Des Plaines Memory launches on Quartex

Adam Matthew Digital and Des Plaines Public Library are very pleased to announce that the Des Plaines Memory site is now live on Quartex.

Des Plaines Memory is an online archive of historical and cultural materials that illustrate the continuing story of Des Plaines, Illinois, the "City of Destiny." The archive is made possible through a partnership between Des Plaines Public Library and the Des Plaines History Center, with the majority of assets in the collections being curated from the history center’s archives.

The site, which is initially debuting three key collections, focuses on community contributions, with new content being added all the time.

Life During COVID-19 is a mix of photos and over half a dozen essays, all collected last year during quarantine.

On the Streets of Des Plaines, 1915 features photographs taken in downtown Des Plaines, including the commuter train station, pedestrians, and shops – providing a snapshot of what life was like.

Another larger collection of almost 200 assets, My Des Plaines Memory is a “community scrapbook”, comprising photographs submitted by local residents over the last two centuries.

“The feedback since we launched the site has been overwhelmingly positive; we can see that our community of users is much more easily able to find and browse content than before. With Quartex, we’ve been able to build a simple but inviting interface to surround our collections – and we’re looking forward to not only adding to the collections, but also adding other content and resources."

Steven Giese, Digital Projects Librarian, Des Plaines Public Library

"The new Des Plaines Memory site on Quartex is now the easiest way to access segments of the Des Plaines History Center's archives. The collections on Des Plaines Memory bring the history of Des Plaines to community members and the world with its easy-to-use interface."

Philip Mohr, Director, Des Plaines History Center

"Des Plaines Memory is a key initiative providing virtual spaces and events that increase library usage by fostering discovery, creativity, enjoyment of culture and the arts, and by bringing Des Plaines residents together around common interests, both at the library and out in the community."

Jo Bonell, Library Director, Des Plaines Public Library