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Cook Co. Circuit Court archivist to speak to Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois

Philip J. Costello, archivist with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, will describe the court's archival holdings at the Sunday, Nov. 20, meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois. His presentation will begin at 2 p.m. at Temple Beth-El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook. This event is free and open to the public.

Although the pleadings filed by parties and orders entered by judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County are created primarily to litigate cases, they may sometimes possess unintended secondary value of interest to historians and genealogists. Records such as naturalizations, divorces, and probate case files hold a virtual gold mine of historical and family history information.

This session will touch upon some of the unique and interesting historical records found in the collections of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Archives, located in the Richard J. Daley Center in Chicago.

Philip J. Costello has served in the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Archives since its inception in 1992. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Marquette University. He graduated from Loyola University with a master's degree in public history, with a special emphasis on American urban history.

Costello has served on the board of the Illinois State Historical Society, and has actively participated in the Society of American Archivists and the Midwest Archives Conference.

Prior to Costello's presentation, the JGSI "help desk" will operated from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., as it does at each regular monthly meeting. Member volunteers at the help desk will access online databases and answer genealogical questions one-on-one for members and visitors as time allows.

The JGSI library has more than 800 volumes of interest to Jewish family historians. Many are available for borrowing by JGSI members for a limited time. All are available for perusing from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. at each regular monthly meeting.

For information about the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois or future events, visit jgsi.org or call (312) 666-0100.

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