Making An Appointment

There are some steps involved in beginning one's genealogical research at the Newberry Library. First and foremost, one must obtain a reading card. A current photo identification and proof of address, as well as research topics are required. The librarians at the library can be contacted in different ways (at the library, phone, or through written correspondence) and help one in his or her genealogical research as well.

The Newberry Library
60 W. Walton St.
Chicago, IL - 60610

Reading Room Hours:
Tuesday - Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm
Friday - Saturday: 9 am -5 pm

Reference Section
Fax: (312) 255-3513 - ATTN: Reference Section.
Email: reference@newberry.org

Internet Genealogy Links

Chicago Genealogy Databases
The Newberry subscribes to a number of helpful databases for genealogy research specific to Chicago. Some interesting ones include a record of Polish marriages through 1915 and the Chicago Police Department Homicide Record Index. All of these databases can be accessed through the Newberry's website, and more specifically through this link:
http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/chicagodata.html

Vital Records Databases
These databases include birth, death, and marriage records for a number of states.
http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/databases.html

Special Newberry Materials

Genealogical Index of the Newberry Library
This index was created by genealogical librarians at the Newberry over the course of twenty years. It includes references to 3,000 different genealogical items published before 1917, and therefore contains quite a bit of valuable information involving the early genealogical collection. The index itself is rather difficult to use because it is so old and because most of the call numbers that it refers one to have been superseded. The library provides users with "how-to" handouts for the index because of this.

The Family Research Files
These research files are records that have been donated by genealogists or families. The files are incredible because they are composed of a mix of correspondences, newspapers and even personal journals among other documents. The files are organized by family surnames.
http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/verticalfiles.html

Genealogy Readings
Different materials have been published to help familiarize people with the Newberry's genealogy collection.
http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/genealogypubs.html

Collection Guides

The Newberry has quite a few collection guides that organize and help guide genealogical research. They also display the extensive number of materials represented by different genealogical topics that the Newberry has in its collection. Some of these collection guides include the following:

• Adoption guides
• Census holdings
• Chicago area neighborhood, church and synagogue records
• Ethnic group/country guides
• Fraternity guides
• Geography/map guides
• Military guides
• Newspaper records
• Noble ancestry guides
• Transportation passenger guides

What is Genealogy?

Genealogists study family trees and ancestry to establish an accurate family history for a particular family. Most people considered to be "genealogists" are people from the general public who are interested in their ancestors, family history and origins. After speaking with a reference librarian, I found that most genealogists who visit the Newberry are in fact regular people out to solve the mysteries of their ancestry.

General Information

The Main Entrance: Unfortunately we couldn't get past this point on our visit. The security guard had a chuckle and turned us away after reminding us that we couldn't take any more pictures...

• Walter Loomis Newberry willed in 1850s, when no public library in Chicago existed
• Library chartered in 1887
• 21,000 reference inquiries and 23,400 reader days last year
• 5,800 registered readers
• 1,500,000 printed titles
• 5,000,000 manuscript pages
• 300,000 maps
• Largest collection of rare books in Chicago
• All non-circulating
• High security
• Admission requires one to be 16 Years of age or junior in high school, to have a library card, and to have a feasable research purpose for using the library.

The Newberry Mission Statement

“The Newberry Library, open to the public without charge, is an independent research library and educational institution dedicated to the expansion and dissemination of knowledge in the humanities. As one of the world's leading repositories of a broad range of books and manuscripts relating to the civilizations of western Europe and the Americas, the Library's mission is to acquire and preserve research collections of such materials, and to provide for and promote their effective use by a diverse community of users. As a library, the Newberry is dedicated to the highest standards of collection preservation and bibliographic access; as a research and educational institution, it is committed to facilitating research, teaching, and publication in an atmosphere of full and free intellectual inquiry.”