On the last day we were in our offices at IHS before Gov. Holcomb issued a Stay At Home order for the state of Indiana in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I took the opportunity to dip into the stacks (the secure area where we keep our collections) and snap some images from a few […]
Once the first cases of COVID-19 left China, I gradually began stocking up on basic supplies. I knew it would end up here in Indianapolis eventually, and wanted to leave more diapers and toilet paper on the shelves for others once the panic-buying began. My husband and I also mentally prepared for the possibility of […]
What is a Barrio and why is it lost? First, Barrio is the Spanish word for neighborhood. It is typically a neighborhood where most of the folks are from Spanish speaking families. And why is it lost? I will later explain. First, the Latino community is not necessarily a “new Hoosier community” in the State […]
I recently cataloged a charming miniature book, Whatever Happened to Valley Mills, Indiana? According to the Miniature Book Society, “In the United States, a miniature book is usually considered to be one which is no more than three inches in height, width, or thickness.” This newest miniature in the collection measures in well under three inches […]
Featured image: An artist’s rendering of the Exposition Building in 1874. As part of my job with the Indianapolis Bicentennial Project, I recently processed some materials from the Indianapolis Department of Public Works. Included in that collection are hundreds of original General Ordinances dated from the 1860s to about 1900. Among these, I found (to my […]
For me, this time of year is all about celebrations. Not only are we celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in my family, but we’re also looking forward to the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner, and before you know it, we’ll be ringing in the New Year. I recently cataloged a pamphlet […]
According to the Reid Duffy Menu Collection, fine dining in Indianapolis in the 1980s and 1990s can be summed up by five words: steak, steak and more steak. The WRTV reporter hosted a weekly restaurant review segment called “Duffy’s Diner” from 1978 to 1995. Any local eatery was eligible, which is why Duffy’s menus, donated […]
I find old medical books fascinating. They rank high on my list of favorite printed materials to catalog – right up there with yearbooks, cookbooks and maps. I’m no medical expert, but I enjoy reading about various ailments and how they were treated long ago. I also appreciate the accompanying illustrations. Far from being gory […]
I was very fortunate to spend the first week of June attending Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Spending time with fellow bibliophiles in a place steeped in such rich history was a true gift for this librarian. I “lived” on campus, and although dorm life wasn’t as comfortable for me as […]
We typically collect photos, documents, books and other materials that relate directly to Indiana or to the Old Northwest. But sometimes our collections include materials from out-of-state and even overseas. This is especially true with family photograph collections that document vacations Hoosiers have taken over the years. My family and I just got back from […]
