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DISCOVER

OUR CONNECTED PAST

The Crossroads Discovery Center brings storytelling and genealogy together. Since 1973, we have connected the people of Hamilton County to their community and their personal histories. Now it’s your turn.

Join us as we continue to offer local history and genealogy programming.

Online Resources

When the Crossroads Discovery Center is closed, you can still access many of our resources in our online resource center.

Databases & Websites

If you access our online databases from within the library, simply click on the database you are interested in and begin exploring. If you wish to search on a computer outside the library, you may get an OCLC login screen that will ask for a username (your library card number) and password (your library card PIN).

If you encounter problems the first time you attempt to log in, please clear your browser’s cookies and try again.

Due to contractual agreements, not all borrower accounts may be able to access these resources from outside the library. However, we encourage you to visit our libraries anytime during our regular business hours to use the databases.

Directories & Maps

Physical Resources Available

Browse the catalog, including the collection of genealogy and local history books here.

Request & Consultations

  • In person – No Appointment Required
  • Genealogy Consultation Appointments
  • By phone at 317-770-3236
  • By email to [email protected]
  • By U. S. mail at:

Hamilton East Public Library
One Library Plaza
Noblesville, IN 46060

We are happy to help if you have any questions.

What You’ll Find At The Crossroads Discovery Center

Special Exhibits

Map snippet of Hamilton County

DISCOVER

LOCAL STORIES

Explore a new exhibit each year in our temporary exhibit space. Uncover hidden histories created in partnership with local history experts and organizations. Exhibits will rotate about every 9 months.

Cornerstone Exhibits

Explore the History of Hamilton County at Crossroads Discovery Center

DISCOVER

YOUR STORY

Get hands-on with history in an interactive exhibit space focused on the how-to of genealogy research. Delve into what makes genealogy and local history research fun! Experiences include:

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Explore Historic Records

Connect a history puzzle through documents, as you explore historic records. Learn how one type of record connects to another and another to tell the story of a person or a place.

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Community Oral History Booth

Contribute to a community oral history project in this quick recording booth. Respond to new prompts with each visit, and listen to contributions from fellow community members.
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Hamilton County Timeline

Explore an interactive timeline of Hamilton County history. View maps, historic photos, and other media and see how local history relates to state and national history.

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Database Quick Access

Find databases at your fingertips to get a quick start on your research journey. Start telling your story!

Programs, Events & Classes

Two smiling women looking at documents

DISCOVER

Interactive Programs

Join a class or workshop to dig deeper into genealogy and local history. Wherever you are in your story, library staff are ready to help.

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Workshops with genealogy experts

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Discussions with local historians

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Family learning opportunities

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School Field Trips

New Equipment & Technology To Explore

The Crossroads Discover Center has the tools you need to discover and tell your story. Access our digital media labs and print lab to find all you’ll need to preserve your family history for future generations.

Audio Recording Lab

(reservation available)

Lab Equipment

  • HP Computer
  • Microphones
  • Headphones
  • USB Audio Box (2 Input)
  • Mic Stands
  • XLR Cables
  • Pop Filters
  • Recording Software:
    • Adobe Audition (and full Adobe Creative Suite)
    • Audacity

Media Conversion Lab

(reservation available)

Lab Equipment

  • HP Computer
  • 8mm and Super 8 Digital Convertor
  • VCR and Video Capture Cable
  • Cassette Digitizer
  • Floppy Disk Reader
  • CD/DVD External Drive
  • Flat bed scanner
computer lab icon

Image Digitization Lab

(reservation available)

Lab Equipment

  • HP Computer
  • ScanSnap Scanner SV600
  • Vivid Pix Memory Station Software
  • Vivid Pix Education Courses
  • Recording Equipment:
    • Microphone
    • Headphones
    • USB Audio Box (2 Input)
    • Mic Stand
    • XLR Cable
    • Pop Filter
Printing icon

Additional Equipment

(first-come, first-served)

See Equipment

  • Book Binding Machine
  • All-in-One Film and Slide Scanner
  • Overhead Scanner
  • BookEye Scanner
  • Large Format Printer
  • Copier/Printer
  • Microfilm Machines
  • Laptop Computers
  • Portable Scanner (available for 7-day checkout)
  • External Hard Drives (available for 7-day checkout)

200 Years

In The Making

Did you know the Crossroads Discovery Center is home to a repository of historic material? Our archives contain artifacts dating back to the 1850s and Hamilton County’s early days. Our space includes climate controls and archival quality containment to preserve these materials for centuries to come.

The library’s vision for connecting people to their community and its history in such an accessible way is especially important for a county like this one, which has attracted so many new residents over the past decade. This new learning opportunity will not only be compelling for residents but also interesting to visitors.

Brenda Meyers, President/CEO of Hamilton County Tourism

  • 1973

    Indiana Room Opens

    The “Indiana Room” debuted to the public in 1973 during an open house for the newly remodeled library. Most noticeable were the iron bars and gate at the entrance to the room, which were installed to set apart the special collection.

  • 1986

    Move to Cumberland Road

    When the library moved into a new building on Cumberland Road in 1986, the room took its place on the second floor of the new building. The gate and the iron bars were gone, but the collection remained and continued to flourish.

  • 1990

    Collection Expands

    Throughout the years, the Indiana Room collections have expanded significantly. In the mid-80s to late-90s, Indiana Room staff worked diligently to add vertical files, a photograph collection, archival storage, obituary indexes from local newspapers, database and magazine subscriptions, a circulating collection, microfilm machines, plat maps and more.

  • 2003

    Library Name Change

    The library experienced big changes with new construction and a new name. The Noblesville Southeastern Public Library became the Hamilton East Public Library as it expanded to serve four of the nine townships in the county. And the “Indiana Room” expanded its footprint to include a larger portion of the second floor during this renovation.

  • 2023

    Indiana Room Changes Name

    The “Indiana Room” changes its name to the Crossroads Discovery Center, and construction breaks ground on yet another expansion of this library resource as we continue to improve access and expand possibilities.

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Highlights In History

“Basket Ball” in Noblesville

By David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian Noblesville will soon have a professional basketball team, thanks to the Indiana Pacers G-League team moving from Fort Wayne, which makes it worth looking back at the history of the sport in this area. Of course, high...

The First Circus in Hamilton County

By David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian I’ve covered early circus activity in Hamilton County before. Pushing it farther back, we have a record of the earliest appearance of a circus or menagerie show in the county. A reminiscence by Augustus Finch Shirts in the...

The First Hamilton County Fourth of July

By David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian In the early nineteenth century, the Fourth of July could be considered the most important holiday in the United States. It was a statement of national identity at a time when Americans were still trying to understand who...

D-Day in Indiana – 80 Years Later

By Jessica L., Local History and Genealogy Librarian On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched a coordinated attack on the coast of France as part of Operation Overlord, often called D-Day. World War II had begun in 1939, and the US had been involved since the attack on...

Questions?

Ask a librarian about the Crossroads Discovery Center.

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