Unlike one's hometown "library," Chicago's Newberry is not the place to go simply to "check out" the latest Danielle Steele novel or the latest Will Ferrell DVD.

Chicago's Newberry Library is one of those rare and treasured places where the world's greatest scholars go to study; where historians go to bask in the physical presence of well-preserved artifacts from a different age; where book authors and researchers go to debunk myths, verify facts, and analyze data; and where students experience the rigors of in-depth humanities research in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) and Newberry Library Undergraduate Seminar Programs.

Simply put, the Newberry is one of the largest independent research libraries in the United States and a repository for a broad range of countless and priceless collections dating back to the Middle Ages, that fills the stately 10-story building.

Within those walls are some 1.5 million books, 5 million manuscript pages, 150,000 editions of sheet music, and over 300,000 historic maps and charts, many centuries old and from countless countries, civilizations and cultures.

Many items are so fragile, so precious and so painstakingly restored and/or preserved, that while they may be viewed, they may not be touched.

Among the Newberry collection are a first-edition "King James Bible," a 1671 edition of Milton's "Paradise Regained," and a wealth of original letters and documents hand written by historic figures ranging from Thomas Jefferson to Napoleon.

"The books and manuscripts we select must be capable of stimulating original and significant research," said Paul Saenger, Curator of Rare Books and Collection Development Librarian.

Yet despite all of this, the venerable institution also welcomes with open arms members of the general public who thirst for knowledge, are curious about their ancestral roots, and have a deep appreciation for the arts.

More than 100,000 people come to the Newberry each year, according to the statistics supplied by Newberry publicist, Heather Malec.

This volume of people come not only to do research, but to attend the numerous exhibits, seminars, lectures, public programs, rotating displays, academic conferences, workshops, and the celebrated "ensemble-in-residence" musical performances called "The Newberry Consorts."

The Newberry takes great pride in housing one of the best "genealogy" collections in the nation, with over 17,000 genealogies and family histories on the lineage of African American, European and American Indian descendants.

And given the controversy and news coverage surrounding the recent "final dance" of the University of Illinois' athletic mascot Chief Illiniwek, it would be remiss not to mention the Newberry's "D'Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian History."

Since being founded in 1972, the McNickle Center's goal has been to improve the quality of what is written and depicted about American Indians; to educate teachers about American Indian culture, history and literature; and to assist American Indian tribal historians in their research.

The library, which opened in 1885, is named after wealthy 1800s Chicago civic leader, Walter L. Newberry, an avid reader and book collector, who bequeathed half of his estate to found this home for the humanities and for historical preservation.

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The Newberry Library

When: 8:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays; 8:15 a.m. to 7:3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; closed Sundays

Where: 60 Walton St., Chicago

Cost: Free

FYI: (312) 255-3700