While working in Chicago last week I attended a public policy conference held at the Newberry Library (www.newberry.org) at 60 West Walton Street. If any fellow book lovers out there are visiting Chicago may I recommend that you visit this treasure house of knowledge? The Newberry notes that it actively collects -- "books, manuscripts, maps, and other printed materials related to the history of Western Europe and the Americas." Yes, I know, "dead white men" materials -- take it easy you left wingers out there!!
The Newberry Library was founded in 1887 via an estate bequest by Walter L. Newberry who was a Chicago area "land developer and city leader" according to the brochure I picked up. This is yet another reason the US Congress needs to completely eliminate the "death tax"/estate tax so that those people who create fortunes can decide what should happen to the funds once they leave the earth. Mr. Newberry's gift is very similar to the much more famous "Carnegie Library" system created by industrialist Andrew Carnegie so my thanks to both visionaries for creating the tools necessary for disseminating knowledge.
One further historical note that I will share is that the Newberry Library's first librarian was William F. Poole who was also the founder of the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA is an institution I respect and watch since they sponsor the annual "Banned Books Week" which is worth the time of all readers to promote to others.
Thank you Mr. Newberry for your gift,
Todd
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