Since 2001, the Poem Present Reading and Lecture series has been bringing distinguished contemporary poets to The University of Chicago to read from their work as well as to speak on topics in contemporary poetry of interest to them. This is a unique two-part format designed to meet students and scholars halfway, so to speak. Over the years, the series has expanded to include performances and bilingual events as well. In 2003-2004, the Chicago Media Initiatives Group (CMIG) began capturing each season of Poem Present in both digital video and audio formats for archiving in the University Library as well as for online publication.