http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/eadafc.af0040## The Book Circle records E.J. Carter Encoded by Dian Hoover 2008-05 Finding aid written in English Collection Summary MSS 1994-766 The Book Circle The Book Circle records 1943-1993 3 boxes; 4.5 linear feet Chicago State University, Archives and Special Collections,
Chicago, IL 60128
The Book Circle was a reading group organized by African-American women on the South Side of Chicago to “boost morale” during World War II. The group continued to meet on a monthly basis over the next fifty years. The collection includes meeting minutes, photographs, scrapbooks, and constitutions. English Administrative Information Location

Bin#: 0204307B

Restrictions

None

Preferred Citation

The Book Circle records, [Box#, Folder#] Chicago State University Archives and Special Collections.

Administrative history

The Book Circle was a reading group organized by African-American women on the south side of Chicago to “boost morale” during World War II. The group resolved to read a book a month and continued to meet on a monthly basis over the next fifty years. The Book Circle was founded by Ora C. Morrow, who became the its first president. Oneita Farrell was chair of the Steering Committee and later replaced Morrow as president. Vivian Harsh, Chicago’s first African-American librarian and curator of what is now the Harsh collection at Woodson Public Library, was also a member and contributor. Originally the group met at the South Side Community Center, but by the 1980s they were gathering at the Windemere Hotel in Hyde Park.

Subject Terms Topics Book clubs (discussion groups) Topics Group reading Topics African-American women Names Morrow, Ora C. Names Farrell, Oneita Names Harsh, Vivian G. Scope and Content

The collection includes 8 carefully compiled scrapbooks. Three deal with meetings and readings from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s; these include correspondence and photographs as well. The others are devoted to the group’s constitutions, programs, and invitations. Three bound volumes contain The Book Circle’s meeting minutes, and there is a small collection of realia, including a porcelain miniature book given to Ora C. Morrow on the group’s 50th anniversary.

Arrangement

Papers were arranged and labeled by The Book Circle. Original order preserved.

Collection Inventory and Description 1 1 Nostalgia [scrapbook] 1 2 Quotations and poetry [scrapbook] 1 3 1940s [scrapbook] 1 4 1950s [scrapbook] 1 5 1960s [scrapbook] 2 1 Constitution[scrapbook] 2 2 Programs[scrapbook] 2 3 Invitations: Meeting Postcards[scrapbook] 2 4 Meeting minutes 1949-1965 2 5 Meeting minutes 1965-1969 2 6 Meeting minutes 1971-1983 3 1 Booklet of photos 3 2 Plaque marking 29th anniversary of The Book Circle 3 3 Porcelain book display marking 50th anniversary of The Book Circle 3 4 Medallion