RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Newberry Library, a renowned Chicago research institution and center for the humanities, celebrates its 125th Anniversary in 2012; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this auspicious milestone by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, The Newberry Library was founded in 1887 with a bequest from Walter Loomis Newberry, an early Chicago resident and a banking, shipping and real estate titan; and
WHEREAS, The Newberry Library houses a remarkable collection of more than 1.5 million books, five million pages of manuscripts and 500,000 historic maps and a wide range of other historic artifacts; and
WHEREAS, Among the Newberry Library's most valuable works are a copy of William Shakespeare's First Folio, Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Federalist Papers and the only copy of the Popol Vuh, the creation story of the Maya; and
WHEREAS, The Newberry Library also offers a wide variety of exhibits, lectures, classes and programs related to its exhibits; and
WHEREAS, This special anniversary has inspired a number of commemorative events, chiefly among them is The Newberry 125th Exhibition which runs through December 31, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Among the 150 items featured in The Newberry 125th Exhibition are the original printed instantiation of Voltaire's Candide, an elliptical postcard from Jack Kerouac to his editor and Joseph Whitehouse's journal from the Lewis and Clark Expedition; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this eighth day of November, 2012, do hereby congratulate the Newberry Library on its 125th Anniversary and do hereby extend our appreciation for its many important contributions to the civic and cultural fabric of the City; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to David Spadafora, President of the Nawberry Library.
Alderman - 14th Ward