Since 1990, November has been designated Native American Heritage Month to honor Native American traditions, communities and contributions. The theme for this year's heritage month is "Pride in Our Heritage. Honor to Our Ancestors."

Events happening in Chicago:

American Indian Center's 56th Annual Chicago Powwow 

November 7-8, 2009

UIC Pavilion ( University of Illinois, Chicago campus)
1150 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL

Doors open at 12 noon on Saturday, 10am on Sunday
Grand Entry (Dancing) starts at 1pm and 7pm Saturday
Admission $12 Adults, $6 Children (6-12) and Seniors 55+
Student/Groups receive a $2 discount, $18 for a weekend pass

American Indians in Chicago: Our Legacies, Our Communities

November 5, 2009, 7:00 pm

Scott Stevens, Director of the Newberry Library's D'Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian History, is the guest speaker.

Sulzer Regional
4455 N. Lincoln Avenue
60625


 

Halloween had its origins in the Celtic Festival of Samhain meaning "end of summer." Samhain was the most important and sinister festivals of the Celtic calendar. On November 1 in ancient Britain and Ireland, it was believed that the world of the gods was made visible to mankind, and the "gods played many tricks on their mortal worshipers; it was a time fraught with danger, charged with fear, and full of supernatural episodes. Sacrifices and propitiations of every kind were thought to be vital, for without them the Celts believed they could not prevail over the perils of the season or counteract the activities of the deities."¹  Around this time, people lit bonfires on hilltops for lighting hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits.   Masks and disguises were worn to avoid being recognized by the ghosts. "It was in these ways that beings such as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons came to be associated" with Samhain, the precurser to Halloween.²

1. "Samhain."Encyclopædia Britannica.2009.Encyclopædia Britannica Online.30 Oct. 2009 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9065212>.

2. "Halloween." Encyclopædia Britannica.2009.Encyclopædia Britannica Online.30 Oct. 2009 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9038951>.

*Levitt, Helen. Title unknown. circa 1940.

Join us next Wednesday for an evening with Dr. Joe Schwieterman, as we celebrate and discuss the recent release of his latest book, Beyond Burnham: An Illustrated History of Planning for the Chicago Region. Dr. Schwieterman, the director of the Chaddick Institute of Metropolitan Development here at DePaul, is a noted authority on transportation and a long-standing contributor to the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a unit of the National Academy of Sciences. A book signing and reception will following the reading, as well as the chance to explore the current exhibit in Special Collections & Archives, "The City that Works: Burnham and the Chicago Plan," which features an original copy of the Burnham Plan.

Wednesday, November 4th
Richardson Library, Special Collections & Archives
room 314
5:00pm  

What’s with all the buzz about Burnham? One hundred years ago, Daniel H. Burnham and Edward Bennett compiled the most influential city planning documents in U.S. history, the 1909 Plan of Chicago (SpC. 720.9 C734p 1909). Their visions and architecture defined many of the familiar features of Chicago today. A first edition copy of the Plan along with other works from this time period that highlight the history and development of Chicago are currently on exhibit in Special Collections and Archives­—Room 314.

Commissioned by the Commercial Club of Chicago, an elite group of Chicago businessmen, the Plan of Chicago was an attempt to re-shape Chicago to address some of the problems caused by its rapid growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Burnham, well-known for his architectural and city planning work including the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, was already a member of the club. Edward Bennett, his associate in his architectural firm, was responsible for much of the design work on elements of the Plan that were put into place in the decades after its publication. Some of Bennett’s best known work includes Buckingham Fountain and the Michigan Avenue Bridge. 

Over the next 20 or so years, many elements of the Plan came to fruition in one way or another. While many of results do not exactly match the visionary illustrations in the Plan of Chicago, one can clearly see the intention of the Plan in much of what we have today in Chicago, especially in the areas of the lakefront, Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, and Burnham Harbor and the Museum Campus.  

Exhibit runs through Dec. 18. Free to the public.

Please join us on Nov. 4 at 5:00 when Dr. Joe Schwieterman of the Chaddick Institute will read and sign copies of his book, Beyond Burnham: An Illustrated History of Planning for the Chicago Region. A reception will follow.

There's still time to read the DePaul President's Book Club selection, Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know by Julie E. Sweig, before next week's discussion at the John T. Richard Library! If you've followed debates about U.S.-Cuban relations in the news and want to know more, this book tells the story. Organized in an engaging Q & A format, Dr. Sweig presents a concise history of Cuba, its internal politics, and its role in world affairs.

After reading the book, join faculty, staff, and students, along with author Dr. Julie Sweig, for a discussion and reception. The President's Book Club will meet on Tuesday, October 27th at 3 p.m. in room 400 of the Richardson Library.

Last month, PBS aired the newest film by distinguished documentarian Ken Burns, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. This month—we’ve got it! So if Chicago’s cold weather is keeping you indoors, pretend it’s summer and take a cinematic vacation through America’s National Parks.

It's almost been a year since then-Governor Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges. And if you live anywhere near Chicago, you probably heard about the scandal—a lot. Well, if you just can't get enough of Blago, now you can read his side of the story in his recently published book, The Governor.

Not into parks? Tired or politics? Maybe unicorns are more your thing. And why not? Unicorns have captivated human imagination for over two thousand years. In his new book, The Natural History of Unicorns, Chris Lavers traces the origins and evolution of unicorn mythology as a means to further explore humanity’s changes over time.    

To see if any of our other new books sound good, look for the New Titles link in the catalog or check out the displays at the Lincoln Park or Loop Libraries. 

We now have access to a new online database for scholarly research, industry news, and market trends related to hospitality and tourism. Sources included in this database are domestic and international in scope, and full text is provided for many of the journals, company and country reports, and books.

You'll find Hospitality and Tourism Complete especially useful for research in these areas:

• Food & beverage management
  
• Hotel management & administration
• Hospitality law
• Culinary arts
• Leisure & business travel

Thirteenth in a series highlighting DePaul’s campus and how it has changed through the years.

In 1906, the original St. Vincent’s College building, located at Webster and Osgood (now Kenmore) Ave, was razed to make way for bigger and better facilities. President Rev. Peter V. Byrne saw that the University was expanding rapidly after its establishment in 1898 (over 200 students were enrolled at that time), and he wanted to ensure sufficient classroom space was available. In addition to St. Vincent’s College, the DePaul Academy (also founded in 1898, as a preparatory school for St. Vincent’s College) and the DePaul High School for Girls were also growing and were quartered in the same buildings. Byrne began three ambitious building projects; the Lyceum, the College Theater, and the “Administration-College Building”. 

The Administration-College building was built in two phases. The Administration part was erected in 1905 directly next to the soon-to-be-razed St. Vincent’s College. While that building was razed and the Lyceum and College Theater were still being built, classes were held in the Administration building. The construction of the new College building took longer than first planned; the original architects, Murphy and Camp, were unaware of Chicago building codes regarding the use of wooden supports in buildings (created after the Great Fire), and the building could not get approval from the city. President Byrne hired a new architect, J. E. O. Pridmore, who also made the plans for the College Theater and Lyceum. Steel supports were added, as well as a dome on the top to allow for an observatory and telescope. The building was six stories and contained lecture halls, study rooms, laboratories, museums and a large gymnasium on the top floor.

The College building was used by DePaul for classes until 1924. At this point, DePaul Academy, which had also been located in the College building, grew large enough to need the entire edifice. The DePaul High School for Girls had also been located in the College building but closed in 1922. The College building shortly became known as the Academy building. In 1950, the Academy and the University discussed the formal separation of the two, because faculty members no longer taught at both institutions and there was no common use of facilities. The separation occurred in 1960. DePaul Academy continued to hold classes until 1968, when the financial burdens caused by the separation grew to be too much and the Academy closed after 70 years of instruction. The Academy building was turned over to DePaul University, and renamed Byrne Hall.

Halloween is fast approaching. Have you picked out a costume yet?  If you need a little inspiration to get into the Halloween spirit, stop by our book cover display in the John T. Richardson Library hallway. We've highlighted some of our especially spooky book jackets for your viewing pleasure.  Here are just a few of the choice picks.