Introduction to the Collection

Introduction to Illinois Chapter APCO's Historical Collection at the Bradley University Library

The Illinois Chapter APCO is one of the oldest and largest APCO chapters. A number of national APCO presidents and early national secretaries came from the Illinois Chapter. Their files and records, Proceedings (a word by word transcript) of Annual Conferences from 1939 through 1955, plus many other items of Chapter and Association heritage are included in this Historical Collection. The collection was founded in 1982 and is located in the Virginius H. Chase Special Collections Center of Bradley University's Cullom-Davis Library. The Library and Illinois APCO encourage the use of this collection by any interested persons. The complete collection is a tribute to the efforts and the dedication of those who helped mold public safety communications into what it is today.

The official journal of the Association is the APCO BULLETIN, published monthly. The Collection now has at least one copy of every known BULLETIN issue from the very first one in February, 1935, to date. Copies of each new issue are being mailed directly to the library to keep the collection current. We would appreciate each member's assistance in helping us complete additional sets of the older issues. In some cases, we only lack one or two issues to complete another annual volume. In other instances, we have three or more copies of certain issues. We welcome duplicate copies so we can later help other APCO chapters or affiliates establish similar historical collections worldwide.

To better preserve and protect these records, and to make it more practical for controlling their library distribution, we originally were having one set of copies of the APCO BULLETIN magazines hard-bound into annual volumes. The binding method was specially selected to allow for flat page copying without damaging the bound volume. Samples of those volumes have been displayed at various APCO Regional and Association Annual Conferences. More recently, we have been electronically scanning the oldest issues into Adobe Acrobat pdf format files, which allows us to post colored images on this Web site.

We already have an impressive collection; but we urge each APCO member to search out old issues to help our association in this effort. We also appreciate receiving any photographs or tidbits of historical interest to add to this collection. Subject matter does not have to be strictly APCO, but can be anything relating to early public safety communications. Please contact Illinois APCO's Chapter Historian, David Swan, if you can help.

The Bradley University Library offers our collection all the safeguards we could ever wish for. Not only is the collection stored in a temperature and humidity controlled, fire-protected vault; but persons are available who provide access and security for its use. Furthermore, the collection is located on the campus of a large university where it offers an educational opportunity for youth to learn more about APCO and our heritage. However, the collection remains the property of Illinois APCO; and the Chapter can dictate any special conditions or rules necessary to protect the collection or to make it more accessible to legitimate users.

Illinois APCO would welcome an opportunity to help other APCO chapters or affiliates establish similar collections for the benefit of their local members. Our single location cannot possibly contain all the historical items that are unique to APCO's current forty-eight chapters and international affiliates. Nor is it wise for the Association to place all copies of our historical documents in any single location. We have already accumulated duplicate copies of many items with the intention of later sharing or trading to help other chapters. Copies of our Chapter's Agreement with the Bradley Library are also available to assist in your efforts. Please contact Illinois Chapter Historian David Swan for help in getting your collection started.

What's New?
Link to revision history of this Web site, including links to all additions and changes, plus information on deletions.

© Copyright 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Illinois Chapter, Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc. (Illinois APCO). All rights reserved. The APCO logo and all published material referenced on this Web site (including the searchable database and all subsidiary Web pages) are protected by earlier copyrights owned by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc. (APCO) of Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.



	Introduction to Illinois Chapter APCO's Historical Collection at the Bradley University Library

	The Illinois Chapter APCO is one of the oldest and largest APCO chapters. A number of national APCO presidents and early national secretaries came from the Illinois Chapter. Their files and records, Proceedings (a word by word transcript) of Annual Conferences from 1939 through 1955, plus many other items of Chapter and Association heritage are included in this Historical Collection. The collection was founded in 1982 and is located in the Virginius H. Chase Special Collections Center of Bradley University's Cullom-Davis Library. The Library and Illinois APCO encourage the use of this collection by any interested persons. The complete collection is a tribute to the efforts and the dedication of those who helped mold public safety communications into what it is today. The official journal of the Association is the APCO BULLETIN, published monthly. The Collection now has at least one copy of every known BULLETIN issue from the very first one in February, 1935, to date. Copies of each new issue are being mailed directly to the library to keep the collection current. We would appreciate each member's assistance in helping us complete additional sets of the older issues. In some cases, we only lack one or two issues to complete another annual volume. In other instances, we have three or more copies of certain issues. We welcome duplicate copies so we can later help other APCO chapters or affiliates establish similar historical collections worldwide. To better preserve and protect these records, and to make it more practical for controlling their library distribution, we originally were having one set of copies of the APCO BULLETIN magazines hard-bound into annual volumes. The binding method was specially selected to allow for flat page copying without damaging the bound volume. Samples of those volumes have been displayed at various APCO Regional and Association Annual Conferences. More recently, we have been electronically scanning the oldest issues into Adobe Acrobat pdf format files, which allows us to post colored images on this Web site. We already have an impressive collection; but we urge each APCO member to search out old issues to help our association in this effort. We also appreciate receiving any photographs or tidbits of historical interest to add to this collection. Subject matter does not have to be strictly APCO, but can be anything relating to early public safety communications. Please contact Illinois APCO's Chapter Historian, David Swan, if you can help. The Bradley University Library offers our collection all the safeguards we could ever wish for. Not only is the collection stored in a temperature and humidity controlled, fire-protected vault; but persons are available who provide access and security for its use. Furthermore, the collection is located on the campus of a large university where it offers an educational opportunity for youth to learn more about APCO and our heritage. However, the collection remains the property of Illinois APCO; and the Chapter can dictate any special conditions or rules necessary to protect the collection or to make it more accessible to legitimate users. Illinois APCO would welcome an opportunity to help other APCO chapters or affiliates establish similar collections for the benefit of their local members. Our single location cannot possibly contain all the historical items that are unique to APCO's current forty-eight chapters and international affiliates. Nor is it wise for the Association to place all copies of our historical documents in any single location. We have already accumulated duplicate copies of many items with the intention of later sharing or trading to help other chapters. Copies of our Chapter's Agreement with the Bradley Library are also available to assist in your efforts. Please contact Illinois Chapter Historian David Swan for help in getting your collection started.

	What's New?	Link to revision history of this Web site, including links to all additions and changes, plus information on deletions.


	© Copyright 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Illinois Chapter, Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc. (Illinois APCO). All rights reserved. The APCO logo and all published material referenced on this Web site (including the searchable database and all subsidiary Web pages) are protected by earlier copyrights owned by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc. (APCO) of Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.