CAN TV archives-- Chicago history told by Chicagoans

Since 1983, CAN-TV has broadcast television programs produced by Chicago residents. This public access cable network includes 􀂦ve stations with 24-hours of content each day. The historical archive of CAN-TV includes interviews with residents, community leaders local politicians, including then State Senator Barack Obama and current Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Topics include public housing, corruption, and police reform, among many others. Many of

these programs have recently been digitized and are available on the website archive.org.

Participants in this session will understand what CAN TV is and know how to locate and

navigate the organization's video archive.

 Robin Hoecker (Chicago Access Network Television)

Chicago Collections at the Newberry

 propose to present the Chicago related collections available at the Newberry Library. Chicago oriented material is evident in nearly all of our core collections. Collection examples are:

• Railroads – Pullman Company, CB&Q, Illinois Central, including operations, employee

records, board meeting minutes, etc.

• Writers – authors, journalists, poets

• Performing Arts – theater programs, music, Chicago Dance

• Genealogy and Local History - City Directories, neighborhood histories, biography and

industry, labor history, newspapers, church and cemetery records, architecture, pre-fire

photographs, maps, World’s Columbian Exposition, activism

• Wing Foundation – Chicago-based publishing houses and type foundries

• Ayer Collection – maps of local indigenous peoples (Potowatami, Ojibwe, Sauk) and

linguistic material

• Postcards – Curt Teich and others

The audience will take away a deeper understanding of the Newberry’s collections as they

relate to Chicago, and have a greater appreciation of the diverse offerings available in Chicago

studies.

Graham Greer (Newberry Library)

Constructing Chicago: Chicago Building Permits Collection 1872-1954 Online

The Chicago Building Permits collection, held at both the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the Chicago History Museum is a key resource for Chicagoresearchers. This collection of permit ledgers from 1872-1954 is immensely valuable to a wide range of researchers. Chicagoans use this collection to research their own or family members’ homes, researchers use it to learn more about specific buildings, neighborhoods and architects, and it is heavily used by environmental research firms. While permits from 2006 to the present are available via the Chicago Data Portal, the historical collection has only been available on microfilm. This year, UIC had the entire microfilm collection digitized as the first step in a long-term plan to provide more optimal access to this important data set. Find out how to use this new online resource and learn about exciting future prospects for the collection.

Tracy Seneca (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Exploring Chicago Collections Consortium

This lighting round session will provide a quick overview of Chicago Collections Consortium’s online resources. An introduction to CCC’s EXPLORE CHICAGO COLLECTIONS portal, which allows users free and open access to over 100,000 maps, photos, letters, and other archival materials held at CCC’s member institutions will be provided. Rather than navigate traditional online boundaries between these institutions, EXPLORE serves as a digital gateway connecting users from all over the world to Chicago’s history and culture. CCC's members are diverse and range from the Art Institute of Chicago to Lincoln Park Zoo. Recent digital exhibits and public programming resources will be highlighted.

Jeanne Long (Chicago Collections Consortium)

Introduction to the Illinois Digital Heritage Hub Website and Search Portal

The Illinois Digital Heritage Hub (IDHH) aggregates primary sources from libraries, museums, and archives from across the state and provides them through its recently-developed website and portal. The IDHH portal is an ideal resource for learning about state and local history, including the city of Chicago and Cook County. IDHH materials include rich collections of Chicago-related photographs, text documents, and digitized artifacts from the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago History Museum, the University of Illinois, Chicago, and more. In addition, the IDHH’s website provides rich geolocation facets for focusing on particular neighborhoods, parks, and other regions in and around the Chicago area.

Keri Casio, Chicago Public Library