We tend to think of history as things that happened a long time ago. When was a town settled? What were the major influences on its development? Who lived here and what did they do? What was here before? In my job as a local history librarian, I am tasked with making resources, such as books and historical newspapers, available that help today’s researchers access the past.
But I also think about what researchers of the future will want to know. I scan the local newspapers regularly to find articles about the people, places, and events of today to populate our Local History File. What is here now will someday be history.
Now we find ourselves living through a time that is having a profound impact on our daily lives. Historians of the future will want to know what life was like in Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills, Green Oaks and the surrounding area during this time. How did we spend our days? What were the challenges? How did we come together as a community?
In an effort to document the COVID-19 pandemic at a hyper-local level, the Cook Memorial Public Library District (CMPLD) has started the CMPLD COVID-19 Digital Archive. We are asking our community to help us document this moment in history as it is happening through photos and stories.
Do you have a photo you’ve posted to Facebook? Consider adding it to this central repository to make it available for generations to come. Have a story of how your life has changed in the last few weeks? Please share it with us.
What’s your Story?
Submit a photo or story to the CMPLD COVID-19 Digitial Archive
Categories: Local History
Tags: Local History
