Newberry Library: Difference between revisions

The Genealogy and Local History staff introduces novices to the basics of research at an informal orientation the first Saturday of every month. After the session, you are welcome to begin your research. A reference librarian will be available to provide suggestions and assistance. Reservations not required.

Collection Description[edit | edit source]

The Newberry is a private, non-circulating library free and open to the public. It is a research library for humanities and social sciences with 1.5 million books, 5 million manuscript pages, and 500,000 maps. This includes good American Indian, railroad archives, Chicago history, and cartography collections.^[5]

One of its strongest collections is genealogy with 17,000 published genealogies of New England and colonial America, and British gentry and nobility. The library collects church, town, county, and state histories, from all parts of America, Canada, and the British Isles, including comprehensive New England town histories.

The Newberry has Ancestry and HeritageQuest subscriptions for census indexes, all federal census microfilms 1790-1850, and Midwest states to 1880; book indexes through 1850 and most of 1860. The collection also includes 1855 and 1865 Illinois state censuses, and scattered other states and Canadian provinces.

Holdings also include birth, marriage, death, probate, deeds, court, tax, and cemetery abstracts and indexes from the Mississippi Valley to the eastern seaboard, Canada, and British Isles. American Civil War military unit histories, rosters and pension lists of colonial wars through the Civil War, and scattered records from later wars are also available.

Database subscriptions include Ancestry.com, HeritageQuest On-line, American Ancestors, and Fold3.com. They also have a significant American, Canadian, and British genealogical periodicals collection, and the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) for family history researchers.^[6]

The Newberry is also a Family History Library Affiliate. Registered readers can use FamilySearch’s online ordering system to borrow microfilm and microfiche from the Family History Library and work with it at the Newberry.

Tips[edit | edit source]

A reader's card is needed for research. To obtain a reader's card you must:

Have a research interest supported by the Newberry’s collections,
Be at least age 16,
Show a valid photo I.D.,
Show proof of your current address.^[7]

Guides[edit | edit source]

Click here for 78 online Newberry Library genealogical collection guides and research tools about:

Collection guides (10)
Ethnic guides (14)

Military guides (6)
Geographic guides (31)

Researching Chicago (10)
Uniquely Newberry (7)

Alternate Repositories[edit | edit source]

If you cannot visit or find a source at the Newberry Library, a similar source may be available at one of the following.

Overlapping Collections

Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana, premier periodical collection, including Swedish-American genealogies, local histories, databases, military, censuses, directories, and passenger lists.^[8]
National Archives Great Lakes Region (Chicago) old federal court and agency records for Illinois and Midwest U.S. federal censuses 1790–1940; military service and pension indexes, passenger lists, naturalizations, Ancestry.com, HeritageQuest, Fold3.^[9]

Similar Collections

Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, holds 450 computers, 3,400 databases, 3.1 million microforms, 4,500 periodicals, 310,000 books of worldwide family and local histories, civil, church, immigration, ethnic, military, and Mormon records.
Library of Congress, Washington, DC, Local History and Genealogy Reading Room is part of the world's largest library including 50,000 genealogies, 100,000 local histories, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, photographs, books, strong in North American, British Isles, and German sources
New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, national in scope. Over 100 million name database, of vital records, genealogies, journals, over 200,000 books, 100,000 microfilms, and over 20 million manuscripts with emphasis on New England and New York since the 1600s.
New York Public Library Genealogy Division has an outstanding collection of American history at national, state and local levels; international genealogy and heraldry in Roman alphabets; Dorot Jewish collection; photos; New York censuses, directories, and vital records.
Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center, Independence, MO, national censuses/ indexes, 80,000 family and 100,000 local histories, 565,000 microfilms, 7,000 maps, newspapers.
Dallas Public Central Library 111,700 volumes, 64,500 microfilms, 89,000 microfiche, 700 maps, marriage, probate, deed, tax abstracts, or microfilm of originals for some states, online databases.
National Archives I, Washington DC, census, pre-WWI military service & pensions, passenger lists, naturalizations, passports, federal bounty land, homesteads, bankruptcy, ethnic sources, prisons, and federal employees.^[10]

Neighboring Collections

Cook County Clerk births, marriages, and deaths online
Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court recent probates, civil, criminal records.
Cook County Recorder of Deeds land records, military discharge DD-214s.
Cook County Medical Examiner suspicious or unusual deaths.
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois recent civil and criminal court records.
Arlington Heights Memorial Library a huge collection, with printed genealogies, manuscripts, periodicals, newspapers, special aids, surname folders—a great overall genealogy collection.^[11]
Asher Library, Chicago, Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies 500,000 books, and films.
Chicago History Museum 20 million manuscripts, letters, certificates, diaries, genealogy charts, log books, journals, memoirs, minutes, muster rolls, scrapbooks, sermons, speeches, and telegrams.^[11]
Chicago Public Library reference books, how-to-guides, histories, biographies.
Chicago Title and Trust for a fee they will search property records prior to the Chicago fire.^[11]
Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Chicago, 45,000 military history books, unit histories, photos, uniforms, equipment, insignia, and ships of many world militaries. They help genealogists.^[12]
South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society, Hazel Crest, a very good collection with local histories, genealogies, naturalizations, Pullman Car Works personnel, obituaries, church histories.^[11]
University of Chicago Library plentiful historical records, including Durrett Collection of historical Kentucky and Ohio River Valley manuscripts of early people in the Ohio Valley.^[11]
University of Illinois at Chicago, biography, periodicals, newspapers, oral history, ethnic studies.
Repositories in surrounding counties: in Illinois: DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will; and in Indiana: Lake.
Illinois Dept. of Health Vital Records birth, marriage, death, adoption, and divorces.*Illinois State Archives, Springfield, county/state records, pre-Chicago fire sources, indexed vital records, early land grants, military records, all fed/state censuses, surname card index.^[13]
Illinois State Library, Springfield, state/federal records, federal censuses to 1920, plat books, IL county histories, Sanborn fire insurance maps, Rev. War pensions and bounty land warrants.^[13]
Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, county histories with index; best newspapers collection in IL, DAR and State Genealogical Society records, and manuscript family papers.^[13]
Illinois State Genealogical Society research guidance, teaching via webinars and the ISGS blog for free, death certificates 1916-1947 for a fee. No research requests.^[14]
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD), Springfield, HQ of 7 regional archives of local Illinois county/town records: birth, marriage, death, land, tax, voting reg., probate, naturalization, civil & criminal court, coroner, poorhouse, jail.^[15] For Cook County see IRAD-Northeastern Illinois University.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, genealogy, plat maps, atlases, oral and county history, cemeteries, census, vital records, naturalizations in many counties.^[16]
John A. Logan College Library, Carterville, this library is a focal point of Southern Illinois genealogy. Their collection is huge.^[13]
Lincoln Library, Springfield, indexed obituaries, city directories, the Sangamon Valley Collection has photos, yearbooks, histories, and maps for studying Sangamon and surrounding counties.^[13]
Peoria Public Library enjoys a large genealogy and local history department, including many indexes, DAR files, and basic genealogy resources for the plains states.^[13]
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Lovejoy Library best library in southern IL with a large genealogical collection of newspapers, biographies, county histories, family folders, and maps.^[13]
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Main Library one of the best book collections in America, including county histories, and farmers registers. Think of it as another archives for Illinois.^[13]
Urbana Free Library their strength is Champaign County history, but they have good basic genealogy for the entire United States including printed genealogies, manuscripts, family folders.^[13]
Brethren Historical Library and Archives, Elgin, IL, cultural, socio-economic, theological, genealogical, and institutional history of the Brethren.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Archives, Elk Grove Village, IL, serves historians, congregations, synods, genealogists and others interested in Lutheran history.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago Archives parish records, priest biographies, sacramental, school, or orphanage records.
Repositories in surrounding states (or provinces): Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin
National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), St. Louis, MO, military and civil services personnel records. For servicemen and servicewomen discharged from 1912 to 1953.^[17] ^[18]
Polish Genealogical Society of America, Milwaukee, WI, 60,000 books on Polish history, art, culture, reference.

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Newberry Library

Sources[edit | edit source]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 "Contact A Librarian" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/contact-librarian(7 August 2013).
↑ "Reference Services" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/collections/Reference.html (28 October 2010).
↑ "Hours" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/general/hours.html (28 October 2010).
↑ "Directions to the Newberry Library" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/general/directions.html (29 October 2010).
↑ Wikipedia Contributors, "Newberry Library" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newberry_Library (accessed 29 October 2010).
↑ "Overview of Newberry Library's Genealogy Collections" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/overview.html (29 October 2010).
↑ "Who is eligible to do research at the Newberry Library? FAQ" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/collections/FAQs.html#Eligible (29 October 2010).
↑ Genealogy Center Collections in Genealogy Center (accessed 27 February 2015).
↑ Genealogy in National Archives at Chicago (accessed 27 February 2014).
↑ Information for Researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC in National Archives (accessed 31 December 2013).
↑ ^11.0 ^11.1 ^11.2 ^11.3 ^11.4 Dollarhide and Bremer, 39.
↑ Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 30 March 2015).
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 ^13.3 ^13.4 ^13.5 ^13.6 ^13.7 ^13.8 William Dollarhide, and Ronald A. Bremer, America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1988), 41. At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 J54d.
↑ Genealogy Committee in Illinois State Genealogical Society (accessed 21 March 2015).
↑ Administrative Histories in Illinois State Archives (accessed 30 March 2015).
↑ Printed Materials in Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (accessed 30 March 2015).
↑ Dollarhide and Bremer, 134.
↑ National Archives at St. Louis in National Archives (accessed 18 March 2014).

[Contact-1] 1.0 ^1.1 "Contact A Librarian" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/contact-librarian(7 August 2013).

[RefServ-2] "Reference Services" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/collections/Reference.html (28 October 2010).

[Hours-3] "Hours" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/general/hours.html (28 October 2010).

[4] "Directions to the Newberry Library" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/general/directions.html (29 October 2010).

[5] Wikipedia Contributors, "Newberry Library" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newberry_Library (accessed 29 October 2010).

[6] "Overview of Newberry Library's Genealogy Collections" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/overview.html (29 October 2010).

[7] "Who is eligible to do research at the Newberry Library? FAQ" in Newberry Library at http://www.newberry.org/collections/FAQs.html#Eligible (29 October 2010).

[8] Genealogy Center Collections in Genealogy Center (accessed 27 February 2015).

[9] Genealogy in National Archives at Chicago (accessed 27 February 2014).

[10] Information for Researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC in National Archives (accessed 31 December 2013).

[DB39-11] 11.0 ^11.1 ^11.2 ^11.3 ^11.4 Dollarhide and Bremer, 39.

[12] Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 30 March 2015).

[DB41-13] 13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 ^13.3 ^13.4 ^13.5 ^13.6 ^13.7 ^13.8 William Dollarhide, and Ronald A. Bremer, America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1988), 41. At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 J54d.

[14] Genealogy Committee in Illinois State Genealogical Society (accessed 21 March 2015).

[15] Administrative Histories in Illinois State Archives (accessed 30 March 2015).

[16] Printed Materials in Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (accessed 30 March 2015).

[17] Dollarhide and Bremer, 134.

[18] National Archives at St. Louis in National Archives (accessed 18 March 2014).

[19] Prior to Minnesota becoming a territory much of north eastern Minnesota was in Saint Croix County (now located only in Wisconsin)

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 *[[Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center]], Independence, MO, national censuses/ indexes, 80,000 family and 100,000 local histories, 565,000 microfilms, 7,000 maps, newspapers.
 *[[Dallas Public Central Library]] 111,700 volumes, 64,500 microfilms, 89,000 microfiche, 700 maps, marriage, probate, deed, tax abstracts, or microfilm of originals for some states, online databases.
 *[[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives I]], Washington DC, census, pre-WWI military service &amp; pensions, passenger lists, naturalizations, passports, federal bounty land, homesteads, bankruptcy, ethnic sources, prisons, and federal employees.<ref>[http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/washington/researcher-info.html Information for Researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC] in ''National Archives'' (accessed 31 December 2013).</ref>
 '''''Neighboring Collections'''''<br>
 *Cook County Clerk [http://www.cookcountygenealogy.com/ births, marriages, and deaths online]
-*[http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org/ Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court] probates, civil, criminal records.
+*[http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org/ Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court] recent probates, civil, criminal records.
-*[http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/home/ClerksOffice.aspx U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois] trial transcripts and court records.
+*[http://cookrecorder.com/ Cook County Recorder of Deeds] land records, military discharge DD-214s.
-*[http://www.co.cook.il.us/portal/server.pt/community/recorder_of_deeds___registrar_of_titles/279 Cook County Recorder of Deeds] and Registrar of Titles
+*[http://www.cookcountyil.gov/medical-examiner/ Cook County Medical Examiner] suspicious or unusual deaths.
+*[http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/home/ClerksOffice.aspx U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois] recent civil and criminal court records.
+*[[Arlington Heights Memorial Library|Arlington Heights Memorial Library]] a huge collection, with printed genealogies, manuscripts, periodicals, newspapers, special aids, surname folders—a great overall genealogy collection.<ref name="DB39">Dollarhide and Bremer, 39.</ref>
+*[http://www.spertus.edu/asher_cja/index.php Asher Library], Chicago, Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies 500,000 books, and films.
+*[[Chicago History Museum|Chicago History Museum]] 20 million manuscripts, letters, certificates, diaries, genealogy charts, log books, journals, memoirs, minutes, muster rolls, scrapbooks, sermons, speeches, and telegrams.<ref name="DB39" />
 *[http://www.chipublib.org/ Chicago Public Library] reference books, how-to-guides, histories, biographies.
-*[http://www.chicagohs.org/research/resources/family Chicago History Museum] directories, address conversion, newspapers, biography.
+*'''''Chicago Title and Trust&nbsp;''''' for a fee they will search property records '''prior''' to the Chicago fire.<ref name="DB39" />
-*[http://www.spertus.edu/asher_cja/index.php Asher Library], Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies 500,000 books, films, music, and artifacts.
+*[[Pritzker Military Museum and Library|Pritzker Military Museum and Library]], Chicago, 45,000 military history books, unit histories, photos, uniforms, equipment, insignia, and ships of many world militaries. They help genealogists.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pritzker_Military_Museum_%26_Library Pritzker Military Museum and Library] in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' (accessed 30 March 2015).</ref>
-*[http://www.pgsa.org/aboutPGSA.php Polish Genealogical Society of America], 60,000 books on Polish history, art, culture, reference.
+*[[South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society|South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society]], Hazel Crest, a very good collection with local histories, genealogies, naturalizations, Pullman Car Works personnel, obituaries, church histories.<ref name="DB39" />
+*[[University of Chicago Library|University of Chicago Library]] plentiful historical records, including '''''Durrett Collection&nbsp;''''' of historical Kentucky and Ohio River Valley manuscripts of early people in the Ohio Valley.<ref name="DB39" />
 *[http://library.uic.edu/ University of Illinois at Chicago],&nbsp;biography, periodicals, newspapers, oral history, ethnic studies.
-*[http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/services.html Illinois State Archives], Springfield, getting started, local, state, and federal government records.&nbsp;
+*Repositories in '''''surrounding counties:&nbsp;''''' '''in Illinois:''' [[DuPage County, Illinois|DuPage]], [[Kane County, Illinois|Kane]], [[Lake County, Illinois|Lake]], [[McHenry County, Illinois|McHenry]], [[Will County, Illinois|Will]]; and '''in Indiana:''' [[Lake County, Indiana|Lake]].
-*[http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/iradhome.html Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)], 7 repositories, births, marriages, deaths, naturalizations. land, probate, schools, courts, professional licenses and registrations.
+*[http://www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/default.htm Illinois Dept. of Health Vital Records] birth, marriage, death, adoption, and divorces.*[[Illinois State Archives]], Springfield, county/state records, pre-Chicago fire sources, indexed vital records, early land grants, military records, all fed/state censuses, surname card index.<ref name="DB41">William Dollarhide, and Ronald A. Bremer, ''America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers'' (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1988), 41. {{WorldCat|39493985|item|disp=At various repositories (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|728550|item|disp=FHL Book 973 J54d}}.</ref>
-*[http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/home.html Illinois State Library], Springfield, family histories, periodicals, county histories and records.
+*[[Illinois State Library|Illinois State Library]], Springfield, state/federal records, federal censuses to 1920, plat books, IL county histories, Sanborn fire insurance maps, Rev. War pensions and bounty land warrants.<ref name="DB41" />
-*[http://www.illinoishistory.gov/lib/ishlgen.htm Illinois State Historical Library (ISHL)], Springfield, (A. Lincoln Library) genealogies, county histories, atlases, plats, census indexes, cemetery inscriptions, BMD and naturalization indexes, databases.
+*[[Illinois State Historical Library (ISHL)|Illinois State Historical Library]], Springfield, county histories with index; best newspapers collection in IL, DAR and State Genealogical Society records, and manuscript family papers.<ref name="DB41" />
+*[[Illinois State Genealogical Society|Illinois State Genealogical Society]] research guidance, teaching via webinars and the [http://ilgensoc.blogspot.com/ ISGS blog] for free, death certificates 1916-1947 for a fee. No research requests.<ref>[http://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=123 Genealogy Committee] in ''Illinois State Genealogical Society'' (accessed 21 March 2015).</ref>
+*[[Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)|Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)]], Springfield, HQ of [http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/IRAD/iradregn.html 7 regional archives] of local Illinois county/town records: birth, marriage, death, land, tax, voting reg., probate, naturalization, civil {{amp}} criminal court, coroner, poorhouse, jail.<ref>[http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/IRAD/adminhist.html Administrative Histories] in ''Illinois State Archives'' (accessed 30 March 2015).</ref> For Cook County see [[IRAD - Northeastern Illinois University|IRAD-Northeastern Illinois University]].
+*[[Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum|Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum]], Springfield, genealogy, plat maps, atlases, oral and county history, cemeteries, census, vital records, naturalizations in many counties.<ref>[http://www.illinois.gov/alplm/library/collections/printedmaterials/Pages/default.aspx Printed Materials] in ''Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum'' (accessed 30 March 2015).</ref>
+*[[John A. Logan College Library|John A. Logan College Library]], Carterville, this library is a focal point of Southern Illinois genealogy. Their collection is huge.<ref name="DB41" />
+*[[Lincoln Library|Lincoln Library]], Springfield, indexed obituaries, city directories, the '''''Sangamon Valley Collection&nbsp;''''' has photos, yearbooks, histories, and maps for studying Sangamon and surrounding counties.<ref name="DB41" />
+*[[Peoria Public Library|Peoria Public Library]] enjoys a large genealogy and local history department, including many indexes, DAR files, and basic genealogy resources for the plains states.<ref name="DB41" />
+*[[Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Lovejoy Library|Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Lovejoy Library]] best library in southern IL with a large genealogical collection of newspapers, biographies, county histories, family folders, and maps.<ref name="DB41" />
+*[[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Main Library|University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Main Library]] one of the best book collections in America, including county histories, and farmers registers. Think of it as another archives for Illinois.<ref name="DB41" />
+*[[Urbana Free Library|Urbana Free Library]] their strength is Champaign County history, but they have good basic genealogy for the entire United States including printed genealogies, manuscripts, family folders.<ref name="DB41" />
+*[http://www.brethren.org/bhla/ Brethren Historical Library and Archives], Elgin, IL, cultural, socio-economic, theological, genealogical, and institutional history of the Brethren.
+*[http://www.elca.org/archives/ Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Archives], Elk Grove Village, IL, serves historians, congregations, synods, genealogists and others interested in Lutheran history.
+*[http://archives.archchicago.org/Genealogy.aspx Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago Archives] parish records, priest biographies, sacramental, school, or orphanage records.
+*Repositories in '''''surrounding states (or provinces):&nbsp;''''' [[Indiana Archives and Libraries|Indiana]], [[Iowa Archives and Libraries|Iowa]], [[Kentucky Archives and Libraries|Kentucky]], [[Michigan Archives and Libraries|Michigan]], [[Missouri Archives and Libraries|Missouri]], and [[Wisconsin Archives and Libraries|Wisconsin]]
+*[[National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)]], St. Louis, MO, military and civil services personnel records. For servicemen and servicewomen discharged from 1912 to 1953.<ref>Dollarhide and Bremer, 134.</ref> <ref>[http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/ National Archives at St. Louis] in ''National Archives'' (accessed 18 March 2014).</ref>
+*[http://www.pgsa.org/aboutPGSA.php Polish Genealogical Society of America], Milwaukee, WI, 60,000 books on Polish history, art, culture, reference.
 {{Wikipedia|Newberry Library}}