Indiana State Archives

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Location and Hours | Explore the Collection | Research Inquiries & Fees | Tours & Programming |  Closed Institutions & Student Records | Leave a Comment

Location and Hours:

Research Inquiries

Please visit our Collections page for information on our holdings.

If your topic of interest is not listed there, and you believe it may be found in the Indiana State Archives collections, feel free to contact us by e-mailing arc@iara.in.gov, or sending postal mail to:

Indiana State Archives
6440 E. 30th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46219.

E-mailing:

Please be sure to include a very clear subject heading, i.e, Civil War, Soldier's Home, Hospital Records, Morton Telegrams, etc. Emails without a clear subject heading may be mistaken as spam or a potential virus and be filtered out automatically.

In the message field enter a short, but detailed explanation of the records you are seeking, including any relevant names and dates. Also include your e-mail address and postal mailing address.

If you have not received an initial response from the Indiana State Archives within two weeks, please resubmit your request.

Sending postal mail:

Please include a phone number or e-mail address at which you can be contacted for clarification of your questions and any copying fees that may result, and a clearly written postal address to which your records may be sent -- as well as a short, but detailed explanation of the records you are seeking, including any relevant names and dates.

Phone:

Phone calls are preferred for emergency military requests only. General reference requests are handled in the order in which they are received by email or letter. Phone requests cannot be answered immediately and are not moved ahead of other requests.

Reading Room Operation & Policy

If your research inquiry cannot be filled remotely, you may wish to visit the Archives reading room to view original records, including documents, maps and audio-visual material.

If you are planning a visit to our reading room, check the location of the records you wish to see and whether they are available for viewing by searching the archives holdings. Records can only be viewed at the state or county office where they are held. Some records are stored remotely and may require advance notice in order to retrieve them for your visit.

The Indiana State Archives makes records in its possession available for public use under supervised conditions at reasonable hours. However, the Indiana State Archives restricts access to material deemed confidential by law or restricted by promulgated rule. The Indiana State Archives also weighs the need for preservation from deterioration, mutilation, or theft in establishing access to original materials.

Please note:
Records will be retrieved from remote stacks locations until one half hour before closing time. Patrons will be requested to stop and return Archives materials ten minutes before closing time. Please contact us at arc@iara.in.gov prior to your visit to ensure that records are retrieved promptly.

Guidelines for the Use of Records:

The Indiana State Archives serves to ensure the preservation of important official and historical public records, and to make them available to patrons. Patrons are expected to read and observe the following guidelines for the reading room of the Indiana State Archives.

1. All patrons must read, sign and date the registration form, whether paper or electronic, prior to use of all records or reference sources. The signed registration form shall constitute an acknowledgment that the patron will abide by the guidelines and procedures outlined on the registration form.
2. Food and drink are not allowed in the reading room.
3. All coats, bags, and briefcases must be stored in the provided lockers. Patrons can only bring loose paper (not on a pad or in a notebook) and personal electronic devices into the reading room. The Indiana State Archives reserves the right to inspect personal belongings at any time.
4. Pencils must be used in taking notes. Pens and markers are not permitted in the reading room. Pencils are available for patron use.
5. No documents may be taken out of the reading room.
6. When examining materials, patrons must keep documents in the original order found in the box or folder.
7. Lay documents, including photographs, flat on table during use. Do not hold up, put in lap, or otherwise hold during use. Do not lean on records, or put notebook on documents.
8. Due to preservation considerations, certain records may be served to patrons as microfilm or in other analog or digital formats. Requests for exceptions to this rule should be made in writing to the Indiana Archives and Records Administration management and will be considered on a case by case basis.
9. Cotton protective gloves will be used for handling all photographs / negatives, and certain documents at the archivist's discretion. Gloves are available at the reference desk.
10. Citations to records in the Indiana State Archives in both published and non-published works and exhibitions will read, "Indiana State Archives, Indiana Archives and Records Administration."
11. Requests for records will be handled one at a time and in the order they were received.
12. Records will be retrieved from remote stacks locations until thirty (30) minutes before closing time. Patrons will be requested to stop and return Archives materials ten (10) minutes before closing time.
13. Reproductions are provided to patrons at a cost and according to established procedures. The Indiana State Archives will weigh the need for preservation from deterioration or mutilation of original records when receiving a request to inspect or copy records. Personal scanning or camera equipment is permitted only after approval by the archivist on duty. (IC 5-15-5.1-)
14. The Indiana State Archives takes no responsibility for the patron's misuse of copyright.

Tours and Programming at the State Archives

Schedule a tour at the Indiana State Archives or book an archivist to visit your school or library to talk about the Archives collection.

What is covered?

A general tour of the State Archives involves seeing materials that date from the 1700s to present day. Tours are available by appointment and depending on the availability of an archivist. We recommend up to 30 people at one time for the most positive experience as some of our exhibits and collections have limited space. If your group is larger than that we can discuss several different options to best accommodate your group. General tours of the Indiana Archives last approximately one hour. Special requests for longer tours may be considered if booked far enough in advance. For educational groups, special subjects/topics that relate to Indiana Academic standards can be included when requested in advance. Please let us know if you need a lunch space. There is no fee for tours of the Archives.

Remote and On-site Programming

The Archives hosts public workshops on genealogy and conservation, and archivists are available to speak about our the collection for community and educational groups.

Make a Reservation

Email arc@iara.in.gov
Send us a reservation request including your school or organization name, contact person’s name, address, phone number, email address, at least one choice of visit dates, desired arrival and departure times and a list of preferred subjects for the group.