Welcome to the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library's digital collections. The purpose of these collections is to provide access to digital images and recordings of cultural and historical interest to Indianapolis residents as well as students, researchers and others. The Library offers these collections to allow free access to digital versions of increasingly valuable, fragile and hard-to-use originals.
Irvington Oral Histories
From its inception, Irvington, named for the author Washington Irving, was planned to be a community of culture and refinement. The people who agreed to share their stories include community leaders, fire fighters, authors, artists, and ordinary folks.
Indianapolis Firefighters Museum Collection
Opened in 1996, the Indianapolis Firefighters Museum’s mission is to celebrate the history of the Fire Service in central Indiana and the Fire Departments’ contributions to the community.
Shortridge High School Yearbooks
From the beginning, Shortridge High School was an innovative educational force in the city. It is the oldest free public high school in Indiana, opening as Indianapolis High School on the Circle in downtown Indianapolis in 1864.
English's Opera House
Formally opening on September 27, 1880, English’s Opera House quickly became Indianapolis’ leading theater presenting not only opera but drama, musical comedy, ballet, concerts, minstrel shows, lectures, vaudeville and film.
Indianapolis Postcard Collection
The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library is fortunate to have a collection of over 500 postcards depicting scenes from the city and elsewhere.
The Free Soil Banner
The Free Soil Banner was published in Indianapolis from 1848 to 1854. Other cities had newspapers by the same name, but the Indiana version was edited by Lew Wallace and William B. Greer, and reportedly funded by Ovid Butler.
Children's Museum Artifacts
Objects can be compelling storytellers that put other times and places in context. They bridge time periods and cultures and celebrate our differences. As a collaborative effort The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library and The Children's Museum of Indianapolis have selected 1,000 artifacts from the museum collection to photograph and make available to anyone, anywhere via the library's web site. Artifacts were selected based on their relevance to Indiana Curriculum Standards. » More
English's Opera House
Formally opening on September 27, 1880, English’s Opera House quickly became Indianapolis’ leading theater presenting not only opera but drama, musical comedy, ballet, concerts, minstrel shows, lectures, vaudeville and film. The theatre was built by William Hayden English, businessman and 1880 Democratic vice-presidential candidate, and occupied the entire north-west quadrant of Monument Circle. » More
Free Soil Banner
The Free Soil Banner was published in Indianapolis from 1848 to 1854. Other cities had newspapers by the same name, but the Indiana version was edited by Lew Wallace and William B. Greer, and reportedly funded by Ovid Butler, the founder of North Western Christian University, later renamed Butler University. » More
Indianapolis Firefighters Museum Collection
Opened in 1996, the Indianapolis Firefighters Museum’s mission is to celebrate the history of the Fire Service in central Indiana and the Fire Departments’ contributions to the community. » More
Indianapolis Postcard Collection
The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library is fortunate to have a collection of over 500 postcards depicting scenes from the city and elsewhere. » More
Irvington Oral Histories
From its inception, Irvington, named for the author Washington Irving, was planned to be a community of culture and refinement. The people who agreed to share their stories include community leaders, fire fighters, authors, artists, and ordinary folks. » More
James Whitcomb Riley Recordings
On Friday, June 7, 1912, James Whitcomb Riley finished his last recording session for the Victor Talking Machine Company. Out of around twenty recordings made during five days of readings, only four of the discs were ever issued by Victor. » More
May Wright Sewall Papers
The May Wright Sewall Papers are a collection of documents comprised of approximately 500 letters written to May Wright Sewall dated between 1879 and 1919, and three guest books with remarks and signatures from 197 guests of the Sewall house. » More
Shortridge High School Yearbooks
From the beginning, Shortridge High School was an innovative educational force in the city. It is the oldest free public high school in Indiana, opening as Indianapolis High School on the Circle in downtown Indianapolis in 1864. » More
World War I Poster Collection
When the United States entered World War I in April of 1917, a means of communication was needed to encourage the public to support it. President Woodrow Wilson established the Committee on Public Information (CPI) and its offshoot, the Division of Pictorial Publicity (DPP). » More