During the summer and fall of 2017, University of Illinois Librarian JJ Pionke interviewed 21 veterans from the University, the Champaign-Urbana community, and her family about their experiences in the military as well as their reading habits and library usage both on active duty and as veterans.

From these interviews, Pionke developed a research study and designed an exhibit that ran during November 2017 in the North South hallway of the Main Library.  The audio recordings of the interviews themselves were deposited in both the Library of Congress and the State Library of Illinois where they will be accessible to future generations.