Newberry Library

The Newberry Library is a research institution for rare books and manuscripts in Chicago's Near North Side. Its collections include more than 1.5 million volumes, 5 million manuscript pages, and around 500,000 historical maps from different eras.

The institution opened in 1887, following a bequest from Chicago merchant Walter Loomis Newberry who provided funds for its establishment. Over the decades it expanded its holdings with materials on European civilization from the Middle Ages through the Napoleonic era and on North American exploration.

The institution takes its name from Chicago businessman Walter Loomis Newberry, whose bequest funded this collection in 1887. The reading rooms provide access to manuscripts from the Renaissance period and to maps that show how the understanding of North America evolved over centuries.

Access to materials is free, but advance registration may be required to use the reading rooms. The facility also offers educational programs and tours for visitors interested in particular collections.

The collection preserves 325 rare titles from Bexley Hall, including early Bible editions and first printings of works by Erasmus. These prints come from notable historical publishers such as Plantin, Elzevir, and Froben, who operated during the 16th and 17th centuries.