Written by: Nancy Massey, Indiana Room Coordinator
Hamilton County will celebrate its 200th birthday in 2023. In preparation for this bicentennial celebration, a new book is being created! The Bicentennial Book Committee is asking for your help. Photographs capture a moment in time, preserving a part of history. Sharing captured moments in time is a great way to celebrate the past in the present for the future. Help us to preserve and share such captured moments of Hamilton County history with photographs from your family albums.
The Hamilton East Public Library will lead the three planned scan-a-thons by taking appointments for those who would like to digitize their family photos and contribute to the Hamilton County Bicentennial Book.
Three scan-a-thons will be held in November 2021 to digitize the family photos of community members that highlight events, buildings, locations, people, etc. in Hamilton County’s nine townships. This will be a book not only about Hamilton County, but created by Hamilton County residents like yourselves. As a participant in this project, you will be eligible for a drawing of a hardcover copy of the bicentennial book (once it is published).
How a scan-a-thon works:
– Go through your family albums and select about ten photos that you feel depict Hamilton County history (from any time period).
– Call the Hamilton East Public Library (317-770-3236) for an appointment on one of three days for a time at three different locations: Noblesville, Carmel, and Sheridan.
– After the scanning is completed, an archival copy will be kept for possible use in the book or on the Bicentennial blog, and we will give you a jpeg copy of your images (bring a flashdrive if possible!). You will leave the scanning location with your originals and digital copies of your images.
This is your big opportunity to be a part of Hamilton County history as you share historical family photos. Yes, even a photo taken in 2021 is history in the making! There are three planned scan-a-thons (see dates below). Making appointments will be helpful to avoid a long wait as quality scanning does take time. If you have more than about 10 photos, we may ask you to make an appointment for another time.
Visit the Hamilton County Bicentennial Commission website for more information.
November 6, 2021 at the Hamilton East Public Library, One Library Plaza, Noblesville, IN 46060, 10am-3pm Call the Indiana Room at 317 770-3236 to make an appointment. Register here
November 13, 2021 at Carmel Monon Community Center East Bldg. Art Studio, 1235 Central Park Drive W, Carmel, IN 46032, 10am-2pm. This scanning site is in partnership with the Carmel Clay Public Library. Call the Indiana Room (317-770-3236) at HEPL to make an appointment for the Carmel scanning site. Register here.
November 20, 2021 at the Sheridan Public Library, 103 W 1st St, Sheridan, IN 46069, 10am – 1pm. Call the Indiana Room (317-770-3236) at HEPL to make an appointment for the Sheridan scanning site. Register here.
While there’s not a guarantee that we’ll be able to fit everyone’s photos in the book, we can guarantee you’ll walk away with a high quality digital copy of your special family photos. Come share Hamilton County history with us at one of our events. See you there!