The conference will take place in June on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 126,638 and are situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 125 miles west of Indianapolis, and 180 northeast of St. Louis.
Transportation
The University of Illinois Willard Airport (Airport Code: CMI) serves the Champaign-Urbana area. Other Airport Options (the following airports are at least two hours away from Urbana-Champaign and will require you to make additional arrangements to get to campus):
AMTRAK has service between downtown Chicago and Champaign. Bus services are provided by the following companies:
- Peoria Charter (private bus company) serves many different locations including both Chicago airports (O’Hare and Midway), Union Station in Chicago, and a number of Chicago suburbs. Pick up is available from Terminal 2 departures upper level at the O’Hare International Airport with multiple drop-off points on-campus.
- Greyhound (private bus company) has daily service between Chicago and Champaign. Pick up is available from downtown Chicago with drop-off at the Illinois Terminal in downtown Champaign.
While on-campus, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) bus system serves a wide variety of stops across the area. The campus is a Bicycle Friendly University and the Cities of Urbana and Champaign are both Bicycle Friendly Communities, making us leaders among other communities and universities. For more information on public transportation while in Champaign-Urbana, please visit the International Student and Scholar Services page on the topic.
Places to Stay
Please reach out to the conference organizers for information about participant lodging.
Places to Eat
There are plenty of places to eat or grab a cup of coffee within walking distance of the UIUC campus.
- The Bread Company (Goodwin Avenue, near Krannert Center) – A local favorite that serves some of the best breakfast sandwiches around. They have sandwiches, soup, and salads at lunch, and pizza, pasta, small plates and more at dinner.
- Manolo’s (Oregon and Goodwin) – Pizza by the slice and empanadas. Manolo’s is located a few steps away from The Bread Company, and is a great option for a quick and delicious slice of pizza. They have a small counter and tables outside, but most people grab the pizza and eat it on the go.
- Maize in the Illini Union – There are a number of restaurants in the Illini Union with plenty of seating, and it’s unlikely to be too busy in the summer. Particularly noteworthy there is Maize, a local authentic Mexican restaurant. If you have a car, you can also check out their larger sit-down location across the street from the Amtrak station.
- Schwarma Joint (Green) – Very popular fast and casual middle-Eastern food with plenty of vegetarian options.
- Restaurants on Green St – There are tons of restaurants on Green St between Wright and 6th Street, all of which are close walking distance. This is where you will find the usual fast food: Chipotle, Panda Express, McDonalds, Raising Cane’s, as well as more local places like Schwarma Joint, mentioned above, Bangkok Thai, Burrito King, Sakanaya Sushi, Four Breakfasts, and more.
- Espresso Royale (Oregon and Goodwin)– Located between The Bread Co. and Manolo’s, this is a great option if you need a coffee shop to work. They have plenty of seating on two levels, plus great coffee, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and more.
- Caffe Bene (Two locations: Gregory Street, and another on Green) – Korean coffee shop chain with plenty of snacks and desserts.
- Caffe Paradiso (Lincoln and Nevada) – Independent coffee shop. Another great place to work; they also have pastries, breads, and soups.
- Starbucks – There is one located inside the Illini Bookstore and another in the Illini Union.
About the Library and The Slavic Reference Service
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library is one of the largest public academic libraries in the United States. Holdings currently total “more than thirteen million volumes and 24 million items and materials in all formats, languages, and subjects, including 9 million microforms, 120,000 serials, 148,000 audio-recordings, over 930,000 audiovisual materials, over 280,000 electronic books, 12,000 films, and 650,000 maps.” For more information on the library system, please visit the University Library’s main website.
The Slavic Reference Service at UIUC’s International and Area Studies (IAS) Library handles bibliographic and reference questions in all subject areas connected to Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. The Service’s specific purview involves the following consultation-based activities:
- Answering bibliographic and reference queries.
- Identifying materials in our collection and libraries.
- Verifying and correcting citations.
- Suggesting reference materials you might find relevant for your research.
- Helping you locate difficult–to–find sources.
- Making copies of chapters or short articles held at UIUC through our Duplication Service.
- Offering access through our website to extensive research resources organized by country.
If you are looking for an answer to a general query, please fill out the Slavic Reference Service Query form; if you are looking to secure digital copies of resources held at the University of Illinois Library remotely, please contact the SRS’ Duplication Team through our Duplication Request Form. Finally, to schedule a consultation with a member of the SRS staff, please use our Make an Appointment application and indicate your location and affiliation. To learn more about our consultation sessions, please see the FAQ located below.