From the Nominator

In thinking about our annual report calendar, our five-person team brainstorms together and mulls over all of our library’s treasures. There’s a great deal of content to consider given the nearly 15 million volumes and 24 million other items in our collection. 

This year, we settled on several maps from our map library. The map collection at Illinois comprises more than 630,000 maps and photographs. Map coverage includes worldwide materials produced as far back as the 19th century. Our goal was to select visually compelling maps that could best reflect the various months of the year. For example, we selected the 100 Aker Wood map for the month of January because National Winnie the Pooh Day is January 18. It only seemed fitting to include Map Showing the Overland and Oversees Flights of Charles A. Lindbergh for May since the aviator made the first solo nonstop flight over the Atlantic on May 20, 1927.  

In the past, we realized many of our donors would receive our annual report and then toss or recycle it after reading. With a calendar, we found that many keep and display it for the entire year given the beautiful and interesting images. Some have told us they save and collect the calendars. We get calls every fall asking when next year’s calendar will arrive in mailboxes. We received numerous compliments this year.

From the Judges

This piece showcases an amazing utilization of maps and their old formats, adding a unique and captivating element to the piece. The structure is well-planned, allowing for a seamless flow of information and maintaining the reader's interest throughout. The engaging nature of this project further enhances its impact, drawing the audience into a compelling exploration of the subject matter.