Welcome to the Heritage Room Online Collection!
The Heritage Room at the Berne Public Library began in 1992 and exists to serve the community by preserving the history of the area and assisting community members in discovering their unique roots. Our main focus is Adams County history and genealogy, as well as Swiss genealogy and local history pertaining to the Berne, Indiana area. Our substantial collection comes from the many generous individuals and families who have donated their photos, documents, and items to us. Feel free to browse our online collection or come visit us in person to find even more.
Tips for Searching
Keyword Search
The Keyword Search button allows you to perform a general search across multiple fields for any catalog records online. Keyword searches use OR as the default connector between words (e.g. a search for Berne Furniture will return records associated with Berne OR Furniture). If you want to find records where both keywords are found, type in AND between the two words. To search for a specific phrase, be sure to put the phrase within quotes (e.g. "Swiss Heritage Village"). You can also use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard (e.g. a search for histor* would come up with records containing history, histories, historical, etc.). Searches are not case sensitive.
Advanced Search
The Advanced Search button can help you be more specific with your search. You can search for a word or phrase within a particular search category or use multiple categories to further narrow down your search results. For example, searching White in the People field will bring up any records associated with a member of the White family, without having to sift through black & white photographs. You can also search People and Creator records through Advanced Search. Phrase searching with quotes and use of wildcards (*) are available in Advanced Search.
Random Images
The Random Images button is a great way to just browse the collection. Each Random Images page displays a random assortment of images from the records online. If something piques your interest, click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.