GUIDES & RESOURCES

iLibrary

Criss Cross, Reverse Lookup, City Directories, Telephone Numbers and Zip Codes

A quick guide containing links to selected websites, books, movies, magazines, online databases and other resources to help you find what you are looking for.

Websites

Reverse by Address
Reverse by Telephone Number
AnyWho: Internet Directory Assistance
Telephone Directory - Switchboard Internet Yellow Pages and White Pages
White Pages Phone Directory with free people search
BigBook - Yellow Pages
Telephone Directories on the Web
AnyWho Toll-Free Numbers
Internet 800 Directory
Area Decoder - Area Code Lookup Service
USPS - Zip Code Lookup

Library Materials

Indianapolis city and suburban criss cross directory
by: Haines & Co. (North Canton, Ohio)
917.7252 HAI
Indianapolis north suburban crisscross directory
by: Haines & Co. (North Canton, Ohio)
917.7252 HAI
Indianapolis city directory
by: R.L. Polk & Co.
R 917.7252 RL
Indianapolis suburban Marion County Ind directory
by: R.L. Polk & Co.
917.7252 RL
Polk city directory Marion County Indiana
by:
917.7252 POL

Online Databases

Reference USA

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between a criss-cross directory and a city directory?

The city directory is a book published by a private company that is similar to a phone book.  Since the phone book was invented in 1876, a city directory predates the existence of the phone book by many years.  The earliest city directory owned by I-MCPL was published in 1855, and it is a small alphabetical listing of the residents of Indianapolis.  In 1878 the Polk Company started publishing the city directory and is still doing so today.  In 1916 the book was expanded to include both an alphabetical listing of residents and an alphabetical listing of street addresses with residents included.

Not to be confused with the city directory is the Haines Directory, commonly called a Criss Cross.  It too is published every year, but while the Polk Directory lists residents by name, the Haines Directory only lists by address or phone number because it is a mechanical reversal of the information in the phone book.  Unlisted numbers do not appear in the Haines, just as they do not appear in the phone book.