The Chicago History Museum has reduced hours at its Abakanowicz Research Center by roughly 50 percent following staff reductions tied to a labor dispute, according to a recent report in the Chicago Sun-Times. The library, which supports academic and public research, is now open only three days a week and during limited hours, paring down access for students and researchers.
The cutbacks came after employees voted in February to unionize under the Chicago History Museum Workers United. Several staff members involved in the organizing effort were later dismissed, and in July museum officials informed remaining staff that their hours would be reduced to part-time, leaving them without health insurance and a significant portion of their income, the Sun-Times reported. Museum officials have not said when or if full staffing and hours will be restored.
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The changes affect access to the city’s archival holdings, which include police records and personal papers of notable figures. In 2024 the research staff handled more than 5,500 requests from university researchers, students, artists, and members of the public, according to the Sun-Times.
The staffing reductions come at a time of broader financial strain on cultural institutions. In April 2025, Block Club Chicago reported that Illinois Humanities lost about $2 million in federal funding—roughly one-third of its budget—after the Trump administration cut allocations from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Leaders at cultural groups across the city said at the time that the loss could limit free programs and resources for museums and other arts organizations.