Digital Collections

As the semester winds down, I thought I would take this opportunity to do a re-cap of the digital collections available through the USF Library Archives. There are six online collections, each offering something different. Take time to peruse the images in these collections and definitely feel free to contact the Archives with any questions or requests.

Sharing Our Past - A Visual History
This online collection contains digital images of photographs, brochures, press releases, newsletters, posters and other materials related to the history of the University of St. Francis, the City of Joliet and Will County. It is a visual history of the school showcasing Sisters, Faculty, Staff, Students, Buildings, Activities, Athletics and much more from the school’s founding in 1920 to the present.

The Encounter Student Newspaper
The Encounter Student Newspaper Collection includes digital images of the USF student newspaper from 1976 through 2008. The Encounter emerged as the student newspaper after the school was restructured following the school’s de-merger from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL. The newspaper has run continuously since 1976 with anywhere from 5 to 12 issues each academic year featuring news and articles about both on-campus and off-campus topics and events.

Barbara A. Cooke Sheet Music Collection

Barbara A. Cooke is an alumna of USF who went on to have a successful career in musical theater that spanned 30 plus years. She spent time on stage in both Chicago and New York City, all the while collecting sheet music, books and other items related to musical theater. In 2008, she approached the University of St. Francis about creating a special collection in the USF Library which would provide a valuable resource for USF students, staff and faculty as well as preserve her years of work spent building the collection.

This online collection contains digital images of sheet music from Ms. Cooke’s collection that is in the public domain. As more music becomes available it will be scanned and added.

USF Library History

The USF Library History online collection contains digital images of photographs, letters, newspaper articles, pamphlets and brochures pertaining to the evolution of the USF Library. The artifacts in the collection are from the years 1940 through 1978. The collection covers the construction and use of the current library building as well as the old library that was located in the Taylor Street wing of the Motherhouse.


USF Catalog Covers
The USF Catalog Covers online collection includes digital images of the covers of the catalogs, bulletins, brochures, posters and class schedules found in the Catalogs Collection (10-200) in the USF Library Archives. The covers span from 1925 to 2008 and show the changes to the school’s catalog materials and design throughout the years. They also highlight the name changes of the school.

Living History Project

The Living History Project is a website that was created to record the memories of the Sisters of St. Francis and others who have influenced the progress of the University of St. Francis through the years. The site includes videos of interviewees as well as transcripts of the videos. It also includes information on the history of USF, its Franciscan roots and beginnings in 1865 through the present.

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