching the Newspaper sources. I personally use INSPIRE extensively for research for various Ball State classes I'm enrolled in.       Ailesia, Librarian    -   Jay County

Internet Is Important The Internet has been a terrific asset to our small library. Without it, patrons couln't take exams, find out the latest news, order online, e-mail friends and relatives, etc. I am so thankful for the grant we received through the State Library and Intelenet. Without it we wouldn't be able to offer Internet service and have access to INSPIRE. Without this grant, we wouldn't be able to teach our patrons about the wonderful things INSPIRE can do for them.       Karen K., Librarian    -   Union County

Wildlife at the Library Living in a rural community, one expects to encounter wildlife; however, wildlife can cause quite an uproar when it is found in the public library. Union County has a Carnegie library with a large attic that is unused, a perfect habitat for brown bats to sleep the day away. Occasionally a bat will sneak down in to the library to catch up on its reading. Then he forgets his way back up to the attic when daylight comes. So, being a typical bat, he snuggles up somewhere for a nice daytime nap of hanging from a light fixture or back in the dark recess of a bookshelf. I don't know who gets more of a fright, the person who finds the bat, or the bat that is suddenly awakened by a shrieking person. Calls go out for professionals: the DNR, Sheriff's dept. and the occasional brave soul with a fishing net to help rid the library of its unwanted patron. Most of the library staff barricade themselves into a "Bat-free" zone until the wee beastie is removed. Don't let anyone try to tell you that working at a library is boring...it may drive you batty at times, but it is not boring.       Karen C., Librarian    -   Union County

Thank You, INSPIRE! INSPIRE has been extremely helpful in my education and my career. I used INSPIRE regularly in college to complete research for papers, speeches, and projects. I now teach English, Speech, and Composition in a small, rural school. Our library does not contain the amount of books or resources my students need to complete thorough research requirements for papers, projects, and speeches. However, my students are very able, and capable of producing excellent research with the use of INSPIRE. Most of them find it very simple to use and very beneficial. Thank you INSPIRE!       Alyson, Academic/educator    -   Shelby County

INSPIRE Is Convenient INSPIRE helped me to find some articles I needed to help me finish an important project. It was so convenient!!       Robert, Self-employed/own company    -   Bartholomew County

Thanks, INSPIRE Thanks to INSPIRE I was able to find cancer information I needed to help me understand what a friend of mine was going through.       Dorothy, Homemaker    -   Bartholomew County

INSPIRE Is Resource of First Choice Each year for the past fifteen years, I have accompanied senior Expository Writing classes to Miami University King Library in Oxford, Ohio. This is a valuable learning experience preparing our students for a university library. While a university library has many more materials available, we have discovered in the last few years that the Inspire Databases are almost as comprehensive as that of a major university. Our students are becoming increasingly familiar with Inspire, and it has become the resource of first choice.       Rebecca, Academic/educator    -   Franklin County

We Appreciate INSPIRE As a small public library, we simply could not subscribe to the many databases accessible through INSPIRE. INSPIRE is invaluable to our students (both public schools and university students residing in Decatur) and our reference staff. We love it and are very appreciative of this resource!       Kelly, Librarian    -   Adams County

Spanish Language Available on INSPIRE Our Spanish classes make great use of the Popular Spanish magazines and pamphlets on Inspire.       Ginny, Librarian    -   Switzerland County

We Use INSPIRE As we continue to re-visit our school improvement plan and look for best practices, INSPIRE is used everytime. Additional resources are available through Interlibrary loan.       Ginny, Librarian    -   Switzerland County

Books for Teachers through Interlibrary Loan Our school corporation has writing as a school improvement goal. We recently participated in the Indiana Writing Initiative Training. There were so many wonderful books displayed and discussed to help with the writing craft. I love being able to get these books for teachers via Interlibrary loan, because there is no way we can afford to purchase them.       Ginny, Librarian    -   Switzerland County

Library Services Important for Professional Development I can not say enough good things about having Inspire and Interlibrary Loan available for professional development and for teachers taking classes. A teacher is currently taking the school law class by Distance Education. He was amazed when I was able to get all the books and articles for his class without leaving Switzerland County!       Ginny, Librarian    -   Switzerland County

INCOLSA Services Are Wonderful INCOLSA services are wonderful! Recently, a teacher asked me for a play that was written in the 1700's. She had searched everywhere. I submitted an interlibrary loan request and received the play within the week from Ball State. Was she ever thrilled!       Ginny, Librarian    -   Switzerland County

Sullivan Public Library Is Heaven When I was a little boy, my mother would take me by the hand every two weeks or so and we would walk from our home on N. Court St. to the Sullivan Public Library. I remember walking along the concrete wall on Lovers' Lane. It scared my mother, who was afraid I would fall off and get hurt. Whilma Snavely was the kind and patient librarian. Mom and I would check out six or eight books, some for her and some for me. When we got home, I would rush to my bedroom to read. Whenever I came across a word I did not know, I would press my finger to the page and run to find Mom and ask, "What's this word?" she pronounced it and told me what it meant. Then I would run back to my bedroom and read that sentence over. Many, many times I pestered her with the same question but she never lost patience, always giving me the correct pronunciations and definitions. Through these library books, I cultivated a love of words. I majored in English at IU and became an English teacher, and, later, a newspaper journalist. To me, the Sullivan Public Library is heaven and its books are manna.       Ken Bledsoe, Academic/educator    -   Sullivan County

Thanks to Genealogy Librarian Betty, the genealogy librarian (Clinton Lib), goes above and beyond duty. She has helped me numerous times--on site and via email. She knows the county and understands research. I've learned a lot through her. What a gem!!! Thank you, Betty!       Janet, Academic/educator    -   Vermillion County

Indiana Is Blessed to Have INSPIRE INSPIRE is a wonderful resource that I use almost daily. From students wanting access to the full text of scholarly journals to a child trying to identify a variety of leaves, I find INSPIRE the place that contains thorough answers for many rewarding reference quests. I also rely on it for professional use, drawing upon its biographical database for access to Contemporary Authors, and as an index to a variety of journals that the library could not otherwise afford access to. INSPIRE is an extremely valuable tool from the standpoint that it provides users with quality information on a wide range of important subjects and saves small institutions such as ours money -- Indiana is truly blessed to have such a resource.       Stephen Platt, Librarian    -   DeKalb County

INSPIRE Appreciated Just wanted to say that this site is helpful for me as a student and preschool teacher. I hope that the library will provide INSPIRE to the patrons as it is truly appreciated.       penny Ritz, Academic/educator    -   Fayette County

Libraries for Learning and Fun I love it very much because you can learn and also have fun at the same time.I love to read a lot so a libary is the place for me to learn and read also have fun.       Desiree, K-12 student    -   Jackson County

Thank you, Indiana! Here at Western High School, the staff and students depend on the information found through INSPIRE. We use Ebsco Host and Biography Resource Center the most. INSPIRE inspires us to complete thorough and detailed research. Thank you, Indiana!       Jean, Librarian    -   Howard County

Thank You. Red Bank Library is a nice place to be. Always helpful & pleasant! Thank you.       Charles & Mary Ann, other    -   Vanderburgh County

Student Enjoys Studying at Library I am a student and and Early Childhood Teacher. I enjoy studying in the computer rooms at Red Bank Library!       Jamie, Academic/educator    -   Vanderburgh County

Helpful Staff The people who work here are so helpful & nice to me.       Dorothy, Professional    -   Vanderburgh County

Libraries, Keep Up the Excellent Work! We have recently moved from rural North Carolina to Indianapolis. I am amazed by both the contents and size of your libraries here. The way you have intergrated technology by renewal/holds online and several electronic book and general information sites is fantastic. Marion county libraries are fun, well rounded and easy to use. Please keep up the excellent work!       Angelique, Academic/educator    -   Marion County

Love My Library! I love my library very much!!!       Desiree, K-12 student    -   Jackson County

INSPIRE Is a Great Resource I not only use INSPIRE personally, but I also encourage students to use it while researching for both class and the speech team. It is a great resource. I would hate to see the funding cut.       Kim, Academic/educator    -   Fayette County

INSPIRE Is Essential INSPIRE is essential to the College Composition class that we offer as part of the ACP (Advanced College Project from Indiana University) where students can receive high school and college credit. If that service is no longer available, the school system will have to provide another resource for those students to access academic peridoicals if they are going to offer the class. I also use the service for research in other classes -- especially 10th grade English. Not every student uses it but INSPIRE is essential for those 10th graders who have more academic topics.       Margie, Academic/educator    -   Fayette County

INSPIRE for Online Research I used the EBSCO database recently for a project I did for my Ball State class. Also, my daughter was home and was working on her homework for a class at Franklin College. I directed her to the EBSCO database and she found just what she was looking for! MANY teachers have continuing ed. classes to attend, MANY teachers are working on their Master's Degree, and MANY students in colleges are going to be our future teachers. With everyone being so busy, it is nearly impossible to go to a public library during the operational hours to do research. If a survey were taken, I believe it would reveal that MANY people do online research very late at night and during the "wee hours" of the morning. When continuing education is required for many business people as well as educators, many people can find the INSPIRE database a useful resource.       Carol, College/graduate student    -   Fayette County

I Love INSPIRE I teach Special Education students and I love INSPIRE! It's easy for my students to use.       Amanda, Academic/educator    -   Vanderburgh County

Thank You for Library Internet Service I have been taking computer classes at the Morrisson-Reeves Library in Richmond, IN for several months now. I have recently been learning much from taking a course on the Internet, which also enabled me to gain access to information which I needed to acquire a Rebate Form for a new computer system which I am currently purchasing. Also, I was able to check on the shipping status of the system which I am buying. In addition, I was able to investigate possibilities with regard to learning about a new career in Medical Transcription. I have been fortunate to be able to access this helpful information by using the Internet Service provided by this library. Thank you.       Pat, Clerical/administrative    -   Wayne County

INSPIRE Is Our Window to the World Before INSPIRE our school library purchased Readers' Guide and about 60 magazines. Now we continue to purchase the same amount of magazines for leisure reading, and students do their research on INSPIRE. They have access to thousands on magazine, journals and newspaper articles. With budgeting deficits in our state budget, our hope is that INSPIRE will have the money to allow our students to continue with these amazing databases. INSPIRE truly is our window to the world!!       Cheryl, Librarian    -   Wayne County

We Are INSPIRED Biographical information about a particular author was being elusive. INSPIRE found the information right away. Recently a patron had a quote by the poet John Dryden he found in one of the news magazine. Suddenly being INSPIRED, we put in the line that was quoted and we had the entire poem. It was great.       Virginia, Librarian    -   Randolph County

Librarian Makes It Worthwhile I remember going upstairs as a little girl getting books during remodeling of the library. It was scary but June Sears the children's librarian maade it all worthwhile.       Peggy, Homemaker    -   Shelby County

Library Is a Jewel in Shelbyville's Crown When I moved back to Shelbyville the library helped me get reacquainted with people. I met my best friend at library storytime. Storytime is wehre my love of our library started. I was a stay at home mom--the library became our haven of entertainment and the coolest thing is that is was free! In 2000 I became an employee of the library, assisting with storytimes, developing crafts helping patrons. When the children's librarian, Janet was offered the job of Library Director I became the Children's Librarian. Our library is evolving. It is bettering itself constantly. Janet is always looking into improving and keeping us current with the changing needs of society. She will be great director because she is dedicated and possesses the love for our library. Yes, I have to say that the Shelbyville-Shelby County Public Library is a jewel in Shelbyville's crown!!!       Brenda, Librarian    -   Shelby County

I Love Our Library No place is better than a good library, and the Mitchell Carnegie Public Library can’t be beat. Its resources are outstanding, the staff is tops. I’ve never asked for anything that hasn't been provided. The environment is conducive to study and pleasure, and provides for individual and group work in terms of research and appropriate activities. The facility is controlled as well as welcoming to all. The library sponsors activities for adults and children, and the children’s department is spacious, well-stocked and accommodating. I can’t imagine having to do without our library, or having services cut. I go there several times a week, and I honestly can say, I love our library.       Pat, Retired    -   Lawrence County

Get INSPIRED! INSPIRE had not been used much in our library by patrons or even the staff. But in a matter of 2 weeks, two different occasions presented an opportunity for the staff to Get INSPIRED! We had been looking for biographical information about an author - looked everywhere - even on the Internet. So tried INSPIRE and bam! there it was. A patron saw a partial quotation by the poet John Dryden in a story in one of the news magazines. So, INSPIRE was tried again. Using the partial quote, again Bam! we found the entire poem. It was 25 pages long, so he just sat down and read it off the screen. We will try to Get Inspired more often in the future.       Virginia, Librarian    -   Randolph County

The Library Gives Me What I Need to Write I retired to write fiction but found that solitary pursuit overwhelming. Then a good friend, who is a successful author, challenged me to meet her at the Mitchell Community Public Library to write a couple of times a week. This is a great place to write. This library has good computers and Internet access. I write my stories and email them to myself at home. I wrote a sketch about my grandmother here and it has been accepted for an anthology. Being here gives me what I need to write. I can find any reference materials I need. The librarians unjam the computer if I get in a mess. I can check out best sellers like “Lovely Bones” or “Atonement” or any of the hundreds of classics that line the shelves. So far I have hauled home everything from Sylvia Browne’s “Book of Dreams” to “99 Historic Homes of Indiana,” to Fannie Flagg’s “Standing In The Rainbow.” I borrow CDs, books on tape even movies to view on the Magnavox VCR I bought when the Friends of the Library held a white elephant sale. More recently my friend taught a writing workshop in the library basement and you can guess who was the biggest duck in that puddle.       Mary, Retired    -   Lawrence County

INSPIRE Provides Access to Thousands of Resources INSPIRE allows our students to have access to thousands of newspaper, magazine, and journal articles that they would otherwise not have access to. It fills in gaps in our print collection, especially on current events. For example, our sophomores just completed a research project on current topics like Elizabeth Smart, Ephedrine, Matthew Shepherd, Andrea Yates, Aliyah, organic farming; we were able to find through INSPIRE. Book resources on such topics are not yet available. INSPIRE was our best source. It also provides a service our local budget could not afford on its own.       Colette, Librarian    -   Henry County

Grad Student Need INSPIRE Being a graduate student in a heavily research-based field, databases such as INSPIRE provide the necessary information needed to become an effective social services and mental health practitioner. I would not be able to get through any of my courses without the help of the information I receive from the library database!       Rachelle, College/graduate student    -   Vigo County

INSPIRE Is a Valuable Tool INSPIRE is the most valuable tool that our middle schools offer, in terms of research. Having students just surf the web is not effective research. The databases give reliable, accurate information, while the same cannot be said for all websites. Biography Resource Center is the best database available for biographical information. Losing INSPIRE because of funding will be a travesty. For many schools, it is the only database resource available.       Kathy, Librarian    -   Elkhart County

INSPIRE Databases Are Invaluable EBSCOHost is invaluable to our students with low reading levels and our ESL students. When research for a topic is required, the Primary and Middle Search options are the first choices I show students. They can successfully find material and feel that they've accomplished their goals.       Kathy, Librarian    -   Elkhart County

INSPIRE is Useful I've used this service many times. It's so useful to write papers using this service than to read fifty or so books just to get the same information. Please don't take it away.       Amber, College/graduate student    -   Vigo County

Good Health News on INSPIRE I used INSPIRE to find out more about the medicine our son is taking. I learned more from INSPIRE than I did from the handout at the pharmacy. INSPIRE actually had more interactions problems listed than did the pharmacy.       Kathy, Professional    -   Clay County

INSPIRE Helps Our 4-H Club adopted Forestry as a project and used INSPIRE to help with leaf identification.       Kathy, Professional    -   Clay County

Databases Are Useful I think it would be a big mistake to delete ANY databases from the library. We are continually telling students to broaden their vision and now you want to narrow it. Education is the vehicle through which Indiana residents will better themselves and consequently better the living conditions, including economics, in the state. Please don't delete any potentially useful databases from our libraries.       Lynn, Academic/educator    -   Vigo County

Great Event at the Library Hog Eye Navvy's recent concert at the Mooresville Public Library was fantastic! Thank you to Sam Carlisle for sponsoring this wonderful program for the community. Thank you to the library for providing the facilities. Thanks also to Starbucks for providing coffee and cookies! What a great deal for a Saturday afternoon at the library!       Susan, Academic/educator    -   Morgan County

INSPIRE Is Used by Students I feel that INSPIRE should not be cut from the school's funding. This program is used very much and we are very grateful of it. I do not understand how the State of Indiana can put a price on our education because the government did not manage the taxpayers money very well. INSPIRE is used very much and without it it would make book reports and doing research a lot harder. Think about it, my generation will be running the United States soon. Wouldn't you want us to have the best education possible?       Shane, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Is a Lifesaver INSPIRE is a lifesaver for my students when doing research papers or biographies!       Paula, Academic/educator    -   Vanderburgh County

A World of Information There have been many times I've told librarians they deserve 1/2 of my financial aid. I have used library databases from my home computer. In a world of exponentially increasing information we all need more help assessing that information       Devin, College/graduate student    -   Vanderburgh County

Everyone Get INSPIRED! INSPIRE is a precious resource. It is sad to think that our state's government would want to allow such a indipsensable research database like INSPIRE to disappear. Many other states have "become inspired" by INCOLSA's "baby",and have created similar online databases. Aside from the multifaceted demographic which uses INSPIRE on a regular basis, this fact should be reason enough for the state's government to save INSPIRE! Everyone, Get INSPIRED!       Katherine, Academic/educator    -   Vigo County

Library Brought the World to Me The Wayne County Contractural Library -- "the bookmobile" -- brought the world to me in my tiny hometown. I'd stack books to my chin and carry them home each week. The bookmobile staff was great and reading was such a gift. I now work with words and my career foundation was delivered by the bookmobile.       Rachel, Professional    -   Wayne County

No Other Program Like INSPIRE INSPIRE has helped me write a very important research paper. It was the deciding factor for my graduation. It is a very useful research tool. More than 75% of my sources were found through INSPIRE. Terminating this research engine would make researching more difficult. There isn't any other program that sorts the information like INSPIRE.       Kiley, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE is THE tool we use At my academic library, the INSPIRE databases are THE tool of choice for our students. While their research may eventually lead them to other sources, they almost always start with the INSPIRE databases. If we had to provide these resources to students with University funding, our spending on other Library resources would be severely curtailed. Please ensure that the INSPIRE databases continue to be available for all Indiana residents, at schools, libraries, homes and offices.       Nancy, Librarian    -   St. Joseph County

INSPIRE is a foundation for growth It is impossible for me to understand how we can Build Indiana, let alone Vigo County, without the full informational and intellectual resources of public libraries. Without resources such as INSPIRE, planning and development takes place on a foundation of sand. gary       gary, Retired    -   Vigo County

Thank You! Dear Friends, Just a note to let you folks know how I enjoy the services of my local library at Eastern Hgts, Greene Cty, Hwy 54 East, Indiana 47424. I regularly use the services of the library, often several times a week or month. Having used libraries not only in my home area (Jackson Twnshp, Greene Cty), but in other locations out of this area I have found the libraries one of the services for which I find my tax dollars well spent. Though I may not be the avid book reader my wife is (she also uses the library extensively) I have had the pleasure of enhancing my love of history by enjoying reading about many famous persons of history, gaining through this research a better understanding of person to person, people to events, and individual to God relationships of many of the political, spiritual, industrial, military, etc. leaders of America and Canada. Not only do I enyoy the books I have read from my local branch. but am thankful for the kindness of the library empoyess in obtaining books out of the local area, sometimes I know at additional expense to the local branch. Thank You. I am also thankful for the Internet services my branch provides. This service unlocks such a wealth of knowledge to me, research of law, regulations, events, finance, etc. The use of the email services is also a feature I find of great value. These are just a few of the ways I enjoy and reap reward from my library. I am a better and more informed person becuase of my library. Keep up the good work. Again thank you my friends and employees at the library. Charles K. Ramsden, Jr.       charles, Retired    -   Greene County

INSPIRE = Love I love this service. I am a non-tradiational college student who is married with three children. When I put them to bed, I am able to access the databases from home and write my research papers without having to worry about babysitters or leaving them to go to the Library. It is invaluable to me and I use it a lot.       Anita, other    -   Vigo County

Don't Deprive us of INSPIRE! I recently completed a research paper for my English class, and I found the INSPIRE search database to be extremely useful. This resource is widely used by students here and would be a great resource to future classes. It would be a great disservice to deprive other students of this valuable resource.       Gregg, K-12 student    -   Howard County

Librarians are tops! The people here at Morrison Reeves library are truly wonderful. They have always been helpful in my requests. This computer service has been a real life saver on several occassions. The referance librarians have been extremely helpful, as well as the audio visual librarians.       Clara, Self-employed/own company    -   Wayne County

INSPIRE Is an Advantage for Indiana Students As a student, I must complete many research projects throughout the year. I cannot stress the importance INSPIRE has had in enabling me to find adequate information. The use of INSPIRE, EBSCO Host, Biography Resource Center, and other resources that the school provides are a tremendous help when it comes to finding references for papers and other assignments that are given. The absence of INSPIRE would put students at a severe disadvantage in finding precise information, along with various resources that a library has to offer. I am writing this letter in hope that the state of Indiana will understand what an advantage INSPIRE is to high schools and how deleting this program would only deny Indiana students from a rewarding education that is essential for them to be successful.       Amanda, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Is an Asset As a college student who works full time, I find it nearly impossible to get to the library during its hours of operation. If it were not for INSPIRE, the many research reports and projects that I am required to do would be nearly impossible to finish. INSPIRE also makes it a dream to pass on resources to others in my class group, who all live in other counties. INSPIRE is an asset that I couldn't survive without!       Catrina, College/graduate student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE for Tomorrow's Leaders Hello my name is Wes and I am a student at Northwestern High School in Kokomo, Indiana. I recieved word that the state budget cuts are not allowing the research source INSPIRE to be available to students. I am outraged at this for a couple of reasons. One is that I just finished a research paper that GREATLY affected my grade and maybe my ability to graduate. I feel that if I had the oppurtunity to use INSPIRE to help me with my paper then future students should as well. If the state cuts out this program then they are showing that they DO NOT care about the education of tommorrow's leaders. Furthermore, I feel that everyone should be presented with the upmost oppurtunity to explore all resources and expand their minds. This is an absolute travesty to the education system. Some people don't use it, but I'm sure that if they knew about it, they would. So if you care about education and the leaders of tommorrow, then you will not take INSPIRE from the grasps of our minds. Thank you and God Bless.       Wes, K-12 student    -   Howard County

We Need INSPIRE INSPIRE is an excellent source of information. This source can be used for many reports and research papers students need to write. The source can be used without question to wheter it is a reliable source. If Indiana gets rid of INSPIRE, then one of the main sources that is used will be gone. We need to keep INSPIRE. We need to keep this great source.       Zack, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Has Great Resource Tools Due to budget cuts, the government is going to get rid of the INSPIRE search engine. INSPIRE is a very important resource for students of all ages. INSPIRE has many certified sources that can help on papers and other school projects. Students would have a hard time trying to find valid sources if INSPIRE was no longer available. It is important that the state keeps INSPIRE, so that students in the future will be able to use its great resource tools.       Ryan, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Helpful Our school is thinking about cutting funds for some of the library research programs. INSPIRE just happens to be one of the programs to be shut down. I believe they should not because INSPIRE is a very valuable program that allows easy research for important English papers. Over the past month, the program INSPIRE has been very useful in a important paper I had to do to get the graduating credit for English 12 CP. Thank You For Time... :)       Zachary, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Should Be Kept for Future Students I have used INSPIRE as a resource on several occasions. It has credible information and was a good place to find sources. Throughout my Senior year, INSPIRE has saved me time while I did research for my research paper as well as a very important speech. INSPIRE should be kept to help future students as well.       Rhaeanna, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Access Gives All Students a Chance INSPIRE is a program that has been extremely helpful to me in my high school career. My senior year, I had a research paper that I could not have finished without the resources INSPIRE provided for me. Without the access to INSPIRE in my school, many students will not be able to have the chance to access such an informative, free news source.       Lena, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Provides Reliable Sources I used INSPIRE to search for credited sources for my research paper. INSPIRE has a great deal of information to provide to students. It is one of the few sites that has credited sources. INSPIRE has everything from magazines articles to newspapers stories. Using INSPIRE helped me find many reliable sources for my paper.       Katherine, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Provides Information My fellow students and I have recently had to turn in a 7+-page paper, and the only information I was able to acquire was from INSPIRE. My topic was Stevie Ray Vaughan and my entire source of paraphrases and direct quotes in my paper came from INSPIRE. If it was not for INSPIRE I would be taking senior English a second time next fall, because unless you are a guitarist you probably have not heard of Stevie Ray Vaughan.       J.P., K-12 student    -   Howard County

Keep INSPIRE Alive I recently completed my senior research paper on Mozart that would have been extremely difficult if I did not have access to INSPIRE from my school's computers. To lose this program would be a severe tragedy for all students in Indiana. Please do what you can to keep this program alive and obtainable to the students.       Brent , K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Is an Asset As a student involved in many research projects throughout the year, I cannot stress the importance of how using INSPIRE helps my peers and I. The use of INSPIRE, EBSCO Host, Biography Resource Center, and other interfaces that the school offers is a tremendous aid when it comes to finding references for papers and other assignments. The absence of INSPIRE would put students at a terrible disadvantage in finding accurate information, diverse resources, and a multitude of services that would otherwise not be available in a high school library. I am writing this letter as an outcry for the state of Indiana to realize what an asset INSPIRE is to high schools and how deleting this program would only deprive Indiana students from a gratifying education that they desire and strive for.       Tim, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Helps Educate Students INSPIRE is a quick and easy way to find information. I have used INSPIRE for three papers throughout high school. INSPIRE gives us students access to information without having to deal with other Internet resources. I would definitely use INSPIRE again, therefore I would like to say that I think that the state should keep INSPIRE to help educate students.       Craig , K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Is the Quick Information Finder I would like to start by saying that INSPIRE is one of the best sources for a research paper. INSPIRE is the quickest information finder I used for information on my research paper. I looked up Muhammad Ali on INSPIRE using the Biographies Researcher and was definitely satisfied with the information I got back. I would definitely tell other people to use the research tool INSPIRE and would highly like you to keep in our state.       Bradley, K-12 student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Is One of the Best INSPIRE is one of the best computer-related sources I have ever used. The login was easy and getting the information I needed was even easier. The search tools are excellent because you can read info from a newspaper, book, magazine, or even radio stations. I also have used INSPIRE because of the extra searching program feature. The source that I find helpful is EbscoHost. This source for research has several different options that help to break down the search, so you get the information that you are looking for. I have enjoyed using INSPIRE and its many features in order to gather data. The data I’ve found from INSPIRE has been very useful and I’m sure I will continue to use this source through college. Today more and more people are becoming involved with a computer. The computer is useful because of its quick connection. The information given to students from INSPIRE is straight to the point and the articles are not extremely long and boring. I believe that students benefit greatly from INSPIRE and also its just a great place for someone to get information for whatever reason.       Greg, College/graduate student    -   Howard County

INSPIRE Is Valuable Resource I use the INSPIRE program a great amount in my research. This program has been a valuable resource to me and my classmates and should not be taken away from the public education system.       Levi, K-12 student    -   Howard County

Our Library Is More than Books As an adoptive family, it was fun to visit the library and see a pamphlet recommending books for families such as ours. Our library is more than books, it is a staff of caring people. As a newcomer to this community, the library staff have been a wonderful resource to answer questions and get us involved with Richmond. Thanks.       Karin, Professional    -   Wayne County

Teachers Praise INSPIRE I am especially happy with INSPIRE when I need information to help teachers who are taking classes. They really praise INSPIRE and me. Also, the Biography Resource Center on INSPIRE has been especially helpful this semester when I have had several classes using the resource for famous African Americans and famous mathematicians. I show them how to use INSPIRE in the library and they are told they can also use it in the computer lab or at home! Recently, I have informed teachers in a private school in Indiana of this resource.       Glenda, Librarian    -   Jennings County

INSPIRE Databases Invaluable! I am saddened at the thought that the state may cut funding for the INSPIRE databases. As an assistant in a high school library I found these databases invaluable! Now that I work for Evansville Public Library I still use INSPIRE for the many North High School students that come in to work on research after school. The cuts in the schools media and library funds have made it even more imperative that the INSPIRE databases continue to serve the public. I know that many schools have completely stopped purchasing magazines because the funds are no longer available. INSPIRE is one of the few databases that students can access free at home as well as at school. Please consider before you cut....       Rhonda, Librarian    -   Vanderburgh County

Library Holds Special Place in Our Hearts The Lebanon Public Library is a fabulous library. The employees there are always very friendly and helpful whenever I need anything. When I first moved to Lebanon from New York State after marrying a Hoosier, it meant so much to me to visit the library because it reminded me so much of my hometown library. Once my children were old enough, and being a stay-at-home mom, I was able to enroll them in classes held at the library. There was always something going on there for children and we took full advantage of it. My children are now in college. Both remember those days and now they use the library at their respective universities and feel right at home because our hometown library, The Lebanon Public Library, always afforded time for children. We have a special love for our library and know that without one, we would be missing a place in our hearts.       Hallie, Clerical/administrative    -   Boone County

Many Uses for INSPIRE at Schools All of the schools in our system use INSPIRE. It is an invaluable tool for school research projects. For example, the Language Arts Department teaches it as part of the Research Paper Lesson, and the upper elementary and middle grade students use the Biography Resource Center to find information on authors for their book reports. The PL 221 Study Groups found most of their information in the Professional Library database. I hope the state will contiune to fund this valuable resource. With the cutback in school funding, it may be impossibe for our small system to cover fees for INSPIRE in the future.       Dave, Librarian    -   Henry County

INSPIRE Research Helps with USS Indianapolis Schoolwork I am currently doing a 5th grade research project on the USS Indianapolis. With the help of my father we found many articles relating to the USS Indianapolis on the INSPIRE Website. There were several in some of the military magazines. This has been a big help.       Alex, K-12 student    -   Hendricks County

INSPIRE Helps with Medical Information Needs The libraries' Website called INSPIRE was a great help to my family when my son was diagnosed with possible scoliosis. From a school physical we were directed to see a specialist regarding our son's curvature of his spine. The appointment was 2 weeks away. We were able to find articles on INSPIRE that in laymen's terms explained the degrees of scoliosis and that only a very small percentage of people have a straight spine. This information gave us some comfort and, more importantly, was confirmed by the specialist. We monitor it yearly but it has no impact on his sports activity.       Tim, Professional    -   Hendricks County

INSPIRE, Internet Help in Rural Communities There is a tremendous amount of untapped potential in this rural county in the form of young people who, for various reasons (financial, academic, lack of encouragement and family precedence), have not considered any type of post high school education. In 2001 we launched our Coffee Talk College Series, designed to remove the obstacles keeping this group from pursuing a better life through education. The first year was a building year, the second revealed marked improved interest, and this year's program will be a joint effort of the library and the school guidance office. Online courses and research are promoted during this program as alternatives to the traditional classroom/campus experience. Library Internet connectivity and resources, such as INSPIRE, truly help level the playing field in small rural communities.       Melissa, Librarian    -   Carroll County

INSPIRE Is a Wonderful and Convenient Reference Tool I was first introduced to INSPIRE in high school and have utilized it for reliable information since then. Internet sources in general can be of questionable value, but teachers and professors alike accept references found on INSPIRE, making it a wonderful and convenient reference tool.       Katy, College/graduate student    -   Hendricks County

Don't Take the Libraries for Granted My daughter spent the fall semester studying abroad. The best way we had to communicate was through email. It wasn't until she had been there awhile that she made the comment that she had to keep the message short, because it was costing her money! I then found out that even though she had paid tuition, she still had to pay for extras such as Internet access and having copies made from resource material. We are very lucky to have at our libraries, free access to the Internet and email. We take many things for granted in this country. We should NOT take our libraries for granted!       Linda, Homemaker    -   Hendricks County

What Would We Do Without Libraries? Let me tell you how the library in our small town in Dugger, IN, helped me. Would you have thought to go to your library for information if you wanted to establish a Coal Museum honoring the occupation which helped build the town? Nor would I, but as librarian, I learned there are books to help you in most everything you want to do. They point you in the right direction. From the book "Robert's Rules of Order," I learned if you are asking the public for monies, you must be legally organized. This was a high priority in my museum work. There are current books to help you plan your wedding, write your resume, build a patio, fix your plumbing, research your genealogy, and men really use the Chilton's books for car repair. Libraries are a cultural center for both adults and children. It isn't a "hush hush, tsk tsk" library anymore. There are newspapers, periodicals, movies, computers and copy machines. Children have all kinds of books, puzzles, story hour, crafts and summer reading programs. What would we do without libraries? We know what happend to a European country who made a huge bonfire out of its books. LIBRARIES have documented proof for the Doubting Thomases of that debacle. I have spent many happy hours reading. It wipes the cobwebs from my brain and keeps me in touch with the world. Try it!       Ruby, Retired    -   Sullivan County

INSPIRE Essential to My Business INSPIRE is a great addition to my library's Web page, please keep funding it. It is essential in my business, and it is just great to be able to bring up recent magazine stories of interest.       Bob, Professional    -   Vanderburgh County

Students Use INSPIRE Daily I have taught INSPIRE to my seventh grade students for the last four years. The students in my high school use it on a daily basis. It is the best database that is available free for the use of Indiana's students. t would be horrible to think that it will no longer be there for our use.       Pat, Librarian    -   Marshall County

INSPIRE Is a Wonderful Resource INSPIRE is essential for public libraries. We have reduced our dependence on print magazines thanks to the full text articles that are available. It is easy to email articles to people who call in needing research materials. We instruct students to use INSPIRE in the library and from home. Please contine to fund this wonderful resource.       Sandy, Librarian    -   Vanderburgh County

Neat Stuff Available on INSPIRE INSPIRE is really a big help in doing my homework. My librarian showed me how to access from home to find articals and there is a lot of neat stuff available.       Susie, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

Library Staff Is Wonderful As an at-home mom with two young, intellectually curious children, we were frequent visitors to the children’s department of Morrisson-Reeves Library. My children were comfortable with the staff but I didn’t realize just how much like family they had become until one day my mother-in-law, who was visiting from out of town, took them to the library and came back raving about how wonderful it was that the staff at the library knew our children by name (and also their favorite subjects and authors!) The staff at MRL is always ready to go the extra mile to assist their patrons.       Jane, Executive/managerial    -   Wayne County

I Enjoy My Hometown Library I recently needed to research a piece of furninture called a dry sink, which I was restoring. Morrisson-Reeves Public Library borrowed some books from the Indiana State Library to help me with my research. The employees are very helpful and I enjoy my hometown library!       Norma, Retired    -   Wayne County

INSPIRE Furthers Education The state of Indiana has many services to help students further their education. INSPIRE is a great source for effortless and fast information. Before INSPIRE students relied on Google and other search engines that gave invaluable information for resources. A reliable and efficient search engine such as INSPIRE makes teachers’ and students’ work that much easier by eliminating useless and irrelevant sites. To stop funding on INSPIRE would devastate the further education of many students who use INSPIRE for quick and valuable information for schoolwork.       Josey, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

Keep INSPIRE Available INSPIRE is a Website used by many people. It provides an easy way to research and saves time. Time is a valuable thing for many students with busy lives. Most students in all grades are pressured to do their best by everyone. While that may not be a bad thing, it does leave kids with mounds of homework and lot of practices for various sports and other hobbies. This Website gives kids a way to waste less time looking for information on the Internet and gives kids more time to do the many things in their lives. With this information, I hope you decide to keep this site available. It is a useful Website to everyone whether they are working on projects, want pictures, or just want to read about their favorite places or people.       Kirsten , K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE Helps Many I would like for you to know that I believe the state should not get rid of the INSPIRE Website. The INSPIRE Website can and has helped many students and even the teachers. It helped me research for my schools 60s unit. I had to write a report on Malcolm X for my English and social studies teachers. The INSPIRE Website is all I used to research Malcolm Little. I found many interesting facts on him that I did not know. I found out Malcolm was a Black Muslim just like Muhammad Ali. Then he had an uplifting experience on an airplane were there were people together from all races and cultures. He knew then we were all brothers and sisters. He then became an Islam and died as one. I found more information than that and I found pictures of Malcolm, too. This Website helped me out a lot.       Tiffany, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

Students Rely on INSPIRE Some students thrive on the information and resources given to them through INSPIRE. It brings them correct information on subjects and events. Some students rely on the funding for this program to keep it standing and keep them informed. INSPIRE narrows the choices of information from valid responsible sites. It doesn’t waste time going through incorrect Websites launched by uninformed people who often launch their opinions as facts and information. INSPIRE can be used in your home as well, not just educational places. All you have to do to get INSPIRE is subscribe to it and it’s at your fingertips in a few days. To see funding for this program stop, and watch this program close, to us would be a shame. When the subject of funding for INSPIRE comes to your attention please vote to keep it standing.       LaShelle, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE Accessible from Anywhere The INSPIRE search engine is an useful source. The source narrows the choice of Web sites that are valid and provides much information. I benefited from using INSPIRE on my research paper, which was on the topic of Jim Henson. INSPIRE allowed me to type on specific things I needed to know about Henson. Another useful thing about INSPIRE is that it can be accessed anywhere. That process allowed me to research at home just as well at school.       Angela, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE Is the Best I have used the INSPIRE Website a few times and have already experienced all the quick and easy help it’s given me. The information was accurate and useful. Using this one simple Website has cut my research work and time in half. I used to spend hours looking for and gathering information but now it takes only a couple of minutes for the certain Website to pop up. A couple weeks ago I had to do a research paper on Jim Henson. My librarian introduced me to INSPIRE. I used it and instead of getting thousands of Websites full of useless information, I got a reasonable amount of Websites with accurate details of my subject. It didn’t take long, either. It was simple and quick. All I did was type in the information I wanted and in seconds I would get it. INSPIRE is the best search engine I have used.       Natasha , K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE Good for Education It has been acknowledged that every year a budget cut is made and INSPIRE could be cut due to money problems. INSPIRE is a big help to people, such as students and teachers. Students can use it for things such as research papers, which is how INSPIRE was brought to my attention. This site helped me so much more than Google. This Website is better for education. INSPIRE saves me time. It’s fast, easy, and free. On my research paper I was able to include pictures and good reasonable information all because of INSPIRE. If INSPIRE wouldn’t have been available, then most of us wouldn’t have completed our research papers. Look into this and keep this Website for more people to use. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.       Tiffany, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE Is Wonderful I think INSPIRE is a wonderful search engine. This Website helps students with school papers and everyday topics. I repeatedly depend on INSPIRE because it saves me time and instantly gives me useful information. I am always on a time block, especially in school. Being in middle school, I am assigned to do detailed research papers. When I get on Google, I build up great stress. With INSPIRE, they automatically omit pop-ups and unauthorized Websites. This makes it a lot easier to get my work done. Sometimes things become a little out of order and I become organized, especially when I have to copy notes out of books and magazines. With INSPIRE, I can type in the topic and a list of the best sites pop up. I’ll be the one to tell you, all the other search engines give you a bunch of information you don’t need. I honestly think INSPIRE is a very helpful source of information. INSPIRE also gives you other websites to visit if you can’t find good information.       Kelci, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE One of the Best Sites INSPIRE helped me get all the information I needed for my report. It is probably one of the best sites I’ve been on. The money that is being spent for INSPIRE by the state of Indiana should keep being used for INSPIRE. It can be helpful because nothing on the site is made up. INSPIRE helped me with my report because it helped me find what I was looking for with no hassle. My report was on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. It helped me because it kept the important material to make it easier to write and it helped me get exactly what I needed. What also makes it easy is the sites I want to come up are the only sites that come up. Nothing on INSPIRE is fake or made up because it is all checked by INSPIRE before it goes on the site. It helped me when I needed help and it’s easy to get to access.       Brandon, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE Is a Brilliant Idea INSPIRE played an enormous role in my research paper. If not for INSPIRE I would have been searching and filtering for hours on Websites such as Yahoo! Google, and WebCrawler. INSPIRE made my work more quick and efficient. Also it got me an A on my Social Studies paper. I am thankful that you have made this Website available to the citizens of Indiana. I think that this brilliant idea should be supported and funded by all who care about education. Thank you for your support of INSPIRE.       Josh, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE Dares to Be Different A priceless service such as INSPIRE is not often thanked for its tireless efforts. I know many people in our state, not just children, use this service and appreciate it greatly. It would be a travesty and great injustice if this service were to shut down. Many people would be forced to spend countless amounts of time looking for good sites. It is for this that INSPIRE should go on. INSPIRE is an efficient, worthwhile search engine that provides students with only the most relevant, informative sites. If that weren’t enough, INSPIRE goes that extra mile and provides links to other great sites. I cannot forget how INSPIRE helped me find information for my research paper on John F. Kennedy; it gave me information some sites would not have. In a world Yahoo!-based, INSPIRE dares to be different. Lastly it’s a great convenience being available everywhere.       Nick, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE for Helpful Information Some of my classmates and I had to do a research report. The majority of us used INSPIRE to get a lot of helpful information easily. We are active people and have to have time to do our homework for other classes and extra-curricular activities. INSPIRE left us plenty of time to do those things. It collected on important information and not things that are useless. It was also easy to use.       Chelsea, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

INSPIRE at Home and at School INSPIRE is an useful source. The source narrows the choice of Web sites that are valid and provide much information. I benefited from using INSPIRE on my research paper, which was on the topic of Jim Henson. INSPIRE allowed me to type on specific things I needed to know about Henson. Another useful thing about INSPIRE is that it can be accessed anywhere. That process allowed me to research at home just as well at school. I believe funding for the network is highly regarded and should be continued.       Angela, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

At Home at Your Hometown Library I recently moved to Wayne county in June 2002. One of the first things I did when we got settled was find the library and get my card. I enjoy the Morrison-Reeves library atmosphere and the wide selection of materials you can check out. Being new to an area is scary, but you always feel right at home when you discover your hometown library.       Ambyr, Clerical/administrative    -   Wayne County

INSPIRE for Research I utilize INSPIRE as a source for finding publications to cite for research papers and essays. I would have a hard time writing papers and finding sufficient, and accurate publications without the use of INPSPIRE Indiana. I love this service and I really hope that this site will be around to stay.       Billie , College/graduate student    -   Vigo County

INSPIRE Offers Wonderful Possibilities I love INSPIRE. I use it all the time to do research and to find articles for my students to read. It is a perfect example of how the Internet offers wonderful possibilities for education.       Richard, Academic/educator    -   Vigo County

INSPIRE Is a Valuable Resource INSPIRE has been a valuable resource to me throughout the course of my undergraduate education. I have used INSPIRE for research on Art, History, Literature, French, Theology, and several other subjects. Its availability to me at home and at school is also very helpful.       Elizabeth, College/graduate student    -   Floyd County

INSPIRE Makes a Huge Difference I work with students in the WED Program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Most are from small towns or rural areas; these students do not have easy access to libraries, and INSPIRE has made a huge difference in the amount and type of resources they can access for their academic work. We're praying that the state continues to fund it.       Judy, Academic/educator    -   Vigo County

INSPIRE's Value as Research and Homework Tool We teach INSPIRE to all of our students in grades 5-8. They use it successfully for a variety of projects. We also have it as a link on our library media center Web page. Many students and parents have commented about its value as a research and homework tool at home. We know that we would not be able to afford this type of online database from our media center budget. We are grateful for the legislative support of this valuable reference tool.       Sarah, Librarian    -   Boone County

Citizens Come Together to Rebuild Library Carlisle, IN had a Carnegie Library built in 1916. In 1965, a celebration was planned for Carlisle's 150th birthday. Bonds were purchased by citizens to finance the project. The meetings to plan the event were held in the library. The library burned, though, on March 17. All books and plans for the event were destroyed in the fire. After the celebration, the people returned all the profits from their bonds and ticket sales to build a new library to replace the old one they missed so much. With that and the insurance money received, a new library opened on the town square debt free in December, 1965.       Agnes, Librarian    -   Sullivan County

INSPIRE Provides Another Option for Education I have had a lifelong love of reading and books. Any Website that encourages reading and visits to the library is one that needs to be kept around. The INSPIRE Website is just one more example of why Indiana is a leader in education. Instead of just talking about ways to improve our education system, INSPIRE provides another option in keeping our kids as informed as possible. Thank you INSPIRE!! Keep up the good work!!!       Chris, Sales/marketing    -   Dubois County

The Long Arm of the Library Sullivan Library in the late 50's and early 60's. Read about a small local library back then: John T. Snyder, in his recent book, "Innocence 'bout Forgot", has a chapter about the library and his teenage employment there. A first "job" with a salary of $50 a month, John humorously describes his interview and experiences as janitor. The job description included: sweeping steps, opening and closing windows, dusting, and firing the coal furnace. He also relates the profound affect the assistant librarian had on his life. As a librarian and a classmate of John's, it was interesting to discover another aspect of the long arm of the library.       Becky, Librarian    -   Sullivan County

INSPIRE Open 24 Hours a Day Their are three libraries in our county. The librarians are friendly and in my experience do their best to accommodate the patrons. Sometimes my schedule gets very busy and I need information NOW! Sometimes my children wait until bedtime the night before something is due to tell me about an assignment. INSPIRE is open 24 hours a day! I don't know what my family and I would do without it. Thanks INSPIRE!       Sheila, Academic/educator    -   Dubois County

Thanks for the Great Service INSPIRE is an outstanding resource for my language arts and psychology students. Whether researching for school projects or for their own personal enrichment, students have come to appreciate the ease with which they can further their knowledge and understanding of themselves and the world. Especially in these times, such an enlightening tool for our youth is invaluable. Thanks for the great service!       Rock, Academic/educator    -   Dubois County

Library Book Club I belong to a book club that uses the library to get our books for us each month. We pick out a book and the librarian gets us 6 copies of the same book. If we want a book for our ouwn personal library we can buy it somewhere but we always get to read them first this way without buying something we don't really like, and most of us don't have room for any more books at home.       Sherrill, Retired    -   Whitley County

INSPIRE Helps Us Help I left library work 32 years ago this month; I came back last year to find that things had changed quite a bit! Books and magazines now share the shelves with videos, audio books, compact discs AND the INTERNET. As a resource tool, this modern wonder of technology provides invaluable assistance to those of us involved in the field of learning. Websites such as INSPIRE are a god-send and an absolute necessity to "help us help" future generations on the road to knowledge. The education of our kids should be a priority for us in Indiana both on a personal AND state level -- resources such as INSPIRE make it much easier to accomplish that goal. Thanks, INSPIRE!!       Janet, Librarian    -   Dubois County

INSPIREd Educational Journey Working in a library for twenty years, I've seen firsthand the importance of our libraries and how they can benefit and enrich so many lives. A few years ago, our Ferdinand Branch Library had a special Summer Reading Program that focused on INSPIRE. The program was titled "Inspired Families Read Together." People of all ages could sign up. One of the tasks that each participant had to complete, was to look up INSPIRE on our library computer. Since we only had one Internet accessible computer, it was a real challenge, but a huge success!! Everyone was introduced to INSPIRE through a fun-filled library program. INSPIRE continues to help children as well as adults in their educational journey through life.       Trina, Librarian    -   Dubois County

Reading Is Great for Your Brain We need our library/media center because libraries provide books to read. Reading is great for your brain. If you can't read then you can't do much in life. Our library/media center has books about Harry Potter, Arthur, Sports, Science, Health, Chess, Chapterbooks,and Picturebooks. I think we need bathrooms in our library, new books, new shelves, and a new television. Sometimes we read after finding our books we want to check out. Our school thinks you should help our library.       James, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

Library Essential to Small Business Owner As a small business owner, I find the library is an essential source for me. I use it to find addresses for press releases, business connections, advertising ideas, and sources of inspiration. I don't have extra cash for magazines, so I really enjoy reading those at the library. I especially use the books on special dates, to help promote events at my shop. I don't know what I'd do without it!       Carol, Self-employed/own company    -   Blackford County

Visionary Thinking Evident in Indiana's Libraries I note that whenever I return to Indianapolis, I am reminded of the visionary thinking and planning that obviously has occurred in Indiana for libraries and the information communities they serve. A brochure from INCOLSA, describing statewide INSPIRE/Internet initiatives, helped to illustrate this. This is not the first time I have felt the need to congratulate Indiana librarians on the quality of their strong collaborations. Work I had done years ago with the Children's Museum of Indianapolis had already demonstrated this principle, and subsequent conversations and observations of the Indianapolis-Marion County organization had borne my observations out. When I spoke at the gathering of the Public Library Association in Phoenix earlier this year, my theme emphasized that collaboration and communication are the essential elements for the future of public libraries in the United States. When this is understood, and projects and systems are developed to carry out this theme, great benefits for citizens and communities follow. I strongly believe that it is the task of reference librarians to think of these things, and to be the champions of this value.       Dr. David Carr, Academic/educator    -   Madison County

Library Highlights Growing up in a small rural town in Oklahoma, the library was the highlight of my life. My mother took me to the library at least once a week. When I left home and moved to Minnesota, I was delighted to find out I could go to more than one library within the Twin Cities. What a treat! Then, later on in life, moving to Indiana, I found out I could have more than one library card through the reciprocal card system in the counties. But, the best part is, now I have a job in a library and I love it. It's like a little piece of heaven in this life.       Kim, Librarian    -   Sullivan County

We Need Our School Library I need my School Library/Media Center because it is a quiet place to get my work finished. We check out great books. Sometimes in the morning before school the library teacher, Mrs.Boenigk, lets us play chess. If we don't have our books returned to the library when we go to library class, our teacher will let use drawing books, or read a magazine or a book. Also we have Act Out in our library taught by our library teacher. Act Out is about doing plays and writing plays. We also have Lion's Roar. Lion's Roar is for 2nd 3rd and 4th graders to learn to write our student school newspaper. If we don't know where a book is located, we can go on the computer to look up the author, the title, or subject to find the book on the shelves. These are some reasons why we need our School Library/ Media Center.       Cheriengna, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

Libraries, Media Centers Are Needed To whom I'm talking, listen real carefully. If you don't have a librarian, who are you going to ask, "do you have this book yet?" No! You can't do anything without a media center or an education. If a library/media center is not at school or around the corner, what will the kids do without a library. Computers?! Some people can't afford computers. OK, don't cry on me now. Let me tell you what a media center and media specialist can do for you. He/she helps us out with our studies, helps to get an education, and understands how we need time to work out our own problems. I think everybody needs a library. You probably think rich people do not need a library. Hmm... some people use their "High Top Lap Top" to get around. Not everybody has a computer. Please think about it. Don't let us down. We need our school library media center. Think about it.       Perchelle, K-12 student    -   Vanderburgh County

Libraries Great for Children I love programming because I experienced children in their most innocent and loving time...When they are having fun! Libraries are a great way for us to fulfill needs/wants for children, young adults and adults!!!!!!!!       Nichole, Librarian    -   Hamilton County

Library Is Like a Second Home We visit the Limberlost Library in Rome City at least twice a week if not more. The staff is always friendly and helpful. We are a homeschool family and so we are always using the library for our resource material. I am impressed that they can keep up with us!Their policy for homeschool (teachers) is wonderful and we use it to the full advantage. My boys have aquired a love of reading. I'm sure it has to do with the accessibility of the library. They are on first name basis with the library staff and that is what makes it our 2nd home. ;o)       Poyser Family, Homemaker    -   Noble County

Library Puppet Shows Fun for Kids and Adults We are a homeschooling family and have a good relationship with the library. We are on first name basis with the children's department staff. In fact, the kids go to the library just to see Mary, the children's librarian. The puppet shows she puts on are one of the highlights of the library. They are fun to watch for kids and adults!       Poyser Family, Homemaker    -   LaGrange County

Good Memories I remember getting my first library card at the old Carnegie Library in Spencer. The children's room was in the basement and you could only go in through a side door. I won a Micheal Jackson white glove in one of the summer reading contests!       Michelle, Professional    -   Owen County

Libraries Are First in Mind for Quick Answers Just today (1/2/03) I once again proved the power of the Internet in answering reference questions. An elementary school teacher came in wanting to know what other films had been directed locally by the gentleman, she didn't know his name, who directed the movie "Prancer." Just by typing in "Prancer video" I was able to come up with his name and then searched under "John Hancock director" to find out what other films he had directed. Before she had chosen materials to read I had her answer waiting at the front desk. That's the type of quick service that puts libraries first in the patron's mind when they want quick answers and it wouldn't be possible for us if there was no state support of Internet for libraries and schools.       Sandi, Librarian    -   Starke County

People of Indiana Have Provided a Great Resource We have designated INPIRE.net as the homepage for all of the computers in our school. All of the students know what a great resource the people of Indiana have given to the libraries. All of our projects and research is centered on using the resources and links provided by INSPIRE; every student can navigate this site and use the databases. I feel good as the school librarian that I provide a safe place to navigate the Internet. Evans Middle School       Colleen, Librarian    -   Vanderburgh County

Thank You to Dedicated Library Staff Published in the newspaper, Dec 2: "To the Editor: I recently read your column on the Monroe County Public Library and their ranking of 15th in the nation of 325 in a survey. Yet there was an important aspect of our library that was not mentioned. For seven months now, three individuals have been bringing me books. I write out a small list of books that I would like to read and they do their best to see that I get them. I've tried to relay to these individuals that I appreciate what they do, yet I feel that sometimes words just are not enough. You see, without these kind people to bring me and 250 other people books, some of us would go stir crazy, for a lack of better words. I do not know the names of these three individuals from the library, yet they will know who they are. These dedicated and warm people in my opinion are priceless. You see, I'm an inmate at the Monroe County Jail and every Tueday, Wednesday and Thursday they take their time to come to the jail to bring books for us. And that in my opinion makes them at the highest of the survey, at number one. Kudos to Sheriff Steve Sharp and to Colonel Bill Wilson for allowing and providing the staff in assisting these librarians. It makes an unfortuante situation of being here, much better."       Scott, other    -   Monroe County

Internet Is Valuable Public Option I am a substitute teacher & boys basketball coach at Tri-West Middle School, also without a computer at home. I have used the public computer here at the Danville Public Library for several months now and find it extremely worthwhile. I use your "granted link" for everything from composing letters in my search for a full time coaching position to playing on line fantasy sports with my buddies around the country to horoscope fun readings. I hope your funding keeps this valuable public option open for our continued free usage. THANKS A BUNCH!!!!       Mike, Professional    -   Hendricks County

Come See the Library for Yourself I grew up in Seymour, and as a small child visited our library every week, and learned to love it. Since the age of 8, I have been a weekly visitor, and enjoy reading all the new books, as well as listening to the extensive audio books that are available. My children all took part in Story Hour, and grew up visiting the library. When my huband lost his vision due to illness, the audio books became invaluable to him, as we would listen to them in the car during his many long trips to the hospital, and they helped him get signed up for the talking books at home. Our library provides a friendly, helpful atmosphere, and not only provides reference for all kinds of projects, also provides computers for those who need them, and the newspapers and magazines that many visitors cannot afford to purchase for themselves. It is a beautiful place to visit, and one of the most important assets to our community that visitors and prospective business and industry owners notice when they look at Seymour. Come and see for yourself - it provides a wonderful service.       Martha, Executive/managerial    -   Jackson County

Time in the Library Everyday My wife and I decided to relocate after 20 years in NW Arkansas. I was retired and hers was a home based computer business which enabled us to live any where we desired. The library was third on our criteria rank order and after selecting South Central Indiana as the general location, it was a simple matter of finding the library which by definition determined the city. The interlibrary resource program enables me with cultural,intellectual and entertainment without the metropolitan diadvantages. Book review and study groups have provided me a delightful smorgasboard of reading experiences in sharp contrast to a career spent in critical reading, discussions and composition of tecnical reports. I find that,for me,a day without time in the library is like a Chocolate Oreo without a glass of milk. Thank you.       Wendell, Retired    -   Jackson County

Great Resource I went to a local (mega-corporation) bookstore looking for a book I'd been searching for for years. The employee was unable to help me find the book which I later found myself but couldn't afford. I went to the fiction desk at the Monroe County Public Library and requested it as a new item. The library got it in a few weeks and I've been able to enjoy it for weeks at my leisure. What an invaluable resource! And the MCPL staff is about the coolest bunch of people in town!       James, Sales/marketing    -   Monroe County

Impressed with INSPIRE and Internet I don't know about other librarians, but my friends are always calling me at home and asking me to look stuff up -- the next time I'm at work. Usually, right then and there -- from home, before I forget -- I jump on to INSPIRE and find the answers to their questions. They are so impressed with all that I can find on the Internet. They're really impressed when I show them how they can use INSPIRE at home, for free, for themselves and find their own articles.       Ann, Librarian    -   Lake County

What Would I Do Without INPSIRE? I'm taking online classes to become a Veterinary Technician. One of my classes assigned a paper requiring peer reviewed psychology journals. Thanks to INSPIRE, I was able to find peer reviewed journal articles on a topic that interested me [bereveament and loss of a family pet], print off the full text, and write the paper. I don't know what I would have done without INSPIRE. I did get an A on that paper, and the instructor was impressed with the topic and the articles.       Linda, Self-employed/own company    -   Wabash County

INSPIRE Should Be Top Priority For anyone who thinks that patrons don't do research two days before Christmas--think again. Just today a non-traditional college student was in our library looking for information for a class she is taking. I was able to direct her to Business Source Premier where she found many articles that could be used to help her write a position paper. This is just one instance where we have been able to help students find information on INSPIRE. There have been so many others that it is hard to recall all of them. I personally used INSPIRE to find out how to rebuild the boxed gutters on a Victorian-era house; an example of a general interest question. I have also helped patrons find medical information when they have come to the library directly from the doctor's office with less than complete information. Students of all ages have either used INSPIRE in the library or we have instructed them on how to search from their home computer. It is truly an invaluable resource and I would hope that funding for it should be a top priority with Indiana state legislators.       Diana, Librarian    -   Hancock County

Good Experiences at the Library Before I was an employee, I was a happy patron. Most of all I recall Amal Altoma, her ready smile and willingness to do whatever it took to provide a good experience for a patron.       Jim Hurd, Librarian    -   Monroe County

INSPIRE Used to Identify Trees I have always found INSPIRE to be such a great resource for assisting patrons in their research, so I wasn’t surprised when I found it to be helpful to me and my husband. While on a hike we noticed a tree with strange fruit that my husband said as a child they called a Cigar Tree. Once home, I went to INSPIRE, used the "What Tree Is It" database and in less than 2 minutes knew we had seen a Catalpa tree.       Merlee, Librarian    -   Dearborn County

Babies, Children, Adults All Benefit from Libraries When my daughter was five days old, her first real "outing" was to the Seymour library! The whole family visited the library that day. I continue to bring my children to the the library about twice a week for Storytime and craft time, despite the 18 mile drive, because they are such good programs. The summer reading program is also very neat. My four-year-old has "participated" for the past two years, and loves learning about new things at the library. I have also benefited, because of the wealth of information for adults. Our libraries need continued support and publicity!       Amy, other    -   Jackson County

Great Staff at Dearborn Branch Library Libraries are the best! I only wish that every librarian could be as pleasant as Lorrie, Rachel, and Criss at the North Dearborn Branch Library. They are never too busy to answer a question, and always are eager to please their patrons. Everyone should take customer service lessons from NDL!!!! Thanks, guys!       Jessica, Academic/educator    -   Dearborn County

Thank You North Manchester We now live in Arizona but was born and raised in North Manchester, Indiana. In our new residence area, they just built a real nice multimillion dollar library. As I visited it for the first time, I wondered why I still liked my Indiana library better. It finally occured to me that the reason was the very nice friendly people that worked at the Indiana library just made it a very nice place to visit. Thank you North Manchester!       Ned, Retired    -   Wabash County

Great Resource INSPIRE is a helpful tool on many levels. Its databases help students with keyword searches to find the information they need to complete their research assignments. The biography database is helpful to find information on well known personalities by birth date, nationality, or gender. The kid's database is designed to help younger children find fun facts they are interested in learning about. INSPIRE is a great resource for any library large or small.       Tracey, Librarian    -   Dearborn County

INSPIRE, Internet, Valuable Tools for Genealogist As a Genealogist in a Public Library I have found INSPIRE an invaluable research tool. The Indiana Genealogy links give access to archives, databases, directories and vital records. The Internet sites links from Cyndi's list to INGENWEB and Local Indiana History are just a sample of Genealogy links for those using INSPIRE for their Indiana Ancestry research.       Jamey, Librarian    -   Boone County

INSPIRE Helps Many Many People I need INSPIRE to do many of my papers. It helps many more people other than me! It helps so many many people!       Jeolyn, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

INSPIRE for College and Beyond I use INSPIRE for all my college needs and I still have two years of college left. I plan to also use this section after I have completed my degree.       Rose, other    -   Dubois County

INSPIRE Used for Consumer Information I am a retired senior citizen. I have taken advantage of the Senior classes at Ivy Tech State College. I am becoming more computer literate. I use INSPIRE for consumer info and I have told my family members about it. The grandkids, nieces and nephews have it so easy now with all this information at their fingertips.       Dee, Retired    -   Lake County

INSPIRE Is Lifelong Learning Tool Inspire is a great tool for students and educators. Once they are able to navigate the information, they are amazed at the amount of information available that will assist them in their research. This is a very valuable lifelong learning tool.       Connie, Librarian    -   Allen County

INSPIRE Is a Tremendous Research Tool INSPIRE is a tremendous tool for helping library patrons of all ages research articles for school papers or for their personal use. It is very user friendly and being able to access it from home is an asset.       Andrea, Librarian    -   Starke County

INSPIRE Is a Plus for Indiana Working as a reference librarian I come in contact with many students. INSPIRE is a wonderful resource for them. Many of them are unaware that it exists and are elated when they find that they can access it from their own computer. Recently, I had a couple come in to do research. I told them about INSPIRE. They had to leave, but accessed it from home. The next day they came to print what they had downloaded as their printer was broken. They thanked me again for telling them about INSPIRE. INSPIRE is a definite plus for libraries and their patrons in Indiana.       Ellen P., Librarian    -   Starke County

INSPIRE Is Benefit of Indiana Residency As an academic library director, I can tell you that we would be lost without INSPIRE. The databases made available in that manner are incredibly important to our students. If we have to redirect funds to pay for INSPIRE, not only do our students lose the use of most of our databases, but the residents of Indiana who use it at home lose as well. Not everyone who needs information lives near a library, nor has transportation to get to one. The loss of INSPIRE funds will surely divide our residents into the haves and the have-nots when it comes to information access. Information is key to performing in the workplace, job hunting, exploring the resources of our state, and more. Please realize that our citizens deserve this continued information resource as a benefit of Indiana residency.       Sharon, Librarian    -   Allen County

INSPIRE Supports Students at All Levels As a college professor, I encourage my students to search for resources using INSPIRE. Use of electronic data bases such as INSPIRE aids in learning as students access information much more quickly than they could access the information in a traditional manner. I also use the INSPIRE databases to aid in my continuing education. I would be lost without it. Our state needs to continue to support our students at all levels by continuing to make such resources available.       Jewel, Academic/educator    -   Allen County

Library Has Some of the Neatest Things I like the Wabash Lilly Library. The library has a wide variety of magazines, journals and books that are perfect for research. Since I'm a resident of Montgomery County, I can get a library card even though I can't attend the college. They have the Internet where you can access INSPIRE to help on reports and they have every issue that the New York Times put out from the beginning to now on microfilm. That is one of the neatest things I've ever seen.       Kim, K-12 student    -   Montgomery County

Library Important for School and Enjoyment The favorite thing about my library is we have computers. We have INSPIRE and the Internet. The library is important to me because I use it for school and just to read a book to enjoy.       Stefanie, K-12 student    -   Montgomery County

Waveland Library Is Very Good Waveland library is a very good library. My favorite thing is that I can get a free library card there. The lady who works there is nice to me. The lady who used to work there was my neighbor.       Ryan, K-12 student    -   Montgomery County

Lots of Information at the Library Wabash Lilly Library has lots of information. They have microfilm that you can use to look up a newspaper from the early 1900s to today. The librarian, Mr. Beck, is a nice guy. I have access to this library because I am a resident of Montgomery County.       Todd, K-12 student    -   Montgomery County

Library Artwork My favorite thing about our school library is the large mural of my house on the wall. Rob O'Dell painted a mural of a one room schoolhouse in our library. My parents rebuilt the schoolhouse and now I live there.       Jon, K-12 student    -   Montgomery County

Crawfordsville Is My Favorite Library My favorite library is the public library in Crawfordsville and my favorite thing about it is it lets you borrow good movies.       Aaron, K-12 student    -   Montgomery County

Cheery Library Our library is very cheery. It is always decorated for the season. There is a great picture of my friend's house painted on the wall.       Jerot, K-12 student    -   Montgomery County

Library Full of Interesting Things Wabash Lilly Library has all kinds of interesting things. They have every congressional session written and they have all of the New York Times since 1874 through the present on microfilm. The library has three stories, and they have online access to many databases.       Alex, K-12 student    -   Montgomery County

Library Has Lots to Do There are many things to do at our local library. I always think of good things when I hear the word library. Going to the library was a lot more fun than going to school.       Beth, Homemaker    -   Gibson County

Libraries Bring Back Fond Memories I grew up walking to the Carnegie library in my small town. I have so many fond memories of those days. I especially remember the wonderful smell of the library and I always enjoyed being there on rainy days.       Marla, Homemaker    -   Gibson County

INSPIRE Is Best Research Tool INSPIRE is the best research tool I have ever used. When I do research, INSPIRE is where I begin and usually I find everything I need right there. It is great because I live in a small town and we do not have access to very many journals. I used to have to drive one hour to Evansville and hope I would find this information at Central Library and if I wanted to check out the material from Evansville I would have to buy a PLAC card.       William, Computer technical/engineering    -   Gibson County

INSPIRE Is Amazing, Unique I love the information on INSPIRE, I use this wonderful resource on a daily basis at work and at home. It is an amazing unique tool that we can not afford to lose.       Michael, Executive/managerial    -   Gibson County

Couldn't Have Done It Without INSPIRE! As a graduate student I commuted to Bloomington and Indianapolis from Southern Indiana. The resources on INSPIRE helped me complete my Master's degree. I don't think I could have done it without INSPIRE!       Shellie, Academic/educator    -   Gibson County

Library Is Important Part of My Life The library has always been a part of my life. I attended storytimes as a child, was involved in summer reading programs, worked in school libraries as a student and then at my hometown public library during the summers of college. I then came back to work at a public library after five years at an insurance company in accounting. With the encouragement of two of the library directors that I worked under, I have just finished the first semester of library school in pursuit of an MLS degree. So the library will continue to be an important part of my life, as well as my children's lives.       Georgeann, Service/customer support    -   Dearborn County

INSPIRE Is Great Asset for Educating Indiana Citizens As a reference librarian, I have talked to many people who are working while attending surrounding colleges. Many times these students don't have time to stay at school to do research as they need to be at work, etc. INSPIRE has been a Godsend to them as they can access many kinds of research materials from either our local library or from home. INSPIRE is a great asset in the education of Indiana citizens.       Ellen D., Librarian    -   Starke County

Efficient Help through INSPIRE It is truly gratifying how efficiently we can help patrons from young children through senior citizens get information they need or want using the INSPIRE Website.       Nancy, Librarian    -   Dearborn County

Support for Indiana Students The INSPIRE Databases are second only to the books in our library as sources for student research. The students value the usability of these resources. We need to continue supporting Indiana students.       Shirley, Academic/educator    -   Allen County

INSPIRE Invaluable As a student and academic library employee, the INSPIRE databases have proven invaluable at several levels. Research on contemporary and traditional topics is not only possible, but more easily achieved via INSPIRE. The state has failed to see the value of this resource.       Sarah, other    -   Allen County

Library for All Generations Recently I brought my great-nieces and great-nephews to the library to see Santa Claus. They had such fun talking with Santa and seeing the special display of Santa figurines. It is very satisfying to see another generation of my family become regular library users. It is a special treat when they are visiting me to go visit the library, too.       Cindy, Librarian    -   Hendricks County

INSPIRE Is a Wealth of Information When our high school students were needing biographical information, I recommended the Biography Resource Center on INSPIRE. What a wealth of information, and the Web links are a real plus! There is no way we could acquire that much information in print form.       Mary Ann, Librarian    -   Jackson County

INSPIRE Very Useful I have informed all students and parents of INSPIRE and many have said they found it very useful.       Barbara, Librarian    -   Hamilton County

WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY! As a teacher, I find that I am blessed to have a library in my school. I am able to talk with the Media Specialist and she will pull books, do book talks, and introduce my students to a variety of genres on a topic. My students have learned to use their school library to the fullest and have even moved on to explore the Public Library in their county! WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY!!       Sarah, Academic/educator    -   Hamilton County

INSPIRE Is Critical for Our School INSPIRE provides tremendous authoritative and accurate database resources for our students and teachers. The references and databases are critical for smaller schools that cannot afford the extra database subscriptions and other reference resources.       Sister Jeanette, Librarian    -   Dubois County

Thanks for the Useful INSPIRE Resource My students use INSPIRE monthly for research on trend articles and biographies. I am particularly impressed that students can access scholarly journals that would otherwise be unavailable to them. The Biography Resource Center is so helpful to students doing research on famous people who overcame handicaps. Thanks for this useful and used resource.       Barb, Academic/educator    -   Madison County

Wonderful Experiences at the Library I really like coming to the library. I have had many wonderful experiences at the library. I got my very first library card and am able to check out books by myself. My mom and I come and check out movies. You have my favorite set of books. They are the Magic Tree House books.       Derek, K-12 student    -   Greene County

Kendallville Library, You're Great! The Kendallville Library does an outstanding job with programming and material selection. Whether I need gardening tips or my wife wants to make a quilt - it's available. They even listen to our suggestions. Whenever I need something I can count on the Kendallville Library to have what I'm looking for. It's an updated collection. They encourage reading with adult reading incentives. Thank you Kendallville Library for being there for me and this community. You're great!       Steve, Professional    -   Noble County

I Love to Go to the Library I love to read and go to the library. I like to read chapter books. The library is a very friendly place. The librarians are very nice. I really like the selection of books they have. I go there in the summer and do scavenger hunts. I go there to the programs and do crafts and sometimes I go to the programs that only come around once in a while. I went to the Lego program and I won a Lego racers toy and I still have it.       Austin, K-12 student    -   Greene County

Books Are a Part of My Life I like books and when I read books I picture the story in my mind as I'm reading the story. Books are a part of my life. Books can tell you facts, things that you probably never knew, and they can tell you stories that are exciting, funny, weird, cool, awesome, and stories that you never heard of.       Caitlin, K-12 student    -   Greene County

I Would Like to Stay at the Library The book I liked most is called Calvin and Hobbes. If I was able to stay at the library, I would!       Phillip, K-12 student    -   Greene County

Library Day Is So Much Fun Everyone in my class looks forward to library day because we have so much fun. Every time I go to the library, I get a good book. Speaking of which, my favorite books are the Harry Potter series. What books are your favorites?       Branden, K-12 student    -   Greene County

I Love to Read I would like to tell you the library is a cool place to be. My favorite book is A Ring of Endless Light. It is about a girl who can understand what the dolphins are saying. My favorite program was the one with the ghost teller. I like checking out books for two weeks and finding more things. When I got my first card I was 11 but when I was young I used my mom's card. Now that I've got my own card I check out two books and read them. I also love to read now.       Elizabeth, K-12 student    -   Greene County

INSPIRE for Successful Job Search This summer I lost my job in sales due to downsizing. During my job search, I used INSPIRE business and news databases many times to get background information on companies before I interviewed with them. In addition, when interviewing with companies in technical fields with which I was not familiar, I did some research on their particular industry. The information I acquired helped tremendously during the interview process and was a key factor in my getting hired. I now have a good job in the plastics industry.       Chuck, Sales/marketing    -   Hamilton County

The Library Is Fun The library is fun. I've been there in the past for programs. All of them are very good. I liked the program where Mrs. Thorton showed us how to to make cornhusk dolls. I made a very tall one that was a boy. Once I checked out a book called The Lost City of the Jedi and Queen Amidala's Diary.       Justin, K-12 student    -   Greene County

The Library Is So Cool! I love your library! It is so cool. You have all the books I want to read like R.L. Stine, Ripley's Belive it or Not, Scooby Doo, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Sports, Westerns, Horses, Racing, Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Monkeys, and Birds. My favorite activity is computers! You can play games, look up books, and look up stuff on the Internet. I hope you never give them away.       J.P., K-12 student    -   Greene County

I Like Going to the Library I like going to the library and I like all the books your library lets us check out. I go in the summer when I can and I love the scavenger hunts. I'm getting into a new series of books and you have them. I'm getting into The Portraits of the Little Women. I've read one and I'm working on one. They are very exciting to read. The librarians are very nice.       Lauren, K-12 student    -   Greene County

My Public Library Is a Valuable Resource Visiting the public library has changed my life, as well as other lives. I am a fifth grade teacher at Bloomfield Elementary School. My relationship with the library started out a couple of years ago as an experiment. I was a new language arts teacher and highly invested in getting my students to read more. It seemed logical to plan a trip to the library. I was thrilled to find such a cooperative staff. Not only did they welcome our visit, they planned activities for when we arrived. We arranged to visit the library on a regular basis, weather permitting. This truly changed my life. While half of the class visited at the library with my aide as their escort, the other half stayed behind with me to work on computers. Imagine the luxury of giving computer instruction to 16 rather than 32 students! I learned to coordinate difficult tasks with library visits. Since we visit every three weeks during warm weather this has truly affected my life in a very positive way. Now that students are more familiar with the library they seem to visit on their own. The librarians have made a lasting impression on some of my students by ordering books that the students requested. Imagine the thrill of asking for a book and finding it there on your very next visit! What was initially intended as a yearly visit has blossomed into a true working relationship with an outside enterprise. We see each other regularly. The librarians visit us in inclement weather. Occasionally, I call or email with special requests, like a collection of poetry books, and often receive a reply that the books are ready for me to pick up the same day. What a valuable resource my public library has turned out to be.       Kris, Academic/educator    -   Greene County

INSPIRE for Many Years to Come I need INSPIRE! I just hope that I will be able to use it for many years to come.       Bob, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

I NEED INSPIRE!!! In 8th grade we were assigned to do a research paper. I used INSPIRE on my paper. I need INSPIRE and I hope to use it in the future. I will need in High School and even College. I NEED INSPIRE!!!       Holly, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

Library Has A Lot to Offer I am a work study student at the Ogle Virtual Library of Ivy Tech in Sellersburg. Our Library has a lot to offer our diverse community of students. Our Website has been made available to our students here in the library and from their homes. At our Web home page we offer many accredited research sites and search engines. We have alot of nursing students that depend on the services that we offer.       Sarah, College/graduate student    -   Clark County

INSPIRE for Homework Help I used INSPIRE to help me with my research paper and it is very useful. It saved me a lot of time while researching. It also helps me with my other homework assignments. I hope Dubois County can still have INSPIRE so we can use it. Thank You       Cody, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

INSPIRE Needed for Dubois County INSPIRE is very useful for research papers and etc. It helps me with my homework and helps me with looking things up. I hope INSPIRE stays for Dubois County so we can use it.       Phillip, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

INSPIRE Is For Anyone Needing Research INSPIRE is used at our library by college students who want to do their research at the public library, by kids who need at least one magazine article as a source, by people doing business research, and by just about anyone needing to do research! The additional databases available, such as LitFinder and Biography Resource, are also very useful. Having the ability to e-mail articles is also very popular with our patrons.       Diana, Librarian    -   Elkhart County

Enjoy Learning with INSPIRE I think that INSPIRE is very useful. It helped me with my research paper and I got a lot of information off of INSPIRE. I really enjoyed learning things from INSPIRE.       Whitmer, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

Internet Fast and Useful I use the Internet for research projects. It it very useful when you have to get them done in a certain ammount of time. It is also very fast to look for imformation.       Allie, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

INSPIRE Is Very Useful I use INSPIRE for all of my research for projects at school. I think it is very useful for everything.       Maie, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

INSPIRE Is a Favorite We are the smallest school system in the county, our collection is very limited. INSPIRE is a favorite source for both teachers and staff. The EBSCO and BIOGRAPHY databases are used on a daily basis. Because of the full text access to periodicals, we have updated our antiquated periodical room and turned it into a video editing room.       Ann, Academic/educator    -   Hamilton County

INSPIRE Helps Prepare Students for Knowledge-Based Economy As an educator, I am grateful for INSPIRE. I always suggest that students start their research with INSPIRE because it provides access to information from a variety of credible, well-documented sources. INSPIRE provides information from the "Deep Internet"......information that cannot be accessed through an Internet search via Google or Yahoo. Access to this kind of information is extremely important if we are to develop information-literate students who function successfully in a knowledge-based economy.       Sue, Academic/educator    -   Hamilton County

INSPIRE Value I retired with 30 years in education; 27 of those years were as a high school librarian. I am now at a Public Library. Helping children in the search for information is almost impossible without INSPIRE! It would be impossible to put a value on the importance of having this tool for Hoosiers to use.       Bev, Librarian    -   Madison County

Everything I Need on INSPIRE Six weeks ago I had to write a four page essay for my English class. INSPIRE really helped me finish it on time, it also helped me get an A on it. I found everything I needed on INSPIRE.       Zach, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

Disadvantaged Without INSPIRE I teach levels of research from grades 8 through college. Without INSPIRE, all of my southern Indiana students would be at a disadvantage in producing quality work. Many of my students depend on INSPIRE because it's accessible when libraries are not.       Sue, Professional    -   Dubois County

Greenwood Public Library Brings the World to Us I am a home school mother and always looking for activities that complement my children's home school curriculum. This year I found that the Greenwood Public Library has been doing video conference programming for several years. My children and I have been attending programs from Australia, Georgia, New York and around Indiana. The programs fit in with our science, history and cultural diversity needs. I thank GPL for bringing the world to our community.       Paula, Homemaker    -   Johnson County

Poseyville PL Is Pilot Library "The Research Revolution: The Laboratory and the Shaping of Modern Life" series will soon be part of the Poseyville Carnegie Public Library video collection. Confirmation has been received that the library was chosen to be among 50 pilot libraries in the United States to receive a grant to acquire this program series free. The library was the only Indiana-based library selected. The new film viewing and discussion series will consist of screenings of award-winning documentary films, supported by scholar-led discussion and extensive suggested reading lists. Six individual sessions will include films and discussion of such subjects as genetic engineering, the development of synthetic materials, military technology and the changing understanding of the human body.       Stanley, Librarian    -   Posey County

Libraries and Librarians Come a Long Way For years when I was a child, my mom would sit in the car in the parking lot of the Seymour Library while I picked out my ten children's books at least on a weekly basis. I then graduated to the teen books and (yes I admit it) to the Harlequin paperbacks. It's amazing to me that I am now in charge of this same building after serving as its children's librarian for ten years. The world is changing and hopefully our library is changing with it in the way that it should. I've come a long way from being scared to death of going to the restroom in "the basement" to serving the community through our library.       Julia, Librarian    -   Jackson County

INSPIRE Is Indiana's Gem Libraries have been an integral part of my life, beginning as a student library helper in junior high school. With the addition of technology and all it has to offer, the scope of what libraries can offer their patrons has drastically increased. Having INSPIRE definitely has its advantages. I rely on the ease in locating Indiana information for my patrons: state tax forms, entertainment guides, or schoolwork sites. I try to publicize INSPIRE to anyone I have helped try to locate information online as well as include it in my computer classes. My library is one of many within our county and is located in a rural area. Having INSPIRE available with all the various databases allows my software budget go farther. INSPIRE is a gem the state of Indiana needs to cherish. I vote to keep INSPIRE funded for the betterment of our citizens' informational needs.       Linda, Librarian    -   Grant County

What A Library!! Recently I had occasion to spend a fair amount of time in your community & visitied the library. And what a library it is! As a library lover and heavy user, I've never encountered a library in a town remotely close to your size, or even in municipalities several times larger, that was as well laid out, with as comprehensive a collection, and that was as welcoming, especially to a non-resident such as myself. It's clear that your library is a community learning center, not just a solitary learning environment (which was the library experience of my youth). I welcome this change! The Rochester Library is well-equipped and responsive to its users. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful, and organizations are, in the end, only as good as their employees. I really enjoyed your library and it was an integral part of the success of my business mission as well. Thanks!       Andrew, Trades/craftsperson    -   Fulton County

Fulton County Public Library Is Wonderful I want to thank the Fulton County Public Library staff for the help they give me whenever I am in Rochester & come to the library. I am just learning computers and everyone has been so helpful and pleasant to me when I goof trying something new online. We use many libraries as we travel and none are any nicer than the one at Rochester.       Jim, Retired    -   Fulton County

Count on the Library As a Senior library user, I welcome the use of Large Print and Christian fiction my library has to offer. I enjoy seeing the librarian hosting reading programs; storytimes; and offering prizes for reading accomplishments. I'm still shaky using the computers, but the librarians are very patient with me and have taught me how to use e-mail and the joy of sending greeting cards online. I count on my local library.       Lois, Retired    -   Grant County

Library Is #1 The library will always be #1 on my list. I think it was the first place my mother allowed me to walk to alone (we lived close by). The staff always makes me feel welcome and no question is too trivial to answer. Keep up the good work!       Helen, Retired    -   Fulton County

INSPIRE Invaluable to Education As a faculty member who teaches distance education students, non-traditional students and others who use this database, I can tell you that INSPIRE is invaluable to the educational process. Without INSPIRE our students wouldn't have access to the many electronic databases and journals necessary for their education. These are students that do not have ready access to the University Library.       Betsy, Academic/educator    -   Vigo County

User-Friendly INSPIRE INSPIRE is used constantly by my students during their search for research topics and supportive information. When they find out about the depth of information available on INSPIRE they encourage their friends and families to log on and check it out! It is extremely user friendly.       Kathy, Academic/educator    -   Lake County

Libraries Are Fun As the Manager of Youth Services, I see the joy of reading, learning and libraries spark in childrens' eyes every day. They are born with the desire to learn. Libraries are one of the best places to nurture that. Glenn Doman says it well - "Tiny children want to learn to the degree that they are unable to distinguish learning from fun." Libraries make learning fun!       Jodi, Librarian    -   Hendricks County

INSPIRE for Everyone Everyday more and more people are becoming aware of INSPIRE in our area. Our School Librarians are teaching their students INSPIRE and we are promoting it with great results. Patrons are so happy that they can go home to find the information when they are in desperate need for the information and we close in 1/2 hour. Many patrons also come in and look up INSPIRE on our computers as well. It has become a staple in the Reference Department: "Have you looked into INSPIRE?" There is no way that we could afford to provide this wonderful service on our own. Don't take this wrong, we still use and have a pretty extensive collection at our library for patrons to find information, but this also helps the unserved areas and thus makes them happier in our community.       Donna, Librarian    -   Boone County

INSPIRE Is Indispensable Our 8th graders just finished their first major research paper and most ended up INSPIRE fans. They did not get bogged down in the quagmire of information that a general Internet search sometimes yields. They liked getting full text articles, and the image search capability provided some great pictures they included in their papers. INSPIRE is an indispensable database and reference tool for small schools like ours who could never begin to provide comparable periodicals and reference books.       Catherine, Librarian    -   Dubois County

Library NOT the weakest link Our fourth grades studied genre with me in the library. We did a genre each week with sample books and discussion. At the end of the study, I played a "Weakest Link" game using questions over the different genre, etc. We banked "Kisses" (Hershey's, of course). The kids loved it and are still talking about it in fifth grade. They know more than most about genre.       Odena, Librarian    -   Clay County

Libraries offer great career choice I have worked at the Jasper Public Library as a page since about the summer before my sophomore year. Since then, my life has changed a lot. I have made new friends from my co-workers, learned a lot of lessons about life, and just enjoyed myself while having a job. I believe my job is great, and I couldn't have asked for a better oppurtunity for my first job.       Amy, K-12 student    -   Dubois County

INSPIRE useful to homeschooled I was impressed by a patron who brought his younger homeschooled brother to the library and taught him to use INSPIRE.       Carol, Librarian    -   Elkhart County

Libraries = Multiculturalism We currently only have three public access computers available in our library. One day while working on one of them I overheard the users of the other two. One patron was Hispanic and the other Russian, both accessing sites in their native languages. When I got up, my place was immediately taken by a Japanese student. The public library is the only place in town with free Internet access to the public and even foreign visitors know to visit us.       Rita, Librarian    -   Dubois County

INSPIRE helps us stretch budget Our students have had access to a wealth of information through INSPIRE that we could never afford to provide with our limited school budgets. The research that the students and staff have been able to accomplish through access to many national newspapers and periodicals is an invaluable tool. We desperately need this resource and will have to severely cut our book budgets to provide a very limited number of magazines for research for students and staff if INSPIRE is not funded. For the sake of our students, please reconsider this service to Indiana residents.       Kathi, Librarian    -   Carroll County

Where to go first When I want reliable information, I go to INSPIRE. I know that it will be from trusted sources. I consult this data base before every large purchase I make, for medical information, even to help me weed out other bogus information that is on the Internet. What a wonderful resource it is and a tragic loss it will be if the funding is not available to keep Inspire running.       Harriet, other    -   Noble County

Home Improvements and INSPIRE Help My wife brought home an article she'd found on INSPIRE about painting rooms in your house. It had great basic information and gave us both some new ideas to improve our home. Thanks!       Paul, Professional    -   Marion County

Indiana Libraries Inspire Us I first learned about INSPIRE when I begin to work at the Lincoln Heritage Library in Dale. I used it to help me research items for my job as children's librarian. I am now working at home as I attempt to write for children. I still use INSPIRE to research items for stories. Indiana libraries continue to inspire us.       Marsha, other    -   Spencer County

Internet Access Helps Indiana I think one of the greatest stories about libraries is how they've helped Indiana, along with schools and community organizations, to train and educate the population on the Internet and its use. Starting in 1994-95 they worked to bring Internet access to Indiana and especially to rural areas. Libraries in Indiana have helped the citizenry, the businesses, and the lifestyle of the state.       Michael, Executive/managerial    -   Marion County

Thanks to INSPIRE Thanks to INSPIRE I have been able to help teachers, as well as students, retrieve information for research. On one project, students needed to research people and events from the Middle Ages. We were able to provide some good biographical material on each of the names on their list. Another project where students created newspapers reflecting any decade of their choice, was made much easier by using INSPIRE to search for magazine and newspaper articles. We also have some teachers who are taking night classes towards their master's degrees who use INSPIRE for their professional journals and articles. It's nice to be able to go to a site that gives good information without having to weed through a lot of worthless junk.       Teri, other    -   Elkhart County

Bravo Library! BRAVO to the Mooresville Public Library!! For National Children's Book Week and National Author's Day, the MPL recently invited 5th grade students from my school to the library to meet an author. April Pulley Sayre talked to our students for about an hour, answered their questions, and really gave them an idea of how she takes material and presents it in a way that is more interesting to a reader. She captured our students' attention and they remained focused on her through her whole presentation -- no wriggling, squirming, poking, talking, etc. Students' questions were very specific, showed higher levels of thinking skills and a keen perception of Ms. Sayre's topics. The whole experience was very positive. Ms. Sayre "spoke" to the students at their level on things that interested them. She related some personal experiences and empahsized to students that they CAN become authors too! Thanks to the MPL and the Claire & Helen Cook Endowment, which funded this great presentation, for including our students!!! It was a wonderful experience!       Susan, Academic/educator    -   Morgan County

Medical Professionals and Patients Use INSPIRE As both a full time school media specialist, and a part-time Kokomo-Howard County Public Library Adult Reference Librarian, as well as a consultant and part-time medical librarian for St. Joseph Hospital, I rely heavily on the INSPIRE Website to help a very large community base in Kokomo. I have assisted my principal in grant writing research through INSPIRE. Five hundred students from Bon Air School use INSPIRE for research and information retrieval. The medical doctors and nurses, as well as patients of St. Joseph Library also benefit from the medical information on INSPIRE. Please restore the funding of INSPIRE. I feel like my right hand is being cut off with the lose of INSPIRE. I priced Electric Library this week for my school library and we can not afford it. Thank you for your audience with this concern.       Colleen, Librarian    -   Howard County

700 Students Use INSPIRE My middle school principal was looking for information from educational statistical studies in scholarly journals while engaged in grant writing. I was able to find professional journal articles with the statistics and information she needed because INSPIRE was available for my use. In a school library setting, we can not afford to purchase many professional journals nor subscribe to the range of magazine articles we need to do student research projects. INSPIRE has been a total blessing in giving the quality of library service my school community needs and deserves. I priced Electric Library magazine services and we cannot afford to purchase this service. Please renew the funding for INSPIRE. Seven hundred students at my school use it and I also use it heavily with patrons of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library where I work part-time as an Adult Reference Librarian. My full time job as a school media specialist is very taxing. Without the availability of INSPIRE, I will find my work insurmountable. Thank you for your audience with my concerns.       Colleen, Librarian    -   Howard County

Boost to returning student I am going back to college for my degree and the facility and resources have been a big asset in my presentations and papers. We have many study groups at the library and appreciate the help that is given.       Jan, Professional    -   Jackson County

Awesome Seymour Library My husband and I had just moved to the area when one day we were driving by this big, beautiful building. I said, "Look, Honey. That's where we'll be having our babies." He laughed as he said, "At the library?" I had mistaken the library for Memorial Hospital, which is just one block south of the library! Ha! That was the Spring of 1996, and our public library has become a very special place to our family of five! I think my children get the same feeling of excitement when we go to the library that I used to get when I was a little girl going to the Dairy Queen! We didn't have a library in my hometown, but along with my cravings for Blizzards, I've always had a hunger for reading. My children are now 'addicted' to at least 20 minutes of reading each night! 'Mom, Dad! Just one more story...please!' Thank you to our awesome Seymour Library! The staff are always friendly and eager to help!       Maria, Homemaker    -   Jackson County

Time and travel saved I recently returned to college to get my MLS. I work a full week and attend classes (most through distance classes). Having the INSPIRE site has been a real life saver for me. I don't always have to travel the 50-100 miles to look something up in the library. What a unique opportunity Hoosiers have with this resourse available to them.       Gay, Librarian    -   Delaware County

Count on INSPIRE What many people don’t realize is that much of the information available on the Internet is not validated. INSPIRE solves this problem with full text, up-to-date information from sources you can count on.       Jennifer, Librarian    -   Noble County

We Need Your Help Funding Indiana's Online Virtual Library -- INSPIRE -- is under attack. The State of Indiana has removed funding for this very important database. Our public is learning daily of the importance of INSPIRE and is coming to our library computers to use it. We need your help. Come into the library and use INSPIRE, then educate your legislator about INSPIRE. Please help us maintain this Indiana resource. The library's patrons, both adult and children, use it every day.       Dcj, Librarian    -   Porter County

Library Is Awesome The Noble County Public Library is awesome. Unlike a lot of libraries that I've been to, NCPL takes the time to learn your name, your face, and you as a person. The staff is always ready to help you. It's a five star library!       Lee, K-12 student    -   Noble County

Please continue to INSPIRE! This letter is in support of Inspire for Mishawaka High School. With the amount of competition our student's have to get into college and then to enter an interesting occupation, we need to offer them the best sources of information possible. INSPIRE fills this need! Please continue to bring our students the best possible resources for their education.       Nancy, Professional    -   St. Joseph County

Info from bananas to zebras! INSPIRE has enabled me to help patrons with various questions. I've looked up and printed off many different tax forms from the Indiana links, gotten newspaper articles for students, legal forms for people with tenant/landlord problems, and information of all kinds from bananas to zebras. As I use it more and more, I appreciate what a valuable resource it is. It's a convenient and seemingly endless field of information to dig into.       Treva, other    -   Elkhart County

INSPIRE solves a mystery I don't know how many times our patrons have reacted with joy when I tell them about INSPIRE. Indeed, several have said "God Bless You! God Bless You!" after I demonstrate the results from EBSCO Host in relation to their research project. However, occasionally, a funny one comes along. I received a call from a young couple who disagreed about the story of the man being bricked alive into a set of catacombs. He swore it was from "The Count of Monte Cristo," she said insisted it was Edgar Allan Poe-- but she couldn't remember the name of the story to prove it. A search of Lit Finder on INSPIRE doused her husband's hopes for a victory as the full text of "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe appeared in seconds. As we were saying our goodbyes, I could hear the argument continue in the background. "Man, I could have sworn it was that story," he said. "Sorry dear, you're just not a literature queen like I am."       E.G., Librarian    -   Jefferson County

Biography resources INSPIRE student A frustrated college student came into our library at short ends. She was working on a paper about Jamaican singer Robert Nesta Marley, but found little of worth on the Internet. Unfortunately, our library's collection held little of interest so I steered her to the Biography Resource Center on INSPIRE. Together we found several biographies from mulitple reputable sources along with Marley's official website which she had not found. "Thank you so much, you've Inspired me," she said. I forgave her the pun.       E.G., Librarian    -   Jefferson County

Journal articles INSPIRE students INSPIRE has been an invaluable resource for students at secondary, undergraduate and graduate levels in our area. Articles from professional journals and magazines of specific interest are particularly appreciated.       Kay, Librarian    -   Steuben County

INSPIRE Helps with Research As I was working on a paper for a report for a college class, I found INSPIRE to be an invaluable source to help me in my research. The databases certainly minimized the amount of time that it took me to obtain the necessary information.       Jane, Academic/educator    -   Marshall County

One Click, A Wealth of Information INSPIRE makes researching for classroom projects efficient and simple. With the click of a button from their school or home computers, it can open up a wealth of information.       Ashley, Academic/educator    -   St. Joseph County

School More Difficult without INSPIRE I just finished a graduate degree and had a long commute to school. Because of the distance, I was not able to spend much time in the university library. I was able to use the INSPIRE databases regularly for research and class readings. Graduate school would have been much more difficult without INSPIRE.       Kevin, Self-employed/own company    -   Steuben County

Thank You for This Valuable Learning Tool I teach high school juniors how to write research papers. INSPIRE has been a wonderful search engine for Internet sources of the highest quality. Thank you for this valuable learning tool, INSPIRE.       Jan , Academic/educator    -   St. Joseph County

Wonderful INSPIRE has given me the resources I need to provide information to teachers working on their graduate degrees. Before INSPIRE, Interlibrary Loan was my salvation, but now they can have it all without driving to their university libraries for the information they need. The Academic Search Database is wonderful.       Shirley, Librarian    -   Dearborn County

A Library Story A young man, definitely not a library regular, walked in one morning, summoned his courage, and approached the circulation desk with a problem. While walking the banks of White River, metal-detecting for treasures, he had found an old high school class ring. He hoped to find the owner, possibly to sell it back to him. This was a fairly easy request, the name of the school, the date, and the owner's initials were inscribed within the ring, and were legible. So we consulted the school yearbooks (we keep a set here at the library), looking to match up the initials. We found matching initials. The young man was quite pleased and so were we. I informed him that the brother of the owner of the ring worked in downtown Bicknell, so the finder, ring in hand, went to meet him. The brother was interested in the ring, and had a most unusual story to tell. The brother who owned the ring had lost it several years ago, and probably had forgotten all about it. Now he lived on the East coast, and was quite ill. Several members of the family were planning to leave just within a matter of days for what they thought might well be their last visit with him. When they saw the ring, they wanted to take it to him. The young man could have named his price, but proving that he really was the "good kid" I knew he was, he said "no charge" and handed over his find. The best part for us at the library was that the young man returned to the library, and shared the end of the story with us.       Betty , Librarian    -   Knox County

Bravo! INSPIRE has been an invaluable tool for my students when doing research papers that need to use multiple sources. Being a rural school with not much money, we are not able to have the best up-to-date research materials in our library, so when students need to write research and/or term papers this is one of the first sites I suggest they visit. This source has been a God-send! I SINCERELY HOPE MY LEGISLATORS KNOW HOW INVALUABLE THIS TOOL IS TO THE RURAL COMMUNITIES AND RURAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS! Bravo to the Webmasters!       Patty, Academic/educator    -   Whitley County

INSPIRE Helpful in College As a college student I have found INSPIRE to be very helpful during my college career. When searching for information on the Internet I am often given tons of Websites to search on, none of which offer me any valuable information. INSPIRE also allows me to get full text articles instead of checking out a book, which I then have to copy. In addition, I have a professor who only allows students to use two references off the Internet, by using INSPIRE I find information in books, articles, etc. I am also a student tutor and often refer students to the INSPIRE Website when they are researching topics. They, too, have found INSPIRE very helpful. In addition, students are able to use INSPIRE while on campus, which saves the time of going to their local public library.       Jennifer, College/graduate student    -   Marshall County

INSPIRE Provides Invaluable Information As a college student, the INSPIRE database has helped me many times in obtaining information for research papers that I have had to write. INSPIRE provides a wealth of invaluable information that would have taken me hours to find if I did not have access to this database. It is often difficult to find the right information on a topic when searching the Internet. More often than not, the Internet gives thousands of hits to search through, most of which are not even relevant to my topic. Not only is this frustrating, it is very time consuming. Using INSPIRE, however, is much easier to search through and gives me information that I can actually use.       April, College/graduate student    -   Marshall County

Current, Relevant Information One of our staff members at Oaklawn Psychiatric Center was to appear in court and needed several articles about child abuse disclosure. I was able to retrieve at the last minute many of the articles he wanted plus several more that were more recent and relevant.       Nancy, Librarian    -   Elkhart County

Staff Is Kept Well Informed I do reference work for the staff of Oaklawn Psychiatric Center & Hospital. It is very important that our staff is well informed. For the 75 or more references inquiries I have had so far this year, I have used INSPIRE for almost all of them. Usually, I can supply most of what the staff person needs the very same day because of INSPIRE. I don't know what I would do without it.       Nancy, Librarian    -   Elkhart County

Vital Resource Access to INSPIRE has enabled me to research a variety of topics during my graduate studies (Library Science). I believe that it is a great resource for students of all ages and their teachers. It provides easy access to material that would take an extremely long time to access via the Internet. And, I appreciate the fact that our state has offered it to so many. I feel that it is a vital resource for our current and future students. I am, and will continue, to promote this site at my junior-senior high school.       Gena, Librarian    -   Allen County

Mishawaka HS Library Useful I recently got on your site through the Mishawaka High School library for my daughters who had a project to do. The information that I received from this site was a real help and very good. Some of the information included pictures that my daughters were able to use.       Marilyn, other    -   St. Joseph County

INSPIRE for Research I used INSPIRE to find a few magazine articles for my research paper.       Allyson, K-12 student    -   St. Joseph County

Children Use INSPIRE As a mom, I really enjoy all the great databases that my children have access to with INSPIRE. There are so many places that my children can go to with INSPIRE that they would not otherwise have access to. The safe environment also helps to put my mind at ease.       Elizabeth, Homemaker    -   St. Joseph County

INSPIRE Is a Daily Research Tool Wawasee High School has about 1100 students and 350 computers with Internet access. We use INSPIRE daily as a research tool. The full text periodical data bases are particularly helpful. Students and teachers are amazed at the resources they can find. INSPIRE provides deeper and broader searching capabilities than we have ever been able to provide on our own.       Bill, Librarian    -   Kosciusko County

Level the Playing Field INSPIRE is one of the greatest resources school media specialists could have in their arsenal of tools for students. With our small budgets, this provides us with access to thousands of dollars of information we could not afford to purchase on our own. It levels the playing field for all residents of the state. We have used it hundreds of times for health classes, junior and senior research papers, even math trivia questions! INSPIRE is a smart investment for our state's future both at home and in the classroom.       Sue, Librarian    -   St. Joseph County

INSPIRE Opens Doors Without INSPIRE, students doing serious academic research would have to travel at least an hour to access the kinds of resources they can access on INSPIRE, and even then, the variety of information is sometimes limited. INSPIRE has literally opened the doors on the world for many college students and brings a more educated workforce to the state.       Joyce, Academic/educator    -   Marshall County

INSPIRE Is a Major Resource I am a school librarian. I teach information literacy to students in high school. INSPIRE is one of the first sources we go to in seeking information. There are hundreds of magazines and newspapers available, as well as so many other sources. Students also find wonderful images, charts, graphs, etc. Our faculty also find numerous professional journals and use it heavily for professional development. We would lose a major resource, if we did not have INSPIRE. It is used on a daily basis at our school.       Joan, Librarian    -   Marshall County

Irreplaceable Tool INSPIRE has allowed our students access to hundreds of journal titles that we would otherwise not be able to offer. Plus, its ease and convenience have made it an irreplaceable tool for our students.       Mark, Librarian    -   St. Joseph County

Faculty Uses INSPIRE for Research We have several databases within our own media center here at Warsaw Community High School. However, the INSPIRE databases help us provide faculty members with a substantial amount of information to use and improve their teaching skills. Also, INSPIRE provides the faculty members with materials to support their graduate research and studies.       Denny, Librarian    -   Kosciusko County

INSPIRE for Job Hunting Research As a medical librarian I have access to most of the medical literature, but sometimes my users have needs that fall outside the scope of medicine. INSPIRE goes a long way help me fill those needs. Just one example: a chaplain came to me looking for articles on juvenile detention facilities for an upcoming job interview. Thanks to INSPIRE I was able to print up 12 on-target, full text articles within a short period of time. And he got the job!       Jennifer, Librarian    -   St. Joseph County

What a great idea! Moving to Plymouth, Indiana, from a large city in another state, one of the first things we missed were the library resources. INSPIRE provides those for us from our home or work. Students, teachers, people in all walks of life, can have access to credible sources from anywhere in the state. What a great idea!       Roba, Academic/educator    -   Marshall County

INSPIRE Has Many Uses I have used INSPIRE for several biographies and history papers.       Tyler, College/graduate student    -   St. Joseph County

INSPIRE Databases in Constant Use For students in a two-year college, INSPIRE is a real Godsend. It is in constant use -- and not just EBSCOhost. Lit Finder has been a welcome addition. Bio Resource Center is great for background. We certainly hope that the service will be continued and expanded.       Charles, Librarian    -   St. Joseph County

INSPIRE Has Needed Information INSPIRE is a wonderful resource. All of our students and many faculty members have had an introduction to it. Searching for journal articles is so convenient and easy with INSPIRE...the periodical section here in the library is getting mighty dusty! Whether it is a freshman working on a report on the effects of secondhand smoke, or a faculty member doing research for a Master's Thesis, INSPIRE has the information they need.       Vicki, Librarian    -   Marshall County

INSPIRE Is "The Coolest Thing" For English class the librarian took us into the computer lab to show us how to use INSPIRE. We were doing research for our English teacher Mrs. Benevich. This was the coolest thing. It was so easy and fast to get the information. I asked the librarian how we could get it at home. She passed out sheets telling us how to get it at home. This is great.       John, K-12 student    -   St. Joseph County

Information at Your Fingertips Recently I was looking for information on treatment options for a family member who has cancer, and was able to access the INSPIRE data base for what I needed. No one citizen can have at his home the information sources, medical and otherwise, that are readily available on INSPIRE. When a person feels that research is vital, it is wonderful to be able to get that information, to become informed and to have it at your fingertips when making decisions. Thanks to INSPIRE, I can do these things.       Diana, Homemaker    -   St. Joseph County

INSPIRE Makes a Good Paper Great I had to do a school report on Rainforests. Books from the library were helpful, but some really up-to-date information about rainforest destruction and related species extinction issues were available on INSPIRE. It made the difference between a good paper and a great one!       Karina, K-12 student    -   Posey County

College Student: INSPIRE Has "Great Value" As a student, I find the databases that are offered through INSPIRE to be of great value. I am a distance education student, and the ability to access EbscoHOST through my home computer makes research, even at the graduate level, much more convienient. Also, as a Library Science student, I find the "Professional Development" database in INSPIRE to be highly useful and relevant to my studies.       Eric, College/graduate student    -   St. Joseph County

Wonderful Resources I am writing this letter to ask your help in the effort to keep funding for the Online Indiana virtual library INSPIRE. I am a reference librarian employed at the Plymouth Public Library and use this wonderful resource almost everyday in helping our patrons find information they need. I recently received my second training session in three years and am amazed at how much essential information is available. I am, in turn developing a training session for our staff to improve their ability in using INSPIRE. The impact of the ability more taxpayers receive from knowledge of this online resource is seen every day. More and more people learn of INSPIRE’s existence and come in to the library’s computers to use it. One example I can cite is of an inventor, Ned Bemenderfer, a Plymouth resident in search of LED technology for his project. He was delighted to find full-text magazine indexing via EBSCO Host. He also searched the academic libraries via INSPIRE and found book titles that he could order from the IU library via interlibrary loan. Other examples of INSPIRE’s use come from the many times we find full-text poetry on LIT Finder. The newer services I will find very helpful are the links to authoritative Internet sites that have been researched by professional librarians. If every public library were mandated to purchase sources to cover what INSPIRE offers, services would be sharply cut to taxpayers. Research and studies would revert to the use of old sources or Internet sites that cannot be authenticated as INSPIRE’s databases are. Please help in maintaining this fantastic Indiana resource. Our students, adults, children and librarians use it every day.       Nancy, Librarian    -   Marshall County

INSPIRE Health Resource INSPIRE has been a most valuable reference tool for my customers, but it was also a wonderful resource when I had to deal with a family health issue. My brother, in his early forties, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was to have his prostate removed. I had viewed a PBS show concerning new treatments for prostate cancer and wanted to get this info to my brother, so he might have another alternative. I remembered what the treatment consisted of but could not remember the name so I went to INSPIRE and found the information I needed. As a result my brother had the radioactive implant seed treatment instead of prostate removal and he has been cancer free. This was definitely an example of how INSPIRE helped improve the quality of a life.       Linn, Librarian    -   Kosciusko County

Exactly What We Are Looking For INSPIRE has made my students' research much more thorough. They find articles that are exactly what they are looking for and are appropriate for their research. We are not going through a multistep process of looking through a multitude of indexes and then going into the stacks to retrieve the magazine. My students are starting to access INSPIRE more and more from home.       Blair, Librarian    -   Elkhart County

College Students Use INSPIRE Argos Public Library serves a small population of 3764 in Marshall County. The patrons who use INSPIRE the most seem to be our college student population. Many of these students live in the community and travel to their respective campuses for classes. Having this service allows them to work on projects closer to home, work, and family which is a great timesaving service for them. We certainly support being able to offer INSPIRE and our computers free to all of our patrons.       Jane, Librarian    -   Marshall County

INSPIRE Is Impressive INSPIRE was only a few months old when my high school junior son needed some references for a term paper for his science class. He was writing about man's pollution of the oceans. We went to INSPIRE's databases, made a first inquiry and within a matter of seconds had over 21,000 full text hits. My first question to him was, "Do you want to look at all those tonight, or wait until tomorrow?" Needless to say, we narrowed the scope a bit and finally ended up with 14 articles, but the 21,000+ first time hits was impressive! And it only took a few seconds to get them. And from home, too!       Steve, Librarian    -   Howard County

INSPIRE and Reading My middle school students get more interested in reading when they know something about the author. They use the Biography Resource Center database on INSPIRE to find information about their favorite authors, or to discover new authors. Using INSPIRE enhances students' appreciation of reading and the written word. Students would not have access to this wealth of information without the INSPIRE databases and the support of the libraries.       Tom, Academic/educator    -   Marion County

Help in the Bear Market I have been using the library and my home computer a lot lately for articles about guidance on my mutual funds. In this bear market, we need all the information we can find. I have checked out several good books at the public library, and the "Business Source Premier" on INSPIRE provides articles on economics, finance, and accounting. A big thanks to librarians and INSPIRE!       Steve, Retired    -   Marion County

Information Is Power Information is power in today's world. Though we have 'search' sources available to us today, like the Internet, there is no source for searching where whole articles are so readily available as the INSPIRE database. I often come to the point in my searching where INSPIRE is a must if total information from original, well-documented sources is vital. Please fund this unique, accessible and easy to use database!       Terri, other    -   Hamilton County

I Love to Read My mom takes me to the library all the time and she brings lots of books to my classroom for my friends to read. I love to read -- especially Harry Potter! I like the people at the library. They're really nice and they help me find things.       Will, K-12 student    -   Floyd County

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