The Barack Obama Foundation selected the University of Illinois at Chicago and North Lawndale as one of four finalists to host the Obama Presidential Library and Museum after reviewing its qualifications and three proposed sites. UIC must submit its response to the Foundation’s request for proposals for the library and museum by December 11, 2014. In the original proposal, UIC re-imagined what a presidential library can become, asking not simply where the Library could go, but rather what it can do.
UIC presented three potential sites corresponding to three rings emanating from the Chicago Circle Interchange and centerpoint of the 1909 Burnham Plan of Chicago, due west of the city proper. The specific sites on this historic axis are respectively identified with the academic campus of UIC; the medical campus of UIC; and a site made available through a UIC community partner, the neighborhood of North Lawndale.
One of the more valuable components of this proposal is the feedback generated from the public and surrounding community areas. UIC wants to hear from YOU, particularly around questions of how the library and museum can be imagined to best serve YOUR needs and uses. CivicSource would like to turn this space into a “virtual town hall meeting.” Please share your thoughts, ideas, feedback, and questions in the comments section below. The following are some questions to get you started:
- For the OPL to be a truly accessible and well used Library what services, technologies, and features would the Library need to provide for you?
- What would cause this Library to matter to you?
- What types of classes, instruction, and civic engagement programs would you be interested in utilizing in the Library?
- What could the UIC OPL do to enhance your personal experiences as a student, teacher, or Chicago citizen?
Review the RFQ presented to the foundation: http://presidential-library.uic.edu/files/2014/06/UIC_Pres_Lib_proposal.pdf
For more information regarding the proposal visit http://presidential-library.uic.edu. Proposal highlights can be found at http://presidential-library.uic.edu/proposal-highlights/
