▁fund ing ▁the ▁National ▁Digital ▁New sp aper ▁Program ▁( ND NP ), ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁IN P ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁part . ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁establishment ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁the ▁IN P ▁has ▁been ▁staff ed ▁by ▁li br ari ans ▁from ▁the ▁Illinois ▁State ▁Historical ▁Library ▁( IS HL ), ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Historical ▁Society ▁( CH S ), ▁and ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁at ▁U rb ana – Ch amp aign ▁( UI UC ) ▁Library , ▁respectively . ▁The ▁I SH L , ▁now ▁the ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁President ial ▁Library ▁( AL PL ), ▁participated ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁The ▁CH S , ▁now ▁the ▁Chicago ▁History ▁Museum ▁( CH M ), ▁worked ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 ▁northern most ▁Illinois ▁count ies . ▁When ▁the ▁UI UC ▁Library ▁joined ▁the ▁project ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁( and ▁the ▁IN P ▁re located ▁its ▁offices ▁there ), ▁it ▁became ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁central ▁and ▁southern ▁Illinois ▁count ies . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁– ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁ ▁The ▁Illinois ▁State ▁Historical ▁Library ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Illinois ▁institution ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁US NP , ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁planning ▁grant ▁from ▁the ▁National ▁End ow ment ▁for ▁the ▁Human ities ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁survey ▁to ▁assess ▁the ▁state ' s