Your Librarian
Anne Zald
she/her
Contact:
Anne Zald
Subjects: Government Information; Regulatory Compliance; Gender & Sexuality Studies
Northwestern University Library
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
Make an Appointment
Subjects: Government Information; Regulatory Compliance; Gender & Sexuality Studies
Northwestern University Library
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
Make an Appointment
847-467-6441
Key Resources
- Local Community FactbookCommunity factbooks, first published in 1938, were published by a group of University of Chicago sociologists. No fact books were published in 2000. Format varies but the books generally contain historical background and community descriptions, and statistics.
Library has:
1938 edition
1949 edition
1950 edition
1960 edition
1980, 1990 editions 
The Encyclopedia of Chicago by Call Number: Main Library 1 East - Reference Section 977.311 E56Publication Date: 2004The definitive historical reference on metropolitan Chicago. Contains thousands of historical resources related to Chicago's history, including community & neighborhood descriptions.
Multiple copies/locations
Library also has: EBook edition- Forty-four cities in the city of Chicago. byCall Number: Main Library Government Information - Lower Level Room B190 711 C532foPublication Date: 1944Descriptions and history of selected Chicago communities.
Chicago: a Historical Guide to the Neighborhoods by Call Number: Main Library 1 East - Reference Section 977.311 H758cPublication Date: 1979Descriptions and history of selected downtown and southside Chicago neighborhoods,
Chicago Politics Ward by Ward by Call Number: Main Library Stacks 977.31104 F872cPublication Date: 1988Descriptions and history of Chicago wards
Multiple copies, locations.- Chicago recreation survey byCall Number: Main Library Government Information - Lower Level Room B190 790 C5322Publication Date: 1937-19405 volumes
Snapshots of Chicago landscape circa 1934 from a cultural point of view, one of the post-depression WPA projects in Chicago. Volume 4 contains maps and landmark information of each community area.
About
In Chicago, "community areas" are generally used to refer to communities/neighborhoods.
"Community Areas" (CAs) are statistical & administrative boundaries designated in 1930s by the University of Chicago sociologists but also used by the City of Chicago government. The boundaries of CAs coincide with those of census tracts, and thus CAs are ideal for generating aggregated statistical information.
"Neighborhoods" are much smaller boundaries generally defined by local residents and the Chicago real estate association.