The Newberry organizes and hosts programs illuminating topics in the humanities, through a variety of formats tailored to the subject at hand: lectures, staged readings, music and dance performances, panel discussions, workshops, and more. Some events are part of ongoing series, such as Conversations at the Newberry, Meet the Author talks, Programs for Genealogists, the weekly Newberry Colloquium, and exhibition-related programming; others are signature annual events, such as the Newberry Book Fair and the Bughouse Square Debates. Additional public programming may be sponsored by the Newberry’s Research Centers.
Most Newberry public programs are free. Seating is limited and registration in advance is required for many events; see the individual listings for details.
Many of our programs are recorded, and you can listen to them on our website.
Upcoming Public Programs
Saturday, February 23, 2019 – Thursday, November 14, 2019
A series of public programs examining the legacy of the 1919 Chicago race riots
Held at locations across Chicago
Chicago’s 1919 race riots barely register in the city’s current consciousness, yet they were a significant turning point in shaping the racial divides we see today.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Newberry Colloquium
A Newberry Colloquium
Paleography is the study of the history of handwriting and scripts in books, manuscripts, and other documents. This colloquium celebrates the launch of the Center for Renaissance Studies’ Italian paleography website, sponsored by the Mellon Foundation. Developed with the University of Toronto and St.
Saturday, July 27, 2019
#Bughouse2019
Free and open to the public; no registration or tickets required
At a time when political polarization is intensified by the extremes of digital discourse, the Bughouse Square Debates are a public forum where people can encounter new ideas and share their own—in person!
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Newberry Colloquium
A Newberry Colloquium
Around 1510, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) worked with University of Pavia anatomist Marco Antonio dalla Torre (1481-1511), with the intent of producing the finest anatomical treatise ever produced. Yet the two never published their treatise, and the details of their collaboration remains relatively untold in the scholarly work.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Newberry Colloquium
A Newberry Colloquium
When did Illinois become a free state? Spanning a century and a half, M. Scott Heerman will trace the making, remaking, and eventual unmaking of slavery in Illinois. Drawing from his new book, The Alchemy of Slavery, he shows that over its long history Illinois went from Indian Country to European Empire, from a border south region to bulwark of the free north.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Meet the Author
Meet the Author: Margaret McMullan
Free and open to the public; free tickets required.
Join us for a Meet the Author event with Margaret McMullan, who will be discussing her latest book, Where the Angels Lived.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Opening Symposium
Free and open to the public; free tickets required.
How can we define “the Midwest”? Is it a delimited geographic region? Does a Midwestern identity exist? What can region tell us that urban/rural or state divides do not?
Thursday, October 10, 2019 – Friday, October 11, 2019
Center for American Indian Studies Programs
This conference explores the development, use, and afterlife of religious libraries in the Americas.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Colonial History Lecture Series: Mark Peterson
Free and open to the public; free tickets required.
Mark Peterson reframes Boston’s early history as the story of the development of an autonomous city-state in the colonial period.
Thursday, November 7, 2019 – Saturday, November 9, 2019
Center for the History of Cartography Programs
Free and open to the public. Registration required.
1919 was a year of heightened map production around the world. These maps reflect the instability and the experimentation of a world attempting to solve the problems that had led to four years of devastating war. Some cartographers worked to preserve a lasting peace with their maps, while others redrew national boundaries, seeking what some maps had taught them was rightfully theirs.
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Free and open to the public; free tickets required.
Join us for a special holiday-themed morning, with traditional carols, a special holiday performance, and free hot chocolate and treats.