Pritzker Military Library

The Pritzker Military Library is a research library for the study of military history in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded in 2003 by COL (IL) James N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Ret.) to be a non-partisan institution for the study of "the Citizen Soldier as an essential element for the preservation of democracy". [ [http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/aboutus/aboutus.jsp About the Pritzker Military Library ] ] It is located at 610 N. Fairbanks Court in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, the former site of the famous Chez Paree nightclub. The library is supported by donations.

The collection of the Pritzker Military Library includes over 25,000 books, periodicals, videos, artwork, posters, rare military ephemera, over 5000 photographs and glass negatives from the American Civil War and Spanish-American War through the present day, letters and journals from American soldiers, and a sizable collection related to Winston Churchill. [ [http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/collection/specialcollections.jsp Special Collections ] ] The collection is open to members of the public, but membership is required to take materials out of the library. [ [http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/membership.jsp Membership ] ]

Programs at the library are free and open to the public, and have included interviews with U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor recipients such as Paul William Bucha and Gary L. Littrell, retired military figures such as Gen. Anthony Zinni and NASA Capt. Jim Lovell, as well as military authors such as Doris Kearns Goodwin and W.E.B. Griffin. It has also hosted exhibitions by artists such as Steve Mumford and members of the Midwest Air Force Association. [ [http://www.midwestairforceartists.com/showex/exhibit.html Midwest Air Force Artists ] ] [ [http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/technology_internetcritic/2005/11/virtual_book_si.html Hypertext - The wide world of the web | Chicago Tribune | Blog ] ] [ [http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/events/calendar.jsp Calendar of Upcoming Events ] ] Programs are webcast live on the library's website and archived for later viewing or listening in streaming media or as podcasts. The programs are downloaded at a rate of 2,000 per month per program. They are also broadcast on Chicago PBS affiliate WYCC Channel 20. The Library's 2006 schedule was named an Official Honoree of the 2007 Webby Awards. [http://www.suntimes.com/technology/guy/491493,CST-FIN-ecol01.article] It was also named an Official Honoree in two categories, Live & Broadcast Events and Podcasts, in the 2008 Webby Awards. [ [http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current_honorees.php?season=12 Webby Honorees ] ]

In 2007, the Library announced that Civil War historian James M. McPherson was the winner of the First Annual Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for lifetime contributions to the field of military history. The award includes a $100,000 honorarium. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/16/AR2007071601553.html James McPherson Wins Pritzker Military Writing Award - washingtonpost.com ] ] [ [http://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/200707james_m_mcpherson_wins_pritzker_military_library_literature_award.html Random House, Inc. Academic Resources | Titles of Academic Interest for Universities and Colleges ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/ The Pritzker Military Library website]