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| Entry sign for the Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. |
On November 6, 2015, CARA members gathered at the Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, for their annual Fall Meeting.
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| Stained glass in the lobby of the Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. |
As stated on their
website, the Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America preserve, protect and make accessible the records of the ELCA, its predecessor church bodies, inter-Lutheran agencies and prominent leaders of the church. Working with the archives of the 65 synods and nine regions of the ELCA, the ELCA Archives serves historians, congregations, synods, genealogists and others interested in Lutheran history by providing resources and answering questions.
Joel Thoreson, Archivist for Management, Reference, and Technology, welcomed CARA members and led a tour of the archives, which occupies a building formerly used by a printing company.
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| The ELCA Archives collections storage space features high ceilings and tall shelving units |
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ELCA Archivist Joel Thoreson leads a tour of the collections storage space
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Joel estimates that the archives holds 15,000 linear feet of material in various formats including books, artwork, documents, films, photographs, and artifacts. For those who are unable to visit the archives in person, Joel and his staff offer an
online catalogue to aid researchers in finding the materials that they need.
After the tour concluded, CARA members and Joel headed to a nearby Lou Malnati's for pizza and fellowship. Thank you to Joel Thoreson and his staff for a great Fall Meeting!
