Papers of Abraham Lincoln: PAL is a “documentary editing project dedicated to identifying, imaging, transcribing, annotating, and publishing online all documents written by or to Abraham Lincoln during his lifetime.” Currently, PAL has processed approximately 5,000 records in the collection. To find records in the collection, we recommend using the search tools provided to narrow your search. You should also read the “Search Tips” link in the toolbar before getting started
Chronicling Illinois: Chronicling Illinois contains an extensive collection of records related to both life in Illinois and President Lincoln. Records are listed by collection on the main page, however, you can use the search bar to expedite your search. If you click on the “+” sign here and choose Advanced Search, you can also specify additional parameters to refine your search. If you’re looking for inspiration, this is a fun site to peruse to see what you find!
Boys in Blue: ALPLM holds the photographs of over 8,000 Illinois soldiers who served in the Civil War. These images have been scanned and are in the process of being cataloged and uploaded to this site. Currently, we have photographs up of soldiers from the 4th, 10th, and 11th Illinois Cavalry and the 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 17th, 26th, 33rd, 37th, 53rd, 56th, 64th, 77th, 86th, 101st, 108th, 114th, 117th, 120th, 122nd, and 130th Illinois Infantry Regiments.
ALPLM’s Oral History Program: ALPLM’s Oral History program “preserves the first-hand accounts of people who have lived eventful lives, given voice to those who are too often overlooked by traditional histories.” Our collections are Illinois-centric and include: African American Chronicles, Agriculture, Community Stories, Education, Family Memories, Historians Speak, Illinois Statecraft, Immigrant Stories, People of Faith, Sports, Veterans Remember, and many more! Be sure to check back often, as we’re still actively collecting individual’s stories.
Search ALPLM’s Collection: ALPLM uses both ArchivesSpace and CARLI to provide access to our resources. To get the best response to your search inquiry, we recommend running it in both databases. Further, as a library and archive open to the public, we invite you (and your students) to research our collections in the Library’s Reading Room. For more information on individual visits, see the Research page. To learn more about bringing your students, visit the Enhance Your Experience page.