Julie Heney has fond memories of the Newberry’s Book Fair, but until this year hadn’t visited the upper floors of the library and experienced the collection for herself.
“It was my husband’s birthday, and he said he wanted to actually show me what’s at the Newberry when you get a reader’s card,” said Julie, a former French major who resides in Oak Park with her husband and 1-year-old daughter. “I really just enjoyed seeing all the books stored. The smells of the documents brought me back [to her time as a library intern]. It was very special to go up and see an original Candide by Voltaire.”
Julie wasn’t alone in the past year. The number of people signing up for a reader’s card reached a high not seen since 2009—5,148 people registered for a card, which serves as a gateway to the Newberry’s collection.
“All it takes to go back in time is a little plastic reader card, and it is so exciting to see all these new visitors take that leap,” said Lisa Schoblasky, the Newberry's Director of Reader Services. Lisa supervises and works alongside other librarians and curators to assist with the registration and distribution of reader's cards. “The process is quick and easy and it provides a lifetime of books, manuscripts, maps, and more to spark curiosity and feed the soul.”
Reader’s cards are free and available to anyone 14 or over with a valid identification and proof of address. Once received, a reader’s card enables patrons to request and hold materials for viewing in our reading rooms. Those items span eleven core subjects and millennia of human history. Among the most popular items in recent years have been Shakespeare’s First Folio, a manuscript text of the Popol Vuh transcribed from the K'iche' language, and the 1455 text, Le miroir de humaine saluation (or The Mirror of Human Salvation).
The number of reader’s card sign-ups has been steadily increasing since building closures related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Newberry makes its collection accessible through its reading rooms, collection presentations, exhibitions, research centers, and programming.
How to get a reader's card