Read more about Browse Historical Photographs Online!

In addition to all the entertainment The Urbana Free Library is hosting during the 9th Annual C-U Folk and Roots Festival this coming weekend, the Champaign County Historical Archives i Read more about Archives Bazaar November 4th!

Read more about Bing - The Parachuting Dog

On January 6, 2011 the Champaign County Historical Archives (CCHA) became an Affiliate Library of FamilySearch’s Research and Library System. This allowed patrons to order microfilm from FamilySearch and have it sent to CCHA for viewing. 

FamilySearch discontinued its microfilm circulation services on September 7, 2017 and has replaced it with digital access. Over 1.5 million microfilm have been digitized by FamilySearch, with additional films being scanned at a rate of 1000 films per day. They hope to have the digitization completed by the end of 2020. Read more about Using FamilySearch Records

Did you know that October 4th is Ask An Archivist Day?  Read more about Happy #AskAnArchivist Day!

You may already know that the Champaign County Historical Archives has a large collection of local newspapers from 1852 to the present day. In addition to well-known popular publications like the News-Gazette, Courier, and Daily Illini, we also have microfilm copies of papers from smaller communities, such as the Homer Enterprise and the Tolono Herald. If you're looking for news from one of CU's independent presses, like the Spectrum, Sidewinder, or Octopus, we have print copies available for perusal in the reading room. Read more about Newspapers: Print, Microfilm, and Digital

Can you identify the following aircraft that were flown at Chanute field? (Find the answer by clicking on each image)

Number 1

    Read more about Name this Plane!

Last month FamilySearch announced it was discontinuing its microfilm loan program and set an order deadline of August 31, 2017. Due to system outages during the week of August 20, 2017 FamilySearch has decided to extend circulation an additional week. The new order deadline is September 7, 2017. Read more about FamilySearch has extended its microfilm order deadline

We get a lot of interesting questions through our Ask an Archivist service, where anyone can call, write, or email their queries about Champaign County history. Recently, I received a fun question that read, in part:

Can you help me, please?

The worst acronym award has to be granted to SPEBSQSA or the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America. I stumbled across a photograph envelope with this weighty society name one afternoon and immediately had to look inside. What I found did not disappoint. Read more about A happy accident, the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America