A New Year: Looking Forward to 2026
A New Year: Looking Forward to 2026
By Scott English, President, Pritzker Military Museum & Library
A new year always brings a moment to pause, reflect, and look forward. At the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, 2026 is shaping up to be a year about connection. Connection to history, to one another, and to the mission we share with our members, supporters, and friends.
Our first initiative for 2026 represents the transformational work ahead. Our Reading Room is becoming the Citizen Soldier Community Library. This is more than a renovation; it is a renewed commitment to how people use the Museum and Library. The Citizen Soldier Community Library will be a place where veterans, researchers, students, families, and curious visitors can gather to study, ask questions, and learn together. Sometimes that means quiet research and other times it means conversation. Either way, it will be a place where people feel welcome.
Libraries thrive when people come back again and again. That notion guides our work towards this transformation. We are expanding access to collections, strengthening research support, and shaping the space to encourage both focused work and thoughtful exchange. For members, the Citizen Soldier Community Library will be a year-round benefit and a reason to stay connected. For visitors, it will offer a clear path to take the next step with PMML.
To help make this vision a reality, we have just begun a fundraising effort focused on the Citizen Soldier Community Library. Gifts to this campaign will directly support the reimagining of the space, expanded programming, and improved research services. If PMML has been meaningful to you, this is a tangible way to help build a place that serves our community all year long. And if you are not yet a member, joining PMML is one of the most direct ways to support this work while enjoying access to programs, resources, and events throughout the year.
Programming is what brings spaces like this to life, and the year ahead will be a busy one. We are expanding both in-person and online programs, from lectures and author talks to workshops and conversations that connect military history to the world we live in today. Some programs will take place in the transformed Library, while others will reach you wherever you are.
Online programs allow us to stay connected between visits. They help members remain engaged throughout the year and welcome new audiences into the PMML community. Expect more hybrid events, more recorded programs, and more opportunities to participate on your schedule. We also welcome your ideas and suggestions for programs you would like us to offer.
We are also taking a thoughtful look at how people experience the PMML, both in the building and online. In the coming year, we will invite an outside evaluation of our museum space to better understand how visitors move through exhibits and where improvements will make the biggest difference. At the same time, we are reviewing our website to make it easier to navigate and more useful for members, researchers, and first-time visitors alike. These efforts share a simple goal. Help people get the most out of their relationship with PMML.
Several community gatherings will anchor the year. We will observe Medal of Honor Day on March 25, a time to reflect on service, sacrifice, and responsibility. On May 23, we will host a Memorial Day community event focused on remembrance. We will also come together to celebrate. The Liberty Bash returns on May 30 at the PMML in Kenosha, followed by the Liberty Gala on September 19, our next celebration in Chicago.
The idea of the Citizen Soldier is rooted in real lives and shared experiences. As we begin the year ahead, we ask you to take an active role in this work. Consider making a gift in support of the Citizen Soldier Community Library. If you are not yet a member, we encourage you to join PMML and become part of a growing community that engages with history, service, and civic life throughout the year.
You can also help extend our reach by sharing our newsletter with friends and colleagues who value thoughtful conversation, learning, and public service. Encourage others to sign up, attend programs, and discover what PMML has to offer.
Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to seeing you in the Museum and Library, online, and in our shared community throughout the year ahead.