McGreal Center for Dominican Historical Studies and Dominican University’s Archives and Special Collections Assessment

FAIN: PG-252776-17

Dominican University (River Forest, IL 60305-1099)
Felice E. Maciejewski (Project Director: May 2016 to June 2019)

A preservation assessment of two archival repositories administered by the university: 1) the McGreal Center for Dominican Historical Studies and 2) the university’s Archives and Special Collections.  The McGreal Center holds 170 linear feet of historical records, letters, photographs, and multimedia sources pertaining to the history of the Dominican Order of Friars, Nuns, Laity and Apostolic Sisters in the United States.  The Archives and Special Collections unit comprises 1,300 linear feet of records pertaining to the history of the university, along with 1,400 rare books dating from 1551 to the 1900s.  Included is documentation on the Dominican Order’s work with Native American communities, mission activities, and the role of women in American Catholicism. The Archives and Special Collections department also contains 80 linear feet of archival records and manuscripts focusing on the history of libraries and librarianship in the United States.

The McGreal Center for Dominican Historical Studies and Dominican University’s Archives and Special Collections unit seek funding for a preservation assessment. The McGreal Center is home to Project OPUS, a collaborative research endeavor engaged in chronicling the history of the Order of Preachers in the United States. It is the official archives depository for multiple organizations significant to the history of the Dominican Order’s presence in North America. The university library’s Archives and Special Collections unit holds over 1400 rare books and manuscript collections dating from the 1200s to today, and is also the depository for a wide variety of collected papers and records relevant to prominent Chicago individuals and institutions. The project will enable the crafting of a preservation plan for each of the two centers and the establishment of a foundational strategy for their future coordination with shared reference and storage facilities.