Newberry Library — Attraction in Chicago

The Newberry is taking their responsibilities for covid precautions VERY seriously and are even more cautious than extremely careful hospitals. You must make an online reservation for a reading visit several days in advance and specify what you would like to use so they can have the materials and a chosen reading spot all set up for you. (Their online catalogue is extremely good.)

They have an incredible air filtration system that in previous years made the Newberry the one place my airborne allergies would never bother me; now that system is running full tilt. They have a lovely self serve locker room, and their new (and as always, immaculate) bathrooms make me feel as if I was suddenly in a high class hotel. When the pandemic is over, I am certain they will reopen the small coffee area on the first floor, a welcome spot for a bit of repose and one’s bagged lunch. It will also be nice when they can turn on their water drinking fountains again. To protect the books and materials, no food or water are ever allowed in the reading rooms, a reasonable if slightly inconvenient precaution.

I have been using the Newberry occasionally for a few decades. They have always been very polite, helpful, and of course extremely knowledgeable. Their reading rooms are a wonderful oasis of quiet. Being a closed stack library, you can’t wander through the books nor take them home, but this means the collection is always accessible. The range and depth of their collections are staggering. Their exhibits are always interesting, and their online offerings this last year have been engaging.

With the Art Institute’s Library still closed, the Newberry has been a vital resource for my reading and research. Also, one is allowed to download for free articles from a vast range of online publications one would have to pay serious money if accessing on one’s own from home. This service adds to the strength of the Newberry’s already staggering collections. I have always felt the Newberry is a vital resource for our area and...

The Newberry Library is a Chicago treasure and a gift to scholars, especially historians and genealogists. The library always has at least one exhibit on books and publishing, all available for free, as well as exceptional reading rooms. The reading rooms are like many European libraries. Instead of open shelves for browsing, you select items from the catalogue and ask for them to be brought to you. While you do need to apply for a researcher card, you don't have to be affiliated with any institution, and the basic service is free. Naturally, you do have to pay for copying or reproducing materials.

The Library is home to several wonderful special collections, including medieval manuscripts, documents about Native American nations, maps, and materials on the history of the book. The catalogue is available online. The building is a Chicago landmark, especially after the multi-year cleaning that revealed it as made of salmon-colored rather than dark brown stone.

The Library also hosts free tours and there are also many paid programs and classes. There's a small but very fine book shop, specializing in material about Chicago, books about books, and local authors. There's a booksale every summer as well, with used and collectable books at generally good prices.

Public transportation is easy from downtown or anywhere on the Red Line. It's about four blocks from the Clark and Division Red Line stop, and the 22, 36, and 156 buses stop very close. The 22 bus, in fact, stops right at the door.

The nearby plaza is a pleasant...

Stuffy, snooty, snitty, pretentious, self important, parsimonious, BOOMERS! Wouldn't reccomend this library to young people, POC, or the LQBTQIA+ community.

We were really excited to see the Newbury as it is featured in some of our favorite books, and we appreciate its cultural and historical significance. We thought we might read a little, it being a library and all, or enjoy the "public" space.

However, every staff member who interacted with us was rude and unwelcoming and wasn't interested helping us see the library. A few staff members shoved past us as we began walking in, and when I asked to take a pamphlet from the entrance desk the women just said "sure" and stared us down.

The looks and attitude were so off-putting that we left without seeing anything. I can only imagine the experience of POC, or anyone alternatively dressed, to be much worse.

I double checked the website afterwards to make sure we were within visiting hours, and we were.

The website says "open to all" more times than I can count. Thats a LIE. It is not open, not public, and not...