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Collections and Resources

The library's collection consists of over 133,000 items in a variety of formats. The collection includes books, magazines, newspapers, videocassettes, paintings (reproductions), Music CD's and a limited number of DVDs and Books on CD. Most of these items are available for loan. To find items in this library and in other libraries in the Metropolitan Library System, go to our on-line catalog by clicking here or on the logo in the upper-right corner of our web site.

Chicago Heights Public Library has a reciprocal borrowing agreement with the Chicago Public Library. Chicago Heights patrons may obtain a Chicago Public Library card by visiting the nearest Chicago Public Library branch.

The library's physical collection is augmented by electronic resources, principally an EBSCo Host database as well as broadband access to the Internet.

Local History Collection

Materials on the history of Chicago Heights are available for use within the library. For research help, call for appointment. Special materials include the following:

§ Chicago Heights STAR 1906 - present

  • Microfilm
  • Paper copies of the STAR

§ STAR Indexes

  • General newspaper index (including a "features" section)
  • Obituaries
  • Births
  • Marriages

§ Immigration and Naturalization Records

  • Declarations of Intent
  • Petitions for Naturalization

§ Federal Censuses: Chicago Heights Area (microfilm)

  • 1840: Coles, Cook, and Crawford Counties (Includes Thornton Precinct)
  • 1850: Townships: Lake, Worth, Thornton, Bloom, Lyons, and Palos
  • 1860: Townships: Lake View, Evanston, Jefferson, Maine, Niles, Wheeling, Leyden, New Trier, Northfield, Elk Grove, Schaumburg, Palatine, Barrington, South Chicago, Proviso, Orland, Lemont, Palos, Lake, and Rich
  • 1870: Townships: Barrington, Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Cicero, Elk Grove, Evanston, Hanover, Hyde Park, Jefferson, Lake, Lake View, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Maine, New Trier, Niles, Northfield, Orland, Palatine, Palos, Proviso, Rich, Schaumburg, Thornton, Wheeling, and Worth
  • 1880: Townships: Lake, Calumet (includes Blue Island), Thornton (includes Dolton, Thornton, Homewood, Lansing), Bloom (includes Matteson), Bremen, Orland, Lemont (includes Lemont), Palos, Worth (includes Blue Island), and Lyons
  • 1900: Townships: Calumet, West Town, Barrington, Bloom, Steger, and Bremen
  • 1910: Townships: Bloom (includes Chicago Heights, Glenwood, Homewood, and Steger)
  • 1920: Townships: Evanston, Bloom (Unincorporated and East Chicago Heights, Glenwood, South Chicago Heights, Steger, and Chicago Heights), Northfield (includes Unincorporated, Glenview, and Shermerville)

§ Illinois State Censuses:

  • 1840
  • 1855
  • 1865 (Roll 1)
  • 1865 (Roll 2: Cook County)

§ Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (microfilm)

  • 1897 (Chicago Heights, Glenwood, Columbia Heights)
  • 1911 (Chicago Heights, South Chicago Heights, Glenwood, Steger)
  • 1911 (Same as 1911 maps with changes up through 1950)

§ Chicago Heights City Directories (1900s through 1950s)

  • Water Books Directories by Street (1900-3)
  • City Directories by Street (1905-6, 1908-9, 1923-5)
  • City Directories by Name (1905-6, 1908-9, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1923-5,
    1926-7, 1928, 1935, 1937, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1947, 1950)

§ South Suburban Haines Directories (Criss-Cross)(1970's through present)

§ Chicago Heights City Telephone Books (1950s through present)

§ Bloomvale Cemetery Burial Permit List