INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Library is inviting the public to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Indiana Young Readers Center with a free community event on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Officially opened on Oct. 6, 2016, as a Legacy Project of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, the center was modeled after the Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress. The dedicated space highlights Indiana authors and illustrators, featuring interactive exhibits on prominent Hoosier creators such as Jim Davis, Norman Bridwell, Meg Cabot, and John Green.
Anniversary Celebration Schedule and Guests
The decade milestone celebration will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Indiana State Library, located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. No prior registration is required.
The day’s schedule includes author talks, book signings, story times, activities, and community information tables:
- Story Time: Dori Graham, author and library media specialist at Fort Wayne Community Schools, will read her children’s picture book, Brave Miss Muffet.
- Teen Writing Workshop & Author Talk: John David Anderson, best-selling author of Posted and Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, will lead a writing workshop for teens and present an author talk.
- Historical Retrospective Presentation: A panel featuring Christy Franzman, the center’s first librarian, and Suzanne Walker, former Young Readers Center librarian and current Center for the Book program manager at the Library of Congress, will discuss the history and growth of the center.
- Featured Student Readings: The presentation will highlight 2025 Statehood Essay Contest winner Marichka Khakhula reading her winning essay, alongside Lincoln Heddleston, 2024 Letters About Literature winner, reading his letter to author John Green.
Digital Collections Spotlight: Regional Indiana History
In addition to its youth literacy initiatives, the Indiana State Library continues to expand public access to state history through its online archives.
- “Bridges in Indiana” Collection: Supported by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant in partnership with the Willennar Genealogy Center at the Eckhart Public Library, this collection features over 60 photographs by photographer Sidney Pepe. The series includes mid-20th-century infrastructure photography, such as the historic Cedar Chapel Bridge in DeKalb County.
- Historical Holiday Postcards: The digital archives house vintage holiday correspondence, including an early 1900s Thanksgiving card from the Osie Alice Ingalls Clark collection (1832–1988) and a 1909 Christmas postcard sent from “Santa Claus” to Toledo, Ohio.
To learn more about the upcoming anniversary event or to explore the state’s digital archives, visit the Indiana State Library online.
