Newberry Library Though the Newberry provides a modicum of activities for those not part of academia’s research world, its sheer presence as one of the country’s premier libraries for the humanities makes it part of Chicago’s essence. Established in 1887 and placed into the building designed by Henry Ives Cobb, the library houses an impressive array of original sources for those studying literature, American History, anthropology and even cartography, as well as serving as home to the Chicago Genealogical Society. The Newberry also hosts the traditional Bughouse Square debates, throwing modern Chicago back into the days of street oration and debate.
