Newberry Library
Encyclopedia
The Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library
for the humanities
and social sciences
in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public. The collections embrace Western civilization from the late Middle Ages to the end of the Napoleonic Era
in Europe, from the Era of European Exploration to the Age of Revolution in Latin America, and to modern times in North America. Within this framework are a variety of specialized collections, on such diverse topics as North American Indians and the history of printing. The Newberry Library houses a large collection of maps, manuscripts, sheet music, and other printed material.
, an early Chicago resident and business leader involved in banking, shipping, real estate, and other commercial ventures. Newberry died at sea in 1868, while on a trip to France. Following the death of his widow, Julia Butler Newberry, in 1885, Newberry estate trustees, William H. Bradley and Eliphalet W. Blatchford, established the library in 1887. Initially, the Newberry Library was located in three temporary locations.
The Newberry's first librarian, William Frederick Poole
, was a primary force behind the library's noncirculating research and rare book collections, as well as conceptualizing the facility to house them. The present building, designed by Poole and architect Henry Ives Cobb
(1859–1931), opened in 1893. It is located at 60 West Walton Street, across from Washington Square
.
Stanley Pargellis, the fifth Newberry librarian (1942–1962), broadened the library's mission, launching scholarly outreach programs (such as fellowships, conferences, and the Newberry Library Bulletin) to publicize the library's holdings and encourage their use.
Between 1962 and 1986, the library was greatly expanded under the leadership of president Lawrence William "Bill" Towner. During this time, the Newberry acquired many important collections, a stacks building was constructed, and the library's emphasis moved from the old world to the new, especially as to Native American and early North American settlers. Towner also inaugurated a number of initiatives, including research centers in the fields of history of cartography, American Indian history, family and community history (now American History and Culture), and Renaissance studies.
In 1994, the Newberry continued to expand its reach, by establishing its Center for Public Programs to coordinate a variety of humanities offerings, including exhibitions, seminars, lectures, and performances of the Newberry Consort.
David Spadafora
has been the president of the Library since 2005. Previously, Spadafora served as president of Lake Forest College, where he also taught history. Spadafora holds a PhD in history from Yale University and a BA from Williams College.
The Library houses more than 1.5 million books, 5 million pages of manuscripts, and 500,000 historic maps
. Collection strengths include materials on the European Renaissance
, genealogy
, American Indians
, early music
, cartography
, the history of printing
, Chicago
history, railroad archives, Luso-Brazilian history, and Midwestern authors' manuscripts. The Newberry's manuscript holdings include work by Mike Royko, Elmo Scott Watson
, and Ben Hecht
. Among its most valuable works are a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio
, Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Federalist Papers
, and the only copy in existence of the Popol Vuh
.
The Newberry Library also offers a variety of exhibits, lectures, classes, concerts, teacher programs, seminars, and other public programming related to its collections. Recent exhibits have featured architect Daniel Burnham
and the history of children's literature. In addition, the Newberry makes available a variety of highly-acclaimed fellowships and programs to scholars, teachers, and undergraduates.
The Newberry Library's Research and Education Division offers programs for local, national and international scholars, in addition to teachers at all levels of instruction. The four research centers generate and disseminate scholarship in their areas of focus: Renaissance Studies, American Indian History, American History and Culture, and the History of Cartography.
Reference staff are available in the Newberry Library's three reading rooms whenever the library is open to readers. Reference librarians work with all readers, and offer orientation, in-depth bibliographical instruction, and specialized assistance as needed. Although open to the public, researchers and readers under age 16 are prohibited, with some exceptions made on a case-by-case basis.
The Library was the primary institution responsible for the production of the 2004 "Encyclopedia of Chicago," a landmark single-volume work that covered Chicago
's history from 1630 to 2000.
The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Project, a historical GIS project that aims to map every county boundary configuration in the United States from the early 17th century to the present, is also based at The Newberry Library.
's novel "The Time Traveler's Wife
;" many scenes in the book are set at the library, and (fictional) members of the library staff play a considerable role in the plot.
Research library
A research library is a library which contains an in-depth collection of material on one or several subjects . A research library will generally include primary sources as well as secondary sources...
for the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
and social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public. The collections embrace Western civilization from the late Middle Ages to the end of the Napoleonic Era
Napoleonic Era
The Napoleonic Era is a period in the history of France and Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislative Assembly, and the third being the Directory...
in Europe, from the Era of European Exploration to the Age of Revolution in Latin America, and to modern times in North America. Within this framework are a variety of specialized collections, on such diverse topics as North American Indians and the history of printing. The Newberry Library houses a large collection of maps, manuscripts, sheet music, and other printed material.
History
The Newberry Library was established by a $2.15 million bequest by Walter Loomis NewberryWalter Loomis Newberry
Walter Loomis Newberry was an American businessman and philanthropist, best known for his bequest that resulted in the creation of the Newberry Library in Chicago....
, an early Chicago resident and business leader involved in banking, shipping, real estate, and other commercial ventures. Newberry died at sea in 1868, while on a trip to France. Following the death of his widow, Julia Butler Newberry, in 1885, Newberry estate trustees, William H. Bradley and Eliphalet W. Blatchford, established the library in 1887. Initially, the Newberry Library was located in three temporary locations.
The Newberry's first librarian, William Frederick Poole
William Frederick Poole
William Frederick Poole was an American bibliographer and librarian.-Biography:He graduated from Yale University in 1849, where he assisted John Edmands, who was a student at the Brothers in Unity Library...
, was a primary force behind the library's noncirculating research and rare book collections, as well as conceptualizing the facility to house them. The present building, designed by Poole and architect Henry Ives Cobb
Henry Ives Cobb
Henry Ives Cobb , born in Brookline, Massachusetts to Albert Adams and Mary Russell Candler Cobb, was a Chicago-based architect in the last decades of the 19th century, known for his designs in the Romanesque and Victorian Gothic styles...
(1859–1931), opened in 1893. It is located at 60 West Walton Street, across from Washington Square
Washington Square Park, Chicago
Washington Square, also known as Washington Square Park, is a park in Chicago, Illinois. A registered historic landmark that is better known by its nickname Bughouse Square , it was the most celebrated open air free-speech center in the country as well as a popular Chicago tourist attraction...
.
Stanley Pargellis, the fifth Newberry librarian (1942–1962), broadened the library's mission, launching scholarly outreach programs (such as fellowships, conferences, and the Newberry Library Bulletin) to publicize the library's holdings and encourage their use.
Between 1962 and 1986, the library was greatly expanded under the leadership of president Lawrence William "Bill" Towner. During this time, the Newberry acquired many important collections, a stacks building was constructed, and the library's emphasis moved from the old world to the new, especially as to Native American and early North American settlers. Towner also inaugurated a number of initiatives, including research centers in the fields of history of cartography, American Indian history, family and community history (now American History and Culture), and Renaissance studies.
In 1994, the Newberry continued to expand its reach, by establishing its Center for Public Programs to coordinate a variety of humanities offerings, including exhibitions, seminars, lectures, and performances of the Newberry Consort.
David Spadafora
David Spadafora
David Spadafora is the 8th President of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois.Spadafora is an alumnus of Williams College , and Yale University . He was born in Hamilton, Ohio in 1951, son of Sam C. and Dorothy H. Spadafora, and grew up there, attending high school at Cincinnati Country Day...
has been the president of the Library since 2005. Previously, Spadafora served as president of Lake Forest College, where he also taught history. Spadafora holds a PhD in history from Yale University and a BA from Williams College.
Current services
MAPS
Maps is the plural of map, a visual representation of an area.As an acronym, MAPS may refer to:* Mail Abuse Prevention System, an organisation that provides anti-spam support...
. Collection strengths include materials on the European Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
, American Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, early music
Early music
Early music is generally understood as comprising all music from the earliest times up to the Renaissance. However, today this term has come to include "any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises,...
, cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
, the history of printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
history, railroad archives, Luso-Brazilian history, and Midwestern authors' manuscripts. The Newberry's manuscript holdings include work by Mike Royko, Elmo Scott Watson
Elmo Scott Watson
Elmo Scott Watson was an American journalist and college professor, whose longest educational stint was at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois...
, and Ben Hecht
Ben Hecht
Ben Hecht was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist. Called "the Shakespeare of Hollywood", he received screen credits, alone or in collaboration, for the stories or screenplays of some 70 films and as a prolific storyteller, authored 35 books and created some of...
. Among its most valuable works are a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio
First Folio
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
, Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Federalist Papers
Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles or essays promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the essays were published serially in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788...
, and the only copy in existence of the Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh is a corpus of mytho-historical narratives of the Post Classic Quiché kingdom in Guatemala's western highlands. The title translates as "Book of the Community," "Book of Counsel," or more literally as "Book of the People."...
.
The Newberry Library also offers a variety of exhibits, lectures, classes, concerts, teacher programs, seminars, and other public programming related to its collections. Recent exhibits have featured architect Daniel Burnham
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Hudson Burnham, FAIA was an American architect and urban planner. He was the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He took a leading role in the creation of master plans for the development of a number of cities, including Chicago and downtown Washington DC...
and the history of children's literature. In addition, the Newberry makes available a variety of highly-acclaimed fellowships and programs to scholars, teachers, and undergraduates.
The Newberry Library's Research and Education Division offers programs for local, national and international scholars, in addition to teachers at all levels of instruction. The four research centers generate and disseminate scholarship in their areas of focus: Renaissance Studies, American Indian History, American History and Culture, and the History of Cartography.
Reference staff are available in the Newberry Library's three reading rooms whenever the library is open to readers. Reference librarians work with all readers, and offer orientation, in-depth bibliographical instruction, and specialized assistance as needed. Although open to the public, researchers and readers under age 16 are prohibited, with some exceptions made on a case-by-case basis.
The Library was the primary institution responsible for the production of the 2004 "Encyclopedia of Chicago," a landmark single-volume work that covered Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's history from 1630 to 2000.
The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Project, a historical GIS project that aims to map every county boundary configuration in the United States from the early 17th century to the present, is also based at The Newberry Library.
In popular culture
The Newberry Library was featured as the workplace of Henry DeTamble, a main character in Audrey NiffeneggerAudrey Niffenegger
Audrey Niffenegger is an American writer, artist and academic.-Writing:A film version of Niffenegger's debut novel, The Time Traveler's Wife , starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, was released in August 2009.She has also written a graphic novel, or "novel in pictures" as Niffenegger calls it,...
's novel "The Time Traveler's Wife
The Time Traveler's Wife
Once their timelines converge "naturally" at the library—their first meeting in his chronology—Henry starts to travel to Clare's childhood and adolescence in South Haven, Michigan, beginning in 1977 when she is six years old...
;" many scenes in the book are set at the library, and (fictional) members of the library staff play a considerable role in the plot.