Why is the library so awesome?
1) This room literally has every scholarly book on Swedish-American history. I spent a good amount of time searching for such books through the Loyola Library website; this library had all of them and more
2) The library also has books on Swedish culture, history, and politics in both English and Swedish
3) There is a fiction section with books by Swedish and Swedish-American authors
4) Most of the books are donated by museum patrons and sister organizations, such as the Swedish Women's Educational Association, International (SWEA)
5) The library is not open to the public, but is not entirely exclusive. Researchers are allowed access by appointment
6) The library doubles as a genealogy center!
My assignment for the day was to research Chicago sites utilized or built by Swedish-Americans. The Swedish had a large impact on Chicago's cityscape, both as laborers and architects. Peirce Anderson, of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, had an key role in the design and construction of the Field Museum of Natural History, The Federal Reserve Building of Chicago, and the Wrigley Building.*
For now, I will be researching the individual histories of each building. Eventually, I will be visiting the sites personally to photograph them. For the buildings that no longer exist, I will have to canvas the archives for old photographs. The Swedish American Museum is considering having a small exhibit dedicated to these sites, as many patrons have expressed an interest in this particular topic.
*http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Architecture/6/3143/SortBy/Architect.php
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