Indiana Historical Society

SINCE 1830, THE INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAS BEEN INDIANA'S STORYTELLER, CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THE PAST BY COLLECTING, PRESERVING AND SHARING THE STATE'S HISTORY. A PRIVATE, NONPROFIT MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION, IHS MAINTAINS THE NATION'S PREMIER RESEARCH LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES ON THE HISTORY OF INDIANA AND THE OLD NORTHWEST AND PRESENTS A UNIQUE SET OF VISITOR EXPERIENCES CALLED THE INDIANA EXPERIENCE. IHS ALSO PROVIDES SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL MUSEUMS AND HISTORICAL GROUPS; PUBLISHES BOOKS AND PERIODICALS; SPONSORS TEACHER WORKSHOPS; PRODUCES AND HOSTS ART EXHIBITIONS, MUSEUM THEATER AND OUTSIDE PERFORMANCE GROUPS; AND PROVIDES YOUTH, ADULT AND FAMILY PROGRAMS. IHS IS A SMITHSONIAN AFFILIATE AND A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION OF SITES OF CONSCIENCE.

INDIANA EXPERIENCE: THE INDIANA EXPERIENCE IS A NUMBER OF GUEST EXPERIENCES AND PROGRAMS AT THE EUGENE AND MARILYN GLICK INDIANA HISTORY CENTER. IN ADDITION TO THE YOU ARE THERE EXPERIENCE SPACES, THERE ARE OTHER PROGRAMMATIC OFFERINGS INCLUDING FESTIVAL OF TREES AND CIRCUS DAY. ALL INDIANA EXPERIENCE SPACES AND OFFERINGS WERE DEVELOPED BY PAN-INSTITUTIONAL TEAMS. 21,283 PEOPLE VISITED THE HISTORY CENTER, INCLUDING 805 SCHOOLCHILDREN.

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 1,775 VISITORS AND ANSWERED 3,781 REMOTE REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION. THE MOST POPULAR SUBJECTS INCLUDED FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, NOTABLE HOOSIERS, ARCHITECTURE, AND BUSINESSES. 2,422 IMAGES WERE ADDED TO THE IMAGES IN IHS'S DIGITAL ONLINE COLLECTION, BRINGING THE NUMBER OF IMAGES AVAILABLE TO MORE THAN 103,308. 23,502 COLLECTIONS/ITEMS WERE CATALOGED, PROCESSED, AND MADE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. 233 NEW MANUSCRIPT, VISUAL AND PRINTED ITEMS WERE ADDED TO THE COLLECTION. CONSERVATION LAB CONSERVATORS AND VOLUNTEERS TREATED 928 COLLECTION ITEMS. THE HISTORIC DOCUMENT PRESERVATION PROGRAM PROVIDED CONSULTATIONS TO 55 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 1 JOURNEY, AS PART OF THE NEW INDIANA EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS, BRINGING THE NUMBER OF JOURNEYS AVAILABLE TO 333 CONTAINING MORE THAN 4,108 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 WORK WITH EACH OF THE STATE'S 86 COUNTY HISTORIANS AND PROVIDE CONSULTATIONS AND TRAINING TO COUNTY AND LOCAL HISTORICAL ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS IN. IN 2021, LHS MADE 4,978 CONTACTS TRAVELING 14,500 MILES. 277,853 GUESTS VISITED MORE THAN 42 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. 4,588 STUDENTS FROM 61 SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED IN THE NATIONAL HISTORY DAY IN INDIANA PROGRAM, WITH 56 STATE WINNERS ADVANCING TO THE NATIONAL COMPETITION AND RECEIVING AN AWARD.PROJECTS AND GRANTS: IHS AWARDED 26 HERITAGE SUPPORT GRANTS TOTALING $598,608EXHIBITIONS: THE EXHIBITIONS STAFF WERE HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH THE INDIANA EXPERIENCE. 44,066 PEOPLE VISITED THE INDIANA EXPERIENCE.