Benedictine University opens archives on Oct. 30
Old and rare books will be among the items on display during an open house from in Benedictine University’s IdeaLounge. The open house, “Open Archives: Discovering Hidden Treasures,” will wrap up a month of activities celebrating American Archives Month.
Tours of the archives, including a behind-the-scenes look at how items are collected and preserved, will be offered. The open house is 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, inside the Library on the second floor of Kindlon Hall on campus, 5700 College Road, Lisle.
American Archives Month celebrates the professionals who assess, collect, organize, preserve, control and provide access to information that has lasting value. Archivists keep records that have enduring value as reliable memories of the past, and they help people find and understand the information they need in those records.
As part of the celebration, Benedictine students, faculty and staff have been given the chance to provide their own captions for photos from the archives. Each week in October, a new photo is posted on social media and in the library. Entries are due by 5 p.m. each Friday. Winners will be announced at the open house. Students must provide contact information to be eligible.
Benedictine students, faculty and staff also can enter a trivia contest. Entry forms will be available at the research and circulation desks and on the library website. Go to ben.edu, then click on library and archives. A Benedictine history exhibit with clues will be on display in the library and the Office of University Ministry on the fourth floor of Kindlon Hall. Entry forms and clues also will be available at a roving archives table at various campus locations.
The deadline for entries is 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 31.
The Benedictine University Library archives collects, preserves and makes accessible materials that record and exhibit the history and life of Benedictine University and its campuses in Lisle, Springfield, and Mesa, Ariz. Also included are the records of the university’s previous incarnations as Illinois Benedictine College, St. Procopius College, Springfield College in Illinois and Springfield Junior College.