Citizendia

Chicago Public Library
Established1873
Number of branches79
Population served2. Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 8 million
Budget$106,000,000 annually
Websitechipublib.org

The Chicago Public Library consists of 79 branches throughout the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.

Contents

History

In the aftermath of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, Londoner A. 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 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 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. Thomas Hughes ( October 20, 1822 – March 22, 1896) was an English lawyer and author A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution 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. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Benjamin Disraeli 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG, PC, FRS (born Benjamin D'Israeli; 21 December 1804 &ndash 19 April 1881 was Alfred Tennyson 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892 was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets Robert Browning (7 May 1812 - 12 December 1889 was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of Dramatic verse, especially Dramatic monologues made him one of John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 &ndash 8 May 1873 British Philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential John Ruskin (8 February 1819 &ndash 20 January 1900 is best known for his work as an Art critic, sage writer, and Social critic, but is remembered Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 &ndash 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. Joseph Medill ( April 6, 1823 &ndash March 16, 1899) is better known as the business manager and managing editor of the Chicago The meeting led to the Illinois Library Act of 1872, which allowed Illinois cities to establish tax-supported libraries. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. 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. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 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.

On October 24, 1873, William Frederick Poole was elected the first head librarian by the library's Board of Directors. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common William Frederick Poole ( 24 December 1821, Salem Massachusetts - 1 March 1894) was an American Bibliographer 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. Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 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. The Newberry Library is a Research library for the Humanities and Social sciences in Chicago Illinois, established in 1887 by a bequest

On October 15, 1887, Frederick H. Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 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. Shepley Rutan and Coolidge was a successful Architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, operating between 1886 and 1915 with extensive commissions Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of American Architecture named after Architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity For other persons with similar names see John Logan. John Alexander Logan ( February 8, 1826 &ndash December 26 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. The Chicago Cultural Center, is a Chicago Landmark building that houses the city's official reception venue where the Mayor has welcomed Presidents and royalty diplomats

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. The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily Newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. 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. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Harold Washington ( April 15 1922 – November 25 1987) was an American Lawyer and Politician who became the The Chicago City Council is the Legislative branch of the Government of the City of Chicago in Illinois.

Current Services

In 1991, the Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago's new central library, named for the late mayor, opened to the public. The Harold Washington Library Center is the central library for the Chicago Public Library System 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 Brown Line (Ravenswood Service of the Chicago Transit Authority Chicago 'L' Rapid transit system is an 11 The Orange Line (Midway Service, is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the 'L' system The Purple Line of the Chicago Transit Authority is a branch line on the northernmost section of the Chicago 'L' rapid transit network The Pink Line (Douglas-Loop Service is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA as part of the Chicago 'L' system CTA bus connections 2 - Hyde Park Express 6 - Jackson Park Express 10 - Museum of Science and Industry 22 - Clark The Blue Line (O'Hare-Congress Service and formerly O'Hare-Douglas Service, consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority 's rapid transit system which extends 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. Richard Michael Daley (born April 24 1942 is a United States Politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party and current mayor 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.

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

Regional Libraries

North

South

Carter Woodson Library
Carter Woodson Library

North District

Central District

South District

External links

References


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