Casa Italia Library is on Facebook. To connect with Casa Italia Library, log in to Facebook.
Casa Italia Library
@CasaItaliaLibrary
Photos
About Casa Italia Library
The Florence Roselli Library at Casa Italia
<>The Library at Casa Italia has existed in one form or another since the Scalabrini Fathers opened it as their seminary library in 1935. In the mid 1970s Librarian Florence Roselli built up the library collection to serve post World War II immigrants and to collect academic and popular materials on Italian American Culture. After her death, the Library went into a dormant period.
<>In the past few years, aided by a grant from the Anthony Fornelli Family we began to revive the Library. The volunteer efforts of Jeannette Risatti (Italian Studies MA), Judy Kemp (Anthropology PhD), Dan Niemiec, (Leader of PIP 27 of Italian American genealogists), Peggy Fox (Librarian at Fenton High School) and Dominic Candeloro, Library Curator have brought a renaissance to the library and we have made ambitious plans.
Italian AMERICAN History is at Risk of being lost!
Italian American history and culture is at risk of being lost. Immigration to Chicago began in the 1880s and virtually ended in the 1980s. The passage of time, the dispersal of Italian neighborhoods, the demise of Italian Catholic Churches, intermarriage, and the loss of the language incurred by the stresses of World War II have squelched the transmissions of basics of the Italian American Experience to the younger generations. If major initiatives are not launched soon, the story will be lost.
We aim to build the most comprehensive archive of Chicago Italian Americana…
<>Our goal at the Casa Italia Roselli Library is to build what we believe to be the most comprehensive archive of Chicago Italian Americana (5000 published volumes and 10,000 archival items) into the Midwest’s most comprehensive collection of scholarly and popular materials in English and Italian on the history and culture of Italian immigrants to the United States.
The library supports the cultural, spiritual, educational, and social mission of Casa Italia. Our Library provides source material for the ongoing public programs of Casa Italia and acts as a resource center for teachers and other educational institutions wishing to present materials relating to Italy, Italian culture and Italian American history.
The library collects materials in a variety of formats in both English and Italian.. In addition to books, the collection includes the 59 years of the Fra Noi newspaper both hardcopy and on microfilm, journals, newsletters, church histories, proceedings, magazines, DVDs, music, road maps and travel guides, large format art books, as well as volumes donated by Italian governmental entities. The library’s catalog is online at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/ItalCulturalCenter . Texts on genealogy, free Wi-Fi and a subscription to www.ancestry.com are available for research genealogists.
<>Our major archival focus is Italians in the Chicago area. Audio tapes and transcripts of 110 oral histories done as part of the Italians in Chicago Project and 60 videotapes and transcript done for the documentary “And They came to Chicago,” and file drawers filled with research material accumulated over 30 years by historians. Through our library and the Italian American Veterans Museum and Library (our sister institution at Casa Italia), we have a combined total of 10,000 historic photos to offer the public. We are creating a searchable digital collection of original and unique materials that can be used by scholars and genealogists to piece together the Italian American past.Part of our mission is to make available the masterpieces of Italian cinema.
<>With the addition of the resources listed below, we will be able to deliver easy access to our unpublished holdings both onsite and online of oral histories, parish and neighborhood material, information on towns of origins, 10,000 item photo collection, 30 year old videos of scholarly presentations, and 50 years of our monthly community newspaper (now on microfilm).
Library catalog online http://www.librarything.com/catalog/ItalCulturalCenter
59 years of the files of Fra Noi
Neighborhood and Parish Sources
200 interviews on audio and video tape and searchable transcriptions
10,000 images of Italians in Chicago and IA Veterans Museum holdings
Towns of Origin sources/photos
Professional journals
Free WI-FI and digital camera use
Research travel subsidies
Expert reference consultation
“Our aim is to seek out, identify and physically and digitally preserve every scrap of evidence that pertains to the lives and times of Italian Americans in Chicago!” Dominic Candeloro, Curator
<>You can help us reach that goal by becoming a Friend of the Roselli Casa Italia Library. Donate/share your photos, documents, books, and memorabilia with the Casa Italia Library and support us.
<>
Name_____________________________________Address ___________________________________ <>
City _______________________________ST___Zip_________Email___________________________________ <>
Phone______________________________________
Volunteer to be a friend of the Library
<> ____Volunteer Time <>____Contributor of memorabilia
____ Contributor of Books for the Library or Book Sales
____Library Researcher ____Help publicize the Casa Italia Library
<>Please respond to Roselli Library, 3800 Division St., Stone Park, IL 60165 708-345-5933. Candeloro@CasaItaliaChicago.org
<>The Library at Casa Italia has existed in one form or another since the Scalabrini Fathers opened it as their seminary library in 1935. In the mid 1970s Librarian Florence Roselli built up the library collection to serve post World War II immigrants and to collect academic and popular materials on Italian American Culture. After her death, the Library went into a dormant period.
<>In the past few years, aided by a grant from the Anthony Fornelli Family we began to revive the Library. The volunteer efforts of Jeannette Risatti (Italian Studies MA), Judy Kemp (Anthropology PhD), Dan Niemiec, (Leader of PIP 27 of Italian American genealogists), Peggy Fox (Librarian at Fenton High School) and Dominic Candeloro, Library Curator have brought a renaissance to the library and we have made ambitious plans.
Italian AMERICAN History is at Risk of being lost!
Italian American history and culture is at risk of being lost. Immigration to Chicago began in the 1880s and virtually ended in the 1980s. The passage of time, the dispersal of Italian neighborhoods, the demise of Italian Catholic Churches, intermarriage, and the loss of the language incurred by the stresses of World War II have squelched the transmissions of basics of the Italian American Experience to the younger generations. If major initiatives are not launched soon, the story will be lost.
We aim to build the most comprehensive archive of Chicago Italian Americana…
<>Our goal at the Casa Italia Roselli Library is to build what we believe to be the most comprehensive archive of Chicago Italian Americana (5000 published volumes and 10,000 archival items) into the Midwest’s most comprehensive collection of scholarly and popular materials in English and Italian on the history and culture of Italian immigrants to the United States.
The library supports the cultural, spiritual, educational, and social mission of Casa Italia. Our Library provides source material for the ongoing public programs of Casa Italia and acts as a resource center for teachers and other educational institutions wishing to present materials relating to Italy, Italian culture and Italian American history.
The library collects materials in a variety of formats in both English and Italian.. In addition to books, the collection includes the 59 years of the Fra Noi newspaper both hardcopy and on microfilm, journals, newsletters, church histories, proceedings, magazines, DVDs, music, road maps and travel guides, large format art books, as well as volumes donated by Italian governmental entities. The library’s catalog is online at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/ItalCulturalCenter . Texts on genealogy, free Wi-Fi and a subscription to www.ancestry.com are available for research genealogists.
<>Our major archival focus is Italians in the Chicago area. Audio tapes and transcripts of 110 oral histories done as part of the Italians in Chicago Project and 60 videotapes and transcript done for the documentary “And They came to Chicago,” and file drawers filled with research material accumulated over 30 years by historians. Through our library and the Italian American Veterans Museum and Library (our sister institution at Casa Italia), we have a combined total of 10,000 historic photos to offer the public. We are creating a searchable digital collection of original and unique materials that can be used by scholars and genealogists to piece together the Italian American past.Part of our mission is to make available the masterpieces of Italian cinema.
<>With the addition of the resources listed below, we will be able to deliver easy access to our unpublished holdings both onsite and online of oral histories, parish and neighborhood material, information on towns of origins, 10,000 item photo collection, 30 year old videos of scholarly presentations, and 50 years of our monthly community newspaper (now on microfilm).
Library catalog online http://www.librarything.com/catalog/ItalCulturalCenter
59 years of the files of Fra Noi
Neighborhood and Parish Sources
200 interviews on audio and video tape and searchable transcriptions
10,000 images of Italians in Chicago and IA Veterans Museum holdings
Towns of Origin sources/photos
Professional journals
Free WI-FI and digital camera use
Research travel subsidies
Expert reference consultation
“Our aim is to seek out, identify and physically and digitally preserve every scrap of evidence that pertains to the lives and times of Italian Americans in Chicago!” Dominic Candeloro, Curator
<>You can help us reach that goal by becoming a Friend of the Roselli Casa Italia Library. Donate/share your photos, documents, books, and memorabilia with the Casa Italia Library and support us.
<>
Name_____________________________________Address ___________________________________ <>
City _______________________________ST___Zip_________Email___________________________________ <>
Phone______________________________________
Volunteer to be a friend of the Library
<> ____Volunteer Time <>____Contributor of memorabilia
____ Contributor of Books for the Library or Book Sales
____Library Researcher ____Help publicize the Casa Italia Library
<>Please respond to Roselli Library, 3800 Division St., Stone Park, IL 60165 708-345-5933. Candeloro@CasaItaliaChicago.org
