Illinois Collection Wishlist

The Bloomington Public Library is looking for donations of the following items for the Illinois Collection.  The Illinois Collection is used heavily by local history researchers, genealogists, and students of all ages in local and Illinois history classes. The library staff and volunteers also answer questions from across the country using the resources in this collection.

Black Damp: The Story of the Cherry Mine Disaster: A Novel by Steve Stout

Bloomington City Directories

The Library is in need of print copies of the Bloomington City Directories for the following years: 1874; 1877; 1879; 1880; 1881; 1883; 1885; 1888; 1889; 1890; 1892; 1894; 1896; 1898; 1900; 1901; 1903; 1905; 1906; 1908; 1910; 1912; 1913; 1914; 1916; 1918; 1921; 1925; 1927; 1931; 1933; 1936; 1939; 1942; 1944; 1945; 1947; 1948; 1950; 1952; 1954; 1956; 1958; 1961.

Bloomington High School Yearbooks over the course of time have had various names: The Aegis; The Purple and Gold; The Aepix. The Aegis started as a monthly publication by the students in January 1897, it eventually evolved into the annual high school yearbook. The library has some of the early monthly issues, but would like to fill the gaps. It is easier to say what the library holds of the early period. If you have any issues not listed here and would like to donate them to the library, it would be greatly appreciated.

The library has the following issues of the early years of The Aegis: January 1897 – June 1897 (volume 1, issues 1-6); October 1897 – February 1898 (volume 2, issues 1-5); May 1899; December 1899; October 1908; December 1908; January 1909; March 1909; November 1909 – February 1910 (volume 14, issues 2-5); the Alumni Aegis 1864-1906.

In addition to filling the gaps in the collection covered by these early years of 1897-1910, the library also needs the following annual volumes of The Aegis: 1918; 1933; 1934.

The library is also looking to add copies or replace damaged copies of the following years of The Aepix: 1973; 1974; 1976; 1981; 1986; 1987; 1988; 1989; 1990; 1992; 1994.

Central Catholic High School was originally St. Mary’s High School, 1886-1928. In September, 1928, the name was changed to Trinity High School with the completion of a new building. In 1968, Trinity High School was renamed Central Catholic High School when it became a diocesan school. The yearbooks for St. Mary’s High School and Trinity High School were called Trinitas. The yearbooks for Central Catholic High School are called Centrix. The Bloomington Public Library has a number of years of the yearbooks, but would like to add to this collection. The library is in need of the following:

• Trinitas: 1926; 1927; 1929; 1933-1939, inclusive; 1941-1949, inclusive; 1951; 1961-1968, inclusive.
  
• Centrix: 1969; 1986; 1988; 1989.  

If you would like to make a donation to this collection, please contact Karen Moen in our Adult Services department. She can be reached at (309) 828-6091 Ext. 233 or by email at karenm@bloomingtonlibrary.org.