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Starting around the 1920s until about the 1950s, Americans relied on the radio for almost all forms of entertainment and news each evening. Families would sit around and listen to—not watch—a variety of programs that would strike fear in the…

With the last days of summer on the horizon, it’s time to take a break from your research for a bit and pick up new titles from your local library. Lazy summer evenings and warm weekend afternoons are a great…

As the weather warms up, you may be looking forward to a day of swimming or walking the beach of Lake Michigan. Beyond its picture-perfect coastline, our nearest inland seas are filled with untold history and shipwrecks just waiting to…

From renowned historian Yuval Noah Harar comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred…

Black cats and Halloween really go together. This time of year, images of black cats are everywhere. A sleek black cat silhouette sits in the light of a full moon. Glowing eyes peek out from behind a window or on…

This blog post discusses sensitive subject matter; reader discretion advised. There are some topics you can’t really find children’s books about. If you want to read about the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, for example, you need a teen or adult book or…

Kick-off your fall research season with the Try-It! Illinois Database Trial! If you’re an Illinois resident with internet access, you are eligible to access the immense amount of information available during this year’s trial. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of…

175 years ago, The Dublin Evening Post reported a serious failure in the potato crop. Potatoes were not a cash crop, but the food eaten by tenant farmers and farmworkers who grew cash crops to pay the rent. The potato…

Back when I was working my way through library school, I was a little shocked when a boy asked me for a book on bombs. We chatted for a bit, and I soon learned his question was really, “Could nuclear war…

Registration is open for our new summer Genealogy Club webinar series. We are thankful for all the speakers for allowing 30 day access to each lecture, as many of you may not be able to attend the webinars in-person. And…