Research Information

The Bureau County History Center & Historical Society acquires and preserves records created by, for, and about Bureau County people, communities, and events. These records include, but are not limited to, cemetery files, surname family files, Civil War and other military records, one-room schoolhouse or community school files, town history files, organization records, plat maps and atlases, family photo collections, individual family collections, scrapbooks, the Henry W. Immke Photography Collection, and the Bill Lamb Collection, in addition to artifacts concerned with the history of Bureau County.

Hours

The Research Library is open to researchers Wednesday- Saturday, Noon to 5 p.m. Appointments are preferred. Call 815.875.2184 for an appointment.

Registration

All researchers are requested to sign in, providing their name, address, and research topic.

Regulations

1. Staff will respond to simple queries, taking less than 15 minutes of research, at no charge, except for the cost of photocopies, detailed below. Beyond simple queries, the fee for staff to conduct genealogical or historical research from our sources is $15.00 per hour. Staff will pull materials from the archives; if no other assistance is required, research time is unlimited. Please leave materials on the Research Library table; staff will return them to the archives.
2. No ink of any kind may be used in the research area; Use pencils only.
3. Laptops may be brought into the archives and used in the Research Library.
4. Eating and drinking are prohibited when archives are present. Smoking is prohibited at all times.
5. All archival materials must be handled carefully: use only one folder at a time and keep the papers in their existing order. Do not place books or volumes face down. Do not lean or press on archival materials. Do not trace maps or other records.
6. No material in the archives may be removed from the Research Library.
7. Researchers are advised that it is their responsibility, not that of the Curator, Research Assistant, or other employees of the Bureau County History Center, to obtain copyright clearance to publish or otherwise reproduce or distribute copyrighted archival material. If publishing material obtained from the Research Library that is owned by the Bureau County Historical Society, please use the following attribution: Name of the Collection, Bureau County Historical Society, Princeton, IL.
8. The Research Library is not a lending library and therefore does not loan out materials.

Photocopying

Museum staff will make all copies. Please limit copies to no more than 30 pages. Unless restricted or protected by copyright conditions, photocopies of material will be supplied for research purposes at the following rates: 

• Costs for general photocopies are as follows:

• $0.50  8 ½ x 11 letter size

• $0.75 8 ½ x 14 legal size

• $1.00 11 x 17

H.W. Immke Photography Collection (1866-1923)

If you are interested in staff searching the H.W. Immke Collection database for a photograph of an individual, please fill out the attached form with the surnames you are interested in and either mail it to us or email it to museum@bureauhistory.org. A PDF form listing the images we have for that surname will be provided to you via email, so make sure you include your email on the form. You will be asked to peruse the search results for the particular image you are interested in. It is $10.00 per image to email it to you, which includes any light photo-shopping of the image to eliminate blemishes. Alternatively, there is a $20.00 fee to print the photo on photo paper. Payment is required in advance before the image can be provided to you. Payment can be made with a card over the phone, by cash, or with a check written out to the Bureau County History Center.

As a non-profit organization devoted to the rich history of Bureau County, our funding is provided by donations, memberships, tours and research fees. The generosity of many individuals to sustain our collections and services. Thank you for your support!