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Indiana Humanities to suspend events through April

Indiana Humanities is committed to public health and safety, and we recognize that the recent outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) raises concerns for many.  Out of an abundance of caution, we have…

Indiana Humanities is committed to public health and safety, and we recognize that the recent outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) raises concerns for many. 

Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to suspend programs and events that we organize through the end of April, and our staff will transition to working remotely.  

We have encouraged grant recipients and program partners to make their own scheduling decisions, based on what is best for their communities. This includes One State / One Story community and campus reads, Crossroads exhibition or grantee events, INseparable Speakers Bureau events, Indiana Authors Awards writing workshops, Novel Conversations, Novel Conversations Speakers Program events and Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial events. Please contact the local host organization for the most up-to-date information on the status of those programs. 

Know that we are committed to working with our partners to reschedule events whenever possible. 

We encourage you to stay informed about recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization as you make decisions about your own programs and events. For more information about the virus, you can also visit the Indiana State Department of Health’s website. 

If you have questions related to programs, please contact the following with updates and questions:


FAQ about Novel Conversations:

  • All reservations through the end of May will be cancelled regardless of the open/closed status of individual pickup libraries. If you make any new reservations with pickup dates in that time period, we will cancel them and email you to tell you as such. 
  • If you have returns from prior reservations, hold onto them until the courier reopens and send them back as soon as you can after that. 
  • If you have specific questions about which kits have been cancelled for you or your group, email Bronwen Carlisle , but understand that it may take a little while to get back to you, considering the volume of Novel Conversations users and the fact that the program has a one-person, part-time staff member. 
  • If your group still wants to read a kit that was cancelled during the spring window, it is your responsibility to reschedule a reservation for a later date. You can do so on the KitKeeper portal. I will not be rescheduling the reservations I cancel, so please keep that in mind as you plan for future group meetings after things have settled down.
  • Novel Conversations will reopen and begin its service after it is safe and advisable to do so. Please continue to watch for communications from Indiana Humanities, as we will let you know as soon as we can if anything changes. 

Some things you can do instead of meet for book club:

  • If your group is currently reading a Novel Conversations kit, consider meeting together for a video chat or group phone call to discuss the book.
  • Check out free e-books from your public library to read as a group, and discuss remotely.
  • Take some time to browse the Novel Conversations list and plan your reservations for the next year.