Lake County Public Library (Indiana)

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Contact Information
Website: http://www.lcplin.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lcplin

Address:

1919 W 81st Ave

Merrillville, Indiana

46410

Directions/Parking Map

Telephone: (219) 769-3541

'''[http://www.lcplin.org/ask Questions? Email Us:]'''

Hours of Operation:

M-Th: 9AM - 9 PM

Fri: 9 AM - 6 PM

Sat: 9 AM - 5 PM

Sun 12 PM - 4 PM

Description of Collections
Genealogy Room (Middle Level) -

Collection focus is Lake County, Indiana resources with some Porter County materials. Subject area focus of the entire collection is East Coast early America to the Midwest States, with some Southern State coverage.

- High School Yearbooks and College Yearbooks (Digitized copies are available)

- Newspaper obituary indexes in binders for the Gary Post Tribune (digital version of index is available), The Hammond Times or Times, Lake County Register and Star, Lowell Tribune, Crown Point Register and other local papers.

- Microfilm of local newspapers, city directories, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Misc. Crown Point wills, Calumet Region phone books, WPA indexes for Indiana,

- Census and Soundex.

- City, town and county histories, school enumeration records, cemetery indexes and more.

- Lake County Plat Maps - approximately 1926 to 2014.

- Genealogies of some local families.

- Genealogy magazines and newsletters.

- Major online subscription databases at LCPL that patrons may use onsite include: HeritageQuest, Ancestry.com Library Edition, Fold3, Access Newspaper Archive, Post Tribune Newspaper 1986 to current, Proquest African American Genealogy, Proquest Historical Newspapers, Chicago Tribune (1849-1990).

Indiana Room (Upper Level) -

(closed collection - call ahead)

Collection focus is Lake County, Indiana resources with some Porter County materials and the State of Indiana including histories, government, statistics, authors, biographies and more.

- Maps including survey, plat, flood plain and atlases.

- Local phone books starting in the late 1930's.

- Haines Criss Cross Directories from 1977 to current.

- Polk City Directories from 1999 to 2016. Note: both Lake and Porter counties are represented in these sources. A few are from Chicago (Cook County) Illinois

- A variety of histories, indexes and directories for many Indiana counties. These items can be used for genealogical purposes. Each county collection is unique.

- Local Vertical File on various topics including Cities and Towns.

- The Chicago Tribune (1971-2008) and the New York Times (1851-2008) on microfilm with some book indexes.

- Indiana Resources including books by Indiana authors, biographies of famous people and general State history.

- A variety of State and local statistics, data, government census and city/town codes.

Services
- Obituary Lookup for local papers. Free service via Ask a Librarian (email).

- Free scanning to email or USB in the Genealogy Room.

- Copy machines and Viewscan Reader Printers available.

- Internet access.

- Staff assistance when available.

- Free monthly genealogy classes.

History
LCPL is the third largest library system in the State of Indiana.

In June of 1952 the Lake County Public Library system was established, though it contracted services through the Gary Public Library until 1959. In February of 1978, the LCPL Board approved a $6,650,000 budget for expansion of the Central Library (current location). The Architects were Perking & Will of Chicago and George N. Hall of Griffith. The Groundbreaking was held on July 11, 1979 and the building was completed on March 2, 1981. The new addition added 67,000 square feet, making it a total of 97,000 square feet.

Merrillville Branch began renovations in June of 2011 and was complete in 2013.

Tips for Your Visit
Consult the library catalog for items of interest.

Bring cash for copies and microfilm machines - dimes/nickels and dollar bills.

Guides
Library Genealogy Guide from the LCPL webpage


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