Collections concern the civilizations of western Europe and the Americas from the late Middle Ages to the early 20th century, including European exploration and settlement of the New World, the American West, and Native American history and literature. These collections comprise materials on the Renaissance, the French Revolution, Portuguese and Brazilian history, and British history and literature. Students explore together a common theme chosen for the semester and complete individual research projects under the guidance of course instructors. Participants work on their projects together with the program directors and alongside the Library's visiting scholars as well as drawing on the expertise of the library staff. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the cultural life in Chicago and to attend exhibits, theatre, the symphony, conferences, special events and city tours.
Housing is provided in shared apartments.