The Chicago Collections Consortium is a nonprofit organization of over 60 libraries, museums, and cultural organizations all working together for the promotion and preservation of Chicago's history and culture. CCC's cornerstone initiative EXPLORE CHICAGO COLLECTIONS portal provides free and open access to members' archival collections. CCC also offers free virtual public programs on a variety of Chicago-related topics. CCC has created digital exhibits on subjects ranging from sports to urban ecology to protests and school boycotts; companion curriculum guides are available for some exhibits. Additionally, CCC offers the service, ASK@chicagocollections.org, a free virtual reference desk answering research inquiries from all over the world on Chicago's history and culture.
In celebration of its 10-year anniversary, CCC is proud to host events spotlighting Chicago's diverse communities. A free virtual program will be hosted on March 3, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. and will feature the release of CCC’s latest digital exhibit, “A Glimpse Back at Chicago Communities and Neighborhoods.” Caroline Giannakopoulos, Project Archivist, Loyola University Chicago, Women and Leadership Archives and exhibit curator will discuss the CCC member institutions collections used in the exhibit. Additionally CCC will host the discussion “The City and Its Memory: A Conversation” moderated by Bernard Reilly, former Center for Research Libraries President. The discussion will focus on the important role "memory institutions'' (libraries, museums, archives) play in urban communities like Chicago, and the new cultural and digital realities that are reshaping that role today. Panelists include CCC members Jeremy Bucher, Collection and Archives Manager, National Hellenic Museum, Sara Chapman, Executive Director, Media Burn Independent Video Archive, and Jorge Felix, Studio Arts, Exhibitions and Archive Program Director, Puerto Rican Arts Alliance. PLEASE REGISTER IN ADVANCE HERE
Be sure to check CCC’s website (chicagocollections.org) for other anniversary special programs spotlighting Chicago’s history.
Today's guest blog post is by Gwen Gregory, Associate Dean for Colleciions Management at Northern Illinios University
