Newberry Library

Earlier this month, Director of Teacher Programs Kara Johnson received the 2025-26 Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Engagement at the Communities in Schools of Chicago End-of-Year Appreciation Event.

Through the Newberry's program partnership with CIS, the Newberry was able to reach more than 90 CPS teachers: a new record high! Educators assembled at the Newberry to engage with a diverse array of seminar topics, including "Race and Book History," "Indigenous Chicago," "Teaching Critical Issues in Asian American History," and more.

The Newberry is pleased to share that it has acquired the collection of Poetry Slam founder Marc Kelly Smith, who started the long-running poetry series in Chicago in 1984. The collection consists of over 30 linear feet of programs, publicity, audiovisual materials (cassettes, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes), artifacts, and administrative files (physical and digital) documenting the history of the Poetry Slam and its predecessors such as the Chicago Poetry Ensemble.

Smith coined and founded the Poetry Slam, performing first at the Get Me High Lounge in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood in 1984, and then moving it in 1986 to the larger stage at the Green Mill Lounge in Uptown, where it is still held to this day. It is the longest running show at the Green Mill, and the longest running poetry series in the United States. Poetry Slams have become an international phenomenon, occurring on stages, coffee shops, and bars worldwide, across ages and demographics, and taught from grade schools to universities.

Read the full story at the link in our comments!

The Newberry is pleased to share that it has acquired the collection of Poetry Slam founder Marc Kelly Smith, who started the long-running poetry series in Chicago in 1984. The collection consists of over 30 linear feet of programs, publicity, audiovisual materials (cassettes, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes), artifacts, and administrative files (physical and digital) documenting the history of the Poetry Slam and its predecessors, such as the Chicago Poetry Ensemble.

To honor the acquisition, a celebration will take place at the Newberry on July 25, the 40th anniversary of the first slam event at the Green Mill. Click the link to learn more about the collection and upcoming events: https://www.newberry.org/news/the-newberry-has-acquired-the-marc-kelly-smith-poetry-slam-collection