Newberry Library

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. 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 co

Mission

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. 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.

Programs

The Newberry Library serves more than 100,000 people annually. Free and open to the public, our collection of 1.5 million books, 5 million manuscript pages, and more than 300,000 historical maps largely encompasses the history and culture of Western Europe and the Americas from the Middle Ages through World War I. The Library currently offers more than 300 different programs each year, most of which are free, including seminars, lectures, musical performances, exhibits, teacher programs and author signings. Four research centers, based on particular strengths in the collections - Renaissance Studies, American Indian History, Family and Community History, and the History of Cartography - offer educational programs for students and teachers at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Chicago-area public school teachers benefit from programs designed to enrich the learning experience of students in the classroom. The Newberry Library fulfills the need for a culturally-rich venue for members of the community to enrich their lives with intellectual stimulation and engagement with items not found anywhere else, and create relevant connections with our contemporary world, while ensuring that the collections are available to future generations.