Indiana State Library
🏢 State Research Library · Open to All Indiana Residents
Indiana State Library
Indiana's official state research library — open to all Hoosiers at no charge — holds 2.5 million items inside a 1934 limestone Art Deco landmark downtown Indianapolis, anchoring one of the Midwest's largest genealogy collections and a free statewide digital program through INSPIRE.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 8am–4:30pm |
| Tuesday | 8am–4:30pm |
| Wednesday | 8am–4:30pm |
| Thursday | 8am–4:30pm |
| Friday | 8am–4:30pm |
| Saturday | Closed (2nd Sat of month: 10am–4pm) |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 315 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone: (317) 232-3675
Website: in.gov
Plus Code: 86FMQR9P+V8 (Indianapolis, IN)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Indiana State Library
Established by the Indiana General Assembly on February 11, 1825, the Indiana State Library has served researchers, legislators, and the public for nearly two centuries. In 1934 the library moved into its landmark Indiana State Library and Historical Building at 315 W. Ohio Street — a Classical Revival and Art Deco structure clad in Indiana limestone, featuring stained-glass windows, hand-painted murals by J. Scott Williams, walnut paneling, and bas-relief exterior sculptures by Leon Hermant chronicling Indiana's history. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. A 1976 west-wing addition expanded the facility by 87,000 square feet. Today the library holds more than 2.5 million items across seven divisions and is the largest library in the state. Any Indiana resident may obtain a free library card; the library also delivers free statewide digital resources, genealogy assistance, and services for Hoosiers with print disabilities.
⭐ What makes this library special
- One of the Midwest's largest genealogy collections — 40,000+ print items, on-site Ancestry Library Edition, Fold3 and FamilySearch access, plus free one-on-one consultations every second Saturday
- Hoosier State Chronicles — Indiana's free digital historic newspaper program: nearly 1.7 million pages from 198,000+ issues spanning Indiana newspapers back to the 1810s, fully keyword-searchable
- Congressional Regional Federal Depository since 1963 — the most complete U.S. Government publications repository in Indiana
- Rare Books & Manuscripts Division holding 3 million+ manuscripts across 5,200+ collections from the 15th century onward, including early Indiana treaties and territorial records
- Indiana Young Readers Center — the only young readers center housed within a state library in the United States, spotlighting Indiana authors such as Jim Davis, John Green and Meg Cabot
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Any Indiana resident can access INSPIRE, Hoosier State Chronicles and other free statewide digital resources — no library card required for most platforms:
📚 Services
- Free library cards for any Indiana resident — borrow up to 15 circulating items at a time
- Genealogy reference desk — in-person, phone (317-232-3689) and email research assistance from specialist librarians
- Ask-A-Librarian — reference help via chat, email or phone; answered within two business days
- Talking Book & Braille Library — free audio books, braille books, large-print materials and playback equipment by mail for Indiana residents with visual or physical disabilities
- Rare Books & Manuscripts Reading Room — access by appointment (minimum two business days advance notice)
- Federal Depository Library — public access to the complete U.S. Government Publications collection
- State Data Center — federal, state and local statistical data and census resources
- Martha E. Wright Conservation Lab — preservation and restoration of fragile library and archival materials
- Interlibrary loan through participating Indiana public libraries
🎸 Programs
- Second Saturday Family History Consultations — free one-on-one genealogy research appointments the second Saturday of every month, 10am–4pm
- DAR Volunteer Genealogy Assistance — Daughters of the American Revolution volunteers available every Wednesday afternoon and second Saturday
- Annual Genealogy and Local History Fair — held each October
- Poetry Out Loud Indiana Finals — state-level poetry recitation competition for high school students
- Letters About Literature — statewide reading and writing program for students
- Public tours and group visits — available by arrangement
📍 Nearby Libraries in Indianapolis
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Indianapolis · Browse all Indiana libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can the general public visit and borrow from the Indiana State Library?
Yes — the Indiana State Library is open to all Indiana residents. Any citizen can obtain a free library card by presenting a photo ID, then borrow up to 15 circulating items. In-person visitors are welcome Monday through Friday 8am–4:30pm and on the second Saturday of each month 10am–4pm. Statewide digital resources through INSPIRE are available from home with no card required.
What genealogy resources are available at the Indiana State Library?
The library houses one of the Midwest's largest family history collections — more than 40,000 print items including family histories, cemetery transcriptions, military pension records and marriage indexes covering 1811–2018. On-site researchers can access Ancestry Institution, Fold3, and FamilySearch. Free one-on-one consultations are available every second Saturday by appointment, and DAR volunteers assist researchers on Wednesday afternoons and second Saturdays.
What is Hoosier State Chronicles, and how do I access it?
Hoosier State Chronicles is Indiana's free digital historic newspaper program, operated by the Indiana State Library. It provides free public access to nearly 1.7 million pages from more than 198,000 digitized Indiana newspaper issues — spanning papers from the early 1800s onward — fully searchable by keyword at newspapers.library.in.gov. No library card or login is required.
How old is the Indiana State Library building, and is it architecturally significant?
The Indiana State Library and Historical Building opened in 1934, designed by Indianapolis firm Pierre & Wright in a Classical Revival and Art Deco style. The exterior is clad in Indiana limestone with bas-relief sculptures by Leon Hermant narrating Indiana's history; inside are stained-glass windows, walnut paneling and murals by J. Scott Williams. A 1976 west-wing addition expanded the building by 87,000 square feet. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
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