Local History

Local History Files

The Local History Files is a collection of over 400 items including newspaper articles, photographs, documents, reports, correspondence, booklets, pamphlets, blueprints, maps, and more. This collection has been fully digitized to preserve the items and make them more accessible to our patrons. This collection is broken down into subcollections that cover a variety of topics pertaining to the communities in our district. The link below will take you to the Local History Files page, and from there you can access all the items in the collection. 

Reference Materials

Our reference collection houses materials for in-house use only and cannot be checked out to take home. Much of the reference collection is comprised of local materials, including library board minutes, high school yearbooks, city directories, city ordinances, environmental studies, land atlas and plat books, and Illinois statutes. General reference materials include library cataloging guides, encyclopedias, Consumer Reports, JD Power used car guides, Rockwell McCanna Plant annual reports, and more.

Microfilm Collection

While FRVPLD does not have a microfilm reader in use at this time, we retain a collection of microfilm reels at the Dundee Library that contain images of full issues of newspapers. Arrangements can be made through us to view the microfilm by appointment at the Algonquin Library. The newspapers in this collection are: Cardunal Free Press, Carpentersville Countryside, Dundee Countryside, Dundee Hawkeye, Barrington Press/Fox Valley Countryside, Tri-Cities Tribune/Dundee Review, and Valley Reporter. The specific date ranges available for each of these newspapers can be seen below: 

  

  • Cardunal Free Press*, April 1958 - May 1985 

  • Carpentersville Countryside, February 1982 - September 1983 

  • Dundee Countryside, February 1982 - September 1983 

  • Dundee Hawkeye, March 1890 - February 1917 

  • Fox Valley Countryside, December 1937 - December 1984  

  • Tri-Cities Tribune/Dundee Review**, December 1937 - November 1953 

  • Valley Reporter, June 1960 - December 1961  

  

* Late 1964, all of 1965, and early 1966 are missing. October 24, 1979 - November 24, 1979 is missing 

** 1951 is not available