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June 20, 2008

Pat McGuckin
Henry Haupt

Jesse White Announces Illinois State Library Selected
To Lead New Route 66 Project

SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has announced that the Illinois State Library will be partnering with the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program of the National Park Service as a founding partner for the Route 66 Archives and Research Collaboration (ARC).

“The wonderful stories and treasured memories that have grown up around Route 66 are a monumental part of our national and state heritage,” White said. “It is an honor for the Illinois State Library to have been chosen to lead the effort in this state to preserve this rich heritage for generations to enjoy in the future.”

White explained that the United States Congress, through the Route 66 Study Act of 1990, authorized the National Park Service to conduct a study to determine the historical significance of the route and options for its preservation. Based on the results of this study, Congress authorized the creation of the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. The Park Service has been working with various groups and organizations to preserve the national heritage around the Route 66 corridor, and is partnering with archival centers in each of the states through which Route 66 traversed (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California).

The Illinois State Library, as an archival research center for Illinois, will assist with the preservation of Route 66’s history in collaboration with other state centers and the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.

The State Library will work with libraries, institutions and associations both on and off the historic road in Illinois to collect resources, maintain a general inventory of collections within Illinois, and encourage development and educational interest in Route 66. The State Library will ask other Illinois libraries to look through their own collections and determine what resources they may have and what they would be interested in collecting. Collection development will assist researchers and Route 66 enthusiasts, and hopefully generate donations to appropriate institutions. The State Library will also be seeking individuals and organizations to conduct oral histories from people associated with Route 66.

The Illinois State Library has already commenced an inventory of related resources held in the State Library’s collection. ISL will also develop bibliographies and tools for finding materials and filling in gaps of noted resources that have a Route 66 connection. White said the State Library is particularly proud to have been given a portion of the Route 66 collection belonging to the late author and Route 66 expert Tom Teague.