Cook Memorial Public Library District

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Contact Information
Email: likref@cooklib.org Website: www.cooklib.org/genealogy Blog: Shelf Life Address: 413 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville, Illinois, 60048 Telephone: 847-362-2330 Hours of Operation: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.  '''Directions/Parking Map: We are located approximately 35 miles north of Chicago, 2.5 miles west of I-94. We are also 3 blocks from the Libertyville Metra Station, the Milwaukee District North Line from Chicago to Fox Lake. There is limited parking in the library lot and two free parking garages located one block north and south of the library.'''

'''Parking: There is a small parking lot attached to the library. If this lot is full, see Village of Libertyville Downtown Parking Map for other options.'''

Description of Collections
Books

The Genealogy Collection of the Cook Memorial Public Library district is located on the Lower Level of the Cook park Library and consists of over 1000 reference books and over 150 circulating books. The reference collection has three main areas of strength: beginning or basic genealogy, immigration research, and support for DAR research. Materials generally cover states east of the Mississippi River although general how-to books for all states are collected. The book collection can be search through the library's online catalog.

Magazines

The collection includes 18 magazines and periodicals. three of the magazines are general interest titles that can be checked out for one week: Family Tree Magazine, Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy. The rest of the periodicals are regional, society publications, or scholarly in nature.

Databases

The collection in supplemented by one dedicated genealogy computer in the Lower Level and -- public internet computers on the main level. The library subscribes to eight genealogy related databases:

Access Newspaper Archives

American Ancestors

Ancestry Library Edition

Chicago Tribune Historical Database

Fold3

New York Times Historical Database

Sanborn Maps (Illinois)

Local History

The Local History Collection is closely related to the Genealogy Collection. We collect books about the history of the Libertyvlle/Mundelein/Vernon Hills as well as other towns in Lake County. Besides books, the collection includes maps and an extensive Local History File. We have microfilm of the local newspaper from 1894 to the present which includes the Independent Register, the News Sun, and the Daily Herald. Thanks to the untiring work of dedicated volunteer Peg Smith, we have an obituary indes to the newspaper from 1894 to 1999 and the newspaper itself is indexed from 1894 to 1932. We have bound volumes of the Libertyville Review at Cook Park and the Vernon Review at Aspen Drive. Much of the collection can be viewed online at the library's Local History page.

Equipment

We have two microfilm reader/printers that can read, print, email, and save to a USB drive. We also have a scanner and fax machine which can be used to quickly scan photos or documents and email them. A copy machine in the Lower Level is available for copying pages from books or magazines that cannot be checked out. Our Digital Studios can be used to scan photos or documents, save videos, and record interviews or memoirs.

Services and Programs
The library sponsors a Genealogy Networking Group that meets on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Cook Park Library to discuss research tips, trends and techniques. On the last Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m. we host an Independent Genealogy Research Lab for two hours for genealogists to research their own topic at their own pace. Our popular Genealogy After Hours program, held twice a year from 6 - 10, gives researchers four hours to use the library's computers, databases and book collection when the rest of the library is closed. We also sponsor speakers of a variety of topics. Check the library's online calendar for details.

History
Library history

Cook Memorial Public Library District has a long rich history in the Libertyville/Mundelein/Vernon Hills community.

Genealogy Collection history

For many years the Cook Memorial Public Library and the Lake County (IL) Genealogical Society shared the Genealogy Collection in the library's building. In the late 1990s the LCIGS moved to a larger space and the Collection was split between the two organizations. Both the Cook Library and the LCIGS have maintained and expanded their collections. Anyone researching ancestors from the Lake County area will want to visit the LCIGS library at their present location in the lower level of the Vernon Hills Village Hall, 290 Evergreen Drive, Vernon Hills, IL.

Tips for Your Visit
Please call before you visit; we want your trip to the library to be as productive and pleasant as possible. A genealogy librarian is not always on duty. Summer festivals may limit parking.

Visit our Local History page for information related to Libertyville and surrounding areas.

Guides
For information on Cook County Illinois records and information, see our blog post on Cook County Obituaries and More

Libertyville Genealogy


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