Downers Grove Public Library

Digitizing the Downers Grove Public Library Newspaper Collection

The goal of this project was to provide a means for the Downers Grove Public Library to start a local history collection, in digital form, so that citizens can access a variety of historic documents and photos.  Specifically, this project focused on digitizing the contents of the local newspaper, the Downers Grove Reporter, from 1895-1922.  The contents of the Reporter, which had only been accessible through microfilm, is now available to the public through a link on the library’s website, http://www.dglibrary.org

To highlight these efforts, the Library is working with the Downers Grove Museum to plan an event titled A Walk Through Time.  This event will showcase many of the historic photos initially portrayed in the Reporter and that, thanks to funding from the Schwemm Family Foundation, are now available on-line.  Jack and Nan Schwemm lived all of their adult life in Downers Grove, and were loyal readers of the weekly Reporter.