Chicago Public Library
Established	1873
Number of branches	79
Population served	2.8 million
Budget	$106,000,000 annually
Website	chipublib.org

The Chicago Public Library consists of 79 branches throughout the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 1622 KB) The Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago. ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ...

History

In the aftermath of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, Londoner A.H. Burgess, with the aid of Thomas Hughes drew up what would be called the "English Book Donation," which proposed that England should provide a free library to the burnt-out city. After circulating requests for donations throughout English society, the project donated 8,000 books. Private donors included Queen Victoria, Benjamin Disraeli, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, John Stuart Mill, John Ruskin, and Matthew Arnold. Artists rendering of the fire, by John R Chapin, originally printed in Harpers Weekly The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday October 8 to early Tuesday October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about four square miles in Chicago, Illinois. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A statue of Thomas Hughes at Rugby School Thomas Hughes (October 20, 1822 – March 22, 1896) was an English lawyer and author. ... Julio Pérez Ferrero Library - Cúcuta, Colombia A modern-style library in Chambéry A library is a collection of information, sources, resources, and services: it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. ... Queen Victoria redirects here. ... Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (December 21, 1804 - April 24, British Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and author. ... Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (August 6, 1809 - October 6, 1892) is generally regarded as one of the greatest English poets. ... Robert Browning (May 7, 1812 – December 12, 1889) was a British poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets. ... John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 8 May 1873), British philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. ... Upper: Steel-plate engraving of Ruskin as a young man, made circa 1845, scanned from print made circa 1895. ... Matthew Arnold Caricature from Punch, 1881: Admit that Homer sometimes nods, That poets do write trash, Our Bard has written Balder Dead, And also Balder-dash Family tree Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic, who worked as an inspector of schools. ...

In Chicago, city leaders petitioned Mayor Joseph Medill to hold a meeting and establish the library. The meeting led to the Illinois Library Act of 1872, which allowed Illinois cities to establish tax-supported libraries. In April 1872, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance establishing the Chicago Public Library, and on January 1, 1873, the Chicago Public Library officially opened its doors in an abandoned iron water tank at LaSalle and Adams Streets. The collection included 3,157 volumes. The water tank was 58 feet in diameter, 21 feet high and with a 30 foot foundation. A two story office building was soon built around it to hold city offices, and a third floor reading room was built for the library. Joseph Medill (April 6, 1823–March 16, 1899) is better known as the business manager and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune than as mayor of Chicago, Illinois, although his term in office occurred during two of the most important years of the citys history as Chicago tried to... This article is about the U.S. State. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

On October 24, 1873, William Frederick Poole was elected the first head librarian by the library's Board of Directors. Poole was mainly concerned during his tenure on building the circulation. In 1874, circulation services began with 13,000 out of 17,533 available for lending. The library moved from place to place during its first 24 years. Eleven years it spent on the fourth floor of city hall. In 1887, Poole resigned to organize the Newberry Library of Chicago. is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... William Frederick Poole (24 December 1821 - 1 March 1894) was an American bibliographer and librarian born in Salem, Massachusetts. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Newberry Library Newberry Library Newberry Library from Washington Square Park The Newberry Library is a research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois, established in 1887 by a bequest by Walter Loomis Newberry. ...

On October 15, 1887, Frederick H. Hild was elected the second Librarian of the Chicago Public Library, and securing a permanent home was his primary drive. Ten years later, the Central Library was opened. Designed by the Boston firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge in Richardsonian Romanesque, it was located on Michigan Avenue between Washington Street and Randolph Street on land donated by the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War Veterans group led by John A. Logan, a Civil War General and U.S. Senator from Illinois. In return for the land the Library was to maintain a Civil War collection and exhibit in a G.A.R. room until the last northern Civil War veteran died. The library would remain on this site for the next 96 years. It is now the Chicago Cultural Center. is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge was a notable architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts between 1886 and 1915. ... Richardsonian Romanesque has both French and Spanish Romanesque characteristics, like the First Presbyterian Church in Detroit, Michigan by architechs George D. Mason and Zachariah Rice in 1891 Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of American architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston in Massachusetts. ... Stephenson GAR Memorial, Washington, D.C. The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army who had served in the American Civil War. ... For other persons with similar names, see John Logan. ... Chicago Cultural Center Healy and Millet stained glass dome at the Chicago Cultural Center Grand Staircase and Preston Bradley Hall, with view of the Tiffany dome The Chicago Cultural Center in the City of Chicago is the landmark building that houses the citys official reception venue where the Mayor...

Henry E. Legler assumed the leadership of the Chicago Public Library on October 11, 1909. Previously a Wisconsin Progressive, he was well-known as an aggressive advocate of the expansion of library service. In 1916, Legler presented his "Library Plan for the Whole City," the first comprehensive branch library system in the nation. A landmark in library history, the plan called for an extensive network of neighborhood library locations throughout Chicago. The goal of the plan was to bring "library service within the walking distance of home for every person in Chicago who can read or wants to use books." Legler was succeeded by his assistant Carl B. Roden in 1918. Roden served as Chief Librarian until 1950.

Roden was succeeded in 1951 by Chief Librarian Gertrude E. Gscheidle, During her tenure the Library expanded its service to Chicago's neighborhoods by modernizing its bookmobile services. In the 1960s several new neighborhood branch libraries were constructed or were established in leased storefronts or reading rooms.

The two-story, 62,000-square-foot Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, named after the "Father of Modern Black Historiography," opened its doors in December of 1975. The library features the Vivian Harsh Research Collection, one of the largest repositories of African-American archival information in the Midwest. A decade later, Chicago Public Library replaced its northwest side regional library when the Conrad Sulzer Regional Library opened to the public in late 1985.

In 1974, the Board of Directors authorized an $11 million renovation of the Central Library. While the restoration of the original central library proved a great success, the collections remained warehoused outside the old library while the City debated the status of the future of the central library. One plan was to move the library to the former Rothchild/Goldblatts Department Store which stood empty on Chicago's State Street and had reverted to City ownership.

The Chicago Sun-Times editorial board and Cindy Pritzker, then President of the Library Board, launched a grassroots campaign to build a new state-of-the-art library. On July 29, 1987, Mayor Harold Washington and the Chicago City Council authorized a design and construction competition for a new, one-and-a-half block $144 million library at 400 South State Street. The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Harold Washington (April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987) was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death. ... Chicago City Hall, adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Center, houses the chambers of the Chicago City Council. ...

Current Services

In 1991, the Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago's new central library, named for the late mayor, opened to the public. It was the world's largest municipal public library at the time of its opening. It is accessible from the Brown, Orange, Purple Line, and new Pink Line trains at the "Library" stop, as well as from the Blue Line "LaSalle" and "Jackson" stops, and from the Red Line "Jackson" stop. The Chicago Public Library consists of 79 branches throughout the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. History Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago. ... The Brown Line (Ravenswood Service) of the Chicago Transit Authority Chicago L rapid transit system, is a 11. ... The Orange Line , also called the Midway Line, is a heavy rail line in Chicago, Illinois run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the el system. ... The Purple Line of the Chicago Transit Authority is a 3. ... Pink Line (Douglas-Loop Service) is the name of a new rapid transit service to be operated by the Chicago Transit Authority in Chicago, Illinois for a trial period of 180 days. ... Library-State/Van Buren (commonly simply Library) is an L station serving the CTAs Brown, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Red Line (Howard-Dan Ryan Service) is a heavy rail line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago L system. ...

Since 1994 the Chicago Public Library has been led by Commissioner Mary A. Dempsey who was appointed by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Dempsey launched an aggressive rebuilding project, replacing or rehabilitating the majority of Chicago's neighborhood library branches. Many of the new branches are library-owned full service facilities which replaced older branch libraries or rented storefronts. Others have been constructed in neighborhoods that were not previously served by a branch library. It has been the largest and most successful urban library expansion in recent history. Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party and current mayor of Chicago, Illinois. ...

Some of the free innovative programming the Chicago Public Library offers to its patrons includes: The One Book One Chicago program, The Summer Reading Program, The Adult Summer Reading Program, Bookamania (held every November), Great Kids Museum Passport Program (allows patrons free admission to a variety of Chicago's world-class institutions), Words & Music Program (which provides patrons with free lawn tickets to selected Ravinia concerts), etc.

The Chicago Public Library offers free lecture series covering a variety of topics including: Law at the Library (a free monthly lecture series that offers participants the opportunity to speak with a legal professional about a variety of legal topics), Money Smart (a series of financial literacy programs), Author Series, etc.

The Chicago Public Library provides access to a large selection of databases, most of which are also available for use at home or other remote location, with a Chicago Public Library card.

The Chicago Public Library has 79 local branches. It is one of the largest urban library systems in the world.

Branches

Central Library

Harold Washington Library Center The Chicago Public Library consists of 79 branches throughout the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. History Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago. ...

Regional Libraries

North

• Sulzer Regional Library

Conrade Sulzer Regional Library is one of two regional libraries in the Chicago Public Library system in Chicago. ...

South

Carter Woodson Library

• Woodson Regional Library

Carter Woodson biographical cartoon by Charles Alston, 1943 Professor Carter Godwin Woodson (December 19, 1875 — April 3, 1950) was an African American historian, author, journalist and the founder of Black History Month. ...

North District

• Albany Park Branch
• Austin-Irving Branch
• Bezazian Branch
• Bucktown-Wicker Park Branch
• Budlong Woods Branch
• Damen Avenue Branch
• Edgebrook Branch
• Edgewater Branch
• Galewood-Mont Clare Branch
• Humboldt Branch
• Independence Branch
• Jefferson Park Branch
• Lincoln-Belmont Branch
• Lincoln Park Branch
• Logan Square Branch
• Mayfair Branch
• John Merlo Branch
• North Austin Branch
• North Pulaski Branch
• Northtown Branch
• Oriole Park Branch
• Portage-Cragin Branch
• Roden Branch
• Rogers Park Branch
• Uptown Branch
• West Addison Branch
• West Belmont Branch

Central District

• Archer Heights Branch
• Austin Branch
• Back of the Yards Branch
• Blackstone Branch
• Brighton Park Branch
• Canaryville Branch
• Chicago Bee Branch
• Chinatown Branch
• Richard J. Daley Branch
• Douglass Branch
• Eckhart Park Branch
• Gage Park Branch
• Garfield Ridge Branch
• Hall Branch
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch
• Legler Branch
• Rudy Lozano Branch
• Mabel Manning Branch
• Marshall Square Branch
• McKinley Park Branch
• Midwest Branch
• Near North Branch
• Roosevelt Branch
• Sherman Park Branch
• Toman Branch
• West Chicago Avenue

Timothy B. Blackstone Bronze Plaque // The T. B. Blackstone Memorial Library is a Concord Granite building that is a part of the Chicago Public Library System. ...

South District

• Altgeld Branch
• Avalon Branch
• Beverly Branch
• Brainerd Branch
• Chicago Lawn Branch
• Clearing Branch
• Bessie Coleman Branch
• Hegewisch Branch
• Jeffery Manor Branch
• Kelly Branch
• Thurgood Marshall Branch
• Mount Greenwood Branch
• Pullman Branch
• Scottsdale Branch
• South Chicago Branch
• South Shore Branch
• Tuley Park Branch
• Vodak East Side Branch
• Walker Branch
• West Englewood Branch
• West Lawn Branch
• West Pullman Branch
• Wrightwood-Ashburn Branch
• Whitney M. Young, Jr. Branch

External links

• Chicago Public Library website
• Chicago Public Library Digital Download Collection
• Books catalog
• Map of branch locations

References

• http://www.chipublib.org/aboutcpl/history/index.php 1870-1899
• http://www.chipublib.org/aboutcpl/history/hist1900.php 1900-1949
• http://www.chipublib.org/aboutcpl/history/hist1950.php 1950-1989
• http://www.chipublib.org/aboutcpl/history/hist1990.php 1990-2004
• http://www.chipublib.org/aboutcpl/history/hist2005.php 2005-2010