Indiana Historical Society

Libraryat the heart of the indiana historical society is its archives and library collections, which feeds all the other activity areas of ihs. Without our substantial collection of photographs, documents, personal papers and other records from the past, we would not be able to tell the stories of our rich hoosier heritage. Often, that storytelling becomes very personal as our staff assists both novice family history seekers and more scholarly researchers in their quest for knowledge. The library assisted 2,556 visitors and answered 3,077 remote requests for information. The most popular subjects included families, communities, african-american history, notable hoosiers, architecture, and businesses. 1,727 images were added to the images in ihs's digital online collection, bringing the number of images available to more than 91,248. 23,655 collections/items were cataloged, processed, and made accessible to the public. 193 new manuscript, visual and printed items were added to the collection. Conservation lab conservators and volunteers treated 236 collection items. The historic document preservation program provided consultations to 24 small museums and non-for-profit organizations across the state. In addition to individual reference requests, collections and library staff wrote articles for both ihs and external publications, contributed content to ihs and external exhibitions, and continued the development of the destination indiana high technology exhibit, adding 2 journey, as part of the new indiana experience programs, bringing the number of journeys available to 340 containing more than 4,220 images.

Public programslocal history services: at the heart of ihs's emphasis to impact all regions of the state is the work of local history services (lhs). Ensuring the success of our partners in local communities, lhs staff worked with 88 county historians and provided consultations and training to county and local historical organizations across in. In 2024, lhs made 4,995 contacts traveling 18,415 miles. 84,923 guests visited 53 traveling exhibitions throughout the state.education: the education department provides audiences of all ages with opportunities for engaging and life-long learning. The education staff works closely with educators and students throughout in. 4,505 students participated in the national history day in indiana program, with 58 state winners advancing to the national competition and 20 projects receiving an award.projects and grants: ihs awarded 38 heritage support grants totaling $152,737.

Ihs press: writes, edits, prints and publications related to indiana history.