The Indiana Historical Society offers small traveling exhibitions that may be borrowed by local historical societies, schools, libraries, nonprofit organization and government agencies in Indiana. We encourage you to use our raveling exhibitions as an inexpensive way of augmenting your own exhibitions, educational programming, events, and activities. Click here for a list of all exhibits currently available.

Time Period:

Borrowers may schedule an exhibition for periods up to four weeks in duration unless the exhibit description indicates otherwise. Under special circumstances the length of the show may be extended by prior arrangement.

Locations:

Organizations normally arrange for traveling exhibits to be shown at their own facility. However, organizations may arrange to sponsor an exhibition at another site in the community if permission is obtained in advance from whoever is responsible for that site. For example, local historical societies without museum facilities often arrange for traveling exhibitions to be shown in the county courthouse, city hall, the public library, or a nearby shopping mall.

Booking Procedures:

Borrowers should write or call the Exhibitions Department to arrange an exhibit booking. It is helpful if the borrower has two or three alternative dates in mind for a specific exhibit when calling or writing. When writing, be sure to include a weekday daytime telephone number where you can be reached. The amount of advance "lead time" necessary may be as little as five days if the requested exhibit is not in use, but bookings are usually made from two months to a year in advance. Exhibits may be booked up to three years in advance. In order to serve as many localities as possible, we request that organizations schedule no more than three IHS traveling exhibitions per calendar year.

Shipping Fees and Insurance:

There are no rental or insurance fees. Borrowers must arrange for and pay the cost of shipping the exhibit to the next exhibit site or back to the Indiana Historical Society.

Security Requirements:

Security requirements are minimal: the site must be indoors, and it must be locked when not open to the public. Borrowers must provide secure storage for the shipping containers while the exhibit is at their site.

Publicity:

Borrowers are expected to publicize the presence of the exhibit in their community. Exhibits should not be publicized until you receive a written confirmation of the booking. A sample news release will be provided by IHS along with the confirmation. One or two appropriate publicity photographs may be provided upon request. The exhibition at your site will also be publicized in the Indiana Historical Society newsletter when possible. We request that borrowers provide copies or photocopies of news releases and publicity obtained to the Exhibitions Department.

Evaluation and Condition Reports:

As soon as possible after the exhibition is received, please complete and return the provided condition report. If the exhibit is damaged while it is at your site, please call the Exhibitions department immediately. We may be able to arrange repairs while the exhibit is still on-site. After the exhibit has been packed and shipped to the next location, please complete and mail the evaluation report.

In a Nutshell:

The Indiana Historical Society will:

• Schedule the exhibit at your site upon request
• Confirm the booking at your site in writing
• Provide a sample news release to assist your publicity efforts
• Provide publicity photographs (upon request)
• Provide publicity in the IHS newsletter
• Provide the exhibit, written instructions for setting it up, taking it down, and packing it for shipment to the next site
• Provide a condition report form and an exhibit evaluation report form
• Provide notification of where to ship the exhibit when your show ends

The borrower is expected to:

• Contact the Exhibitions Department to arrange mutually agreeable dates and a location for the exhibit
• Publicize the exhibit in the surrounding community or communities.
• Set up and take down the exhibit on the dates established in advance
• Store the shipping containers while the exhibit is up
• Complete and submit a condition report as soon as possible after an exhibit is up
• Immediately report any damage that occurs while the exhibit is up
• Arrange for and pay the cost of shipping the exhibit to the next location
• Complete and submit an evaluation report after the exhibit is shipped

For more information contact:

	Indiana Historical Society          Phone: (317) 233-5659

	Exhibitions                         Fax:   (317) 233-3109

	315 West Ohio Street                Email: mbierlein@statelib.lib.in.us)

	Indianapolis, IN  46202

Return to IHS home page, the Education Division, the Exhibition's Department, or the list of available exhibits.