Newberry Library

06/12/2025

We are please to share this beautiful new video tour of our current exhibition, "Native Pop!" Narrated by exhibition co-curator Will Hansen, this video takes viewers on a journey through the galleries, providing a brief overview of the exhibition's main themes and highlighting many items on display - including art, photography, and literature by contemporary Indigenous creators, early Indigenous science fiction publications, and board and video games.

This video takes the viewer on a guided tour of the Newberry's "Native Pop!" exhibition, on view from March 20 through July 19, 2025. Exhibition Description:...

06/10/2025

Last week we hosted Chicago Dance History Project as they recorded a series of oral histories from members of Chicago's dance community! Among those interviewed was DJ Slugo (right), founding member of Chicago’s infamous Dance Mania label, in conversation with King Charles (left), teaching artist for Chicago Footwork and founder of Creation Global, and Kent “Kenlo Key” Jones (far left), founder of Chicago Footwork. We are thrilled and honored to be the repository of the Chicago Dance History Project archive and to support their ongoing mission of preserving the histories of Chicago's dance community.

06/06/2025

Just in time for our Zine Fest this Saturday (co-hosted with ZINEmercado), a recent blog post written by "Native Pop!" co-curator Will Hansen dives into the history of zine-making. "Red Planet Earth," made by Cherokee writer Craig Kee Strete in the early 1970s, is perhaps the first ever Indigenous science fiction zine. Each issue included a mix of short stories, editorials, poetry, and other contributions, both from Strete himself and other Indigenous creators. The cover illustrates Strete’s irreverent sense of humor and political bent: a photograph by Roger Malloch of the non-Native sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin’s "A Signal of Peace," in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, with a shopping cart dangling from the American Indian rider’s spear and the zine’s price of 50 cents affixed to its pedestal.

Read the full blog here: https://www.newberry.org/blog/the-first-indigenous-science-fiction-zine

06/05/2025

Thank you to Classic Chicago Magazine for featuring our recent Newberry Award Celebration honoring Henry Louis Gates, Jr., for his achievement in the humanities in the tradition of the Newberry. https://classicchicagomagazine.com/henry-louis-gates-jr-wins-newberry-award/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwKvIUxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkT4czHl5FCOz1c_3qN6sK_zJx0I5rE2rwoJT8EiPsf7yCdVigm2RYts1N5k_aem_x1futYYV

06/02/2025

Mark your calendars for July 12 and register to join us for the twenty-fifth anniversary screening of "The Return of Navajo Boy." This Sundance Film Festival selection chronicles the extraordinary journey of the Cly family, whose lives are forever altered by the rediscovery of a 1950s film reel. It offers a poignant exploration of family, identity, and the power of forgotten images to heal old wounds.

This event is organized in partnership with Groundswell Educational Films and is a part of programming connected with our free exhibition, "Native Pop!," on-view through July 19.

For more information or to register: https://www.newberry.org/calendar/return-of-navajo-boy

05/29/2025

Last week we had an extra special visitor... 🐶📚 This good boy waited patiently outside while his human explored the library! And although we know furry friends make the best reading buddies, only service animals are allowed in the reading rooms.

05/29/2025

Teach with primary sources from the Newberry's collections using our Digital Collections for the Classroom! in 1453, the Ottoman Empire captured the Byzantine capital city, Constantinople. In this FREE lesson, students explore the rise and expansion of the Ottoman Empire, religious change in the region, and changing European perceptions of the "the Turks" by engaging with maps, religious texts, letters, and woodcuts. Perfect for high school students studying world history or early modern Europe. https://dcc.newberry.org/?p=14497

05/27/2025

We may not have stolen a truck full of Flaming Flamers, but we *did* manage to get our hands on a bag for the collection! The groundbreaking comedy-drama series "Reservation Dogs," produced by Steven Harjo and Taika Waititi, follows the lives of four Indigenous teenagers living in a small town on the Muscogee Nation reservation in rural Oklahoma. It is the first American series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors, along with an almost entirely Indigenous North American cast and crew. This "Reservation Dogs" promotional kit — including a screenplay, a pictorial map of the United States entitled "Indian Country," and even a bag of the Flaming Flamers cheese snacks — is currently on display in our "Native Pop!" exhibition. More information: https://www.newberry.org/calendar/native-pop

05/23/2025

The Newberry will be closed tomorrow, May 24, in honor of the Memorial Day holiday. Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to opening our doors to you Tuesday! 🌼

Letter from Camp Dennison, George Deal papers, November 9, 1862.
Call number: [Midwest MS Deal Box 1 Folder 2]

05/21/2025

This summer, spark your curiosity and feed your intellect with our vibrant lineup of Adult Education classes! Explore the legacy of gothic literature, discover the power of the natural world through classes on gardening, birdwatching, and herbalism, find your literary voice in our writing workshops, and so much more.

Classes are available in-person and online to fit your busy schedule, and with more than 40 classes available, there is something for everyone.

Registration begins TODAY at https://www.newberry.org/learn/adult-education-classes

05/20/2025

We are just ONE month out from the opening of our newest exhibition, "Winging It: A Brief History of Humanity's Relationship with Birds." This exhibition draws inspiration from across the Newberry's collection areas, highlighting a diverse range of perspectives—from scientist to sportsman, publisher, musician, artist, and more—to demonstrate how birds in Europe and the Americas have persisted through the centuries, often in spite of human interference.

Exhibition opens June 20 and will remain on-view through September 27.

More information: https://www.newberry.org/calendar/winging-it-a-brief-history-of-humanitys-relationship-with-birds

05/19/2025

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, making it the perfect opportunity to engage your students in AAPI history. In this FREE lesson plan, students will explore US imperialism in the Philippines by analyzing primary sources such as maps, drawings, photos, letters, and more, straight from the Newberry's collections. Perfect for high school history students practicing close reading and visual literacy. https://dcc.newberry.org/?p=22658