Chicago has many public libraries with interesting architectural design and a large number of vintage and modern publications. Cultural institutions will be interesting not only to city residents but also to tourists, according to “ichicago.net“.
1. Harold Washington Library Center
In Chicago there is the largest library in the world, which was named after the famous lawyer Harold Washington. He was the first black mayor of the city, thanks to whose initiative the library of the same name appeared.
The building is so large-scale in size that it was included in the Guinness World Records. The library was founded in 1897. However, it was officially opened to visitors only in 1991. Thus, for a long time the book fund was housed in the building of the Chicago Cultural Center. By the 70s of the 20th century, so many books had piled up that it was necessary to find new premises for their storage.
All the books were moved to an ordinary storage room, which could lead to the damage and destruction of the fund. Only thanks to the intervention of Mayor Harold Washington, a competition for a new library building was organized.
However, from an architectural point of view, the premises of the cultural institution are not very attractive. In 2009, the library was even included in the list of the ugliest buildings in the city. The premises are built in the neoclassical style with the use of red brick, granite and glass.
The library has ten floors specially equipped to house the book fund. In general, the institution stores approximately six million copies.
2. Library of the Ukrainian National Museum
The library stores publications and documents related to the history of Ukraine and the life of Americans of Ukrainian origin. The library fund includes more than 20,000 different books, magazines and brochures that tell about Ukraine and Ukrainians who have emigrated to live in America.
In particular, rare editions of books on art, religion, ethnology, as well as social and economic history are presented to visitors.
Only members of the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago have the right to use the library fund. Representatives of the public can get acquainted with books on agreement.
In order to gain access to the library, a reader must go through a certain procedure. First of all, it is necessary to submit an application addressed to the president of the museum with a request to provide specific predefined literature. At the same time, only museum employees can select the necessary books for readers.
The book fund of the library of the Ukrainian National Museum includes the works of Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Vyacheslav Lypynskyi, a complete set of all issues of “Litopys UPA”, “Liberation Path”, “Ukrainian Historian” and others.
3. Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is a private research library in Chicago. The main specialization of the scientific institution is general and humanitarian disciplines. The library is located at 60 W. Walton St., Chicago, USA.
The institution was founded in the distant 1887. A well-known businessman of the city, Walter Loomis Newberry, who was engaged in real estate and banking, made a will. In the document, he ordered to allocate funds for the opening of a free public library under one condition that his daughters did not give birth to heirs. During a trip to France in 1868, Walter Newberry died.
Unfortunately, the daughters never pleased their parents with descendants. In 1885, the last member of the Newberry family, Julia Butler, died. The opening of the library fell on the shoulders of the trustees of the estate. During his lifetime, Walter Newberry did not leave any instructions as to how he saw the future library. The entrepreneur also did not bequeath his own collection of books, as it was destroyed during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
The library fund of the institution is quite rich and diverse. In particular, it includes books from the late medieval period to the present day. Readers have the opportunity to view a collection of maps, manuscripts and other materials. In general, the library stores 1.5 million books, about 5 million manuscripts and 500,000 historical maps.
The library offers its readers a list of services, including conducting seminars, improving the qualifications of teachers and awarding scholarships for research works.
It is worth adding that in 2017-2018, the lobby was overhauled, which cost the library 12 million dollars. Thus, it was possible to improve access for visitors and significantly expand the exhibition grounds.
4. Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation was founded in Chicago to promote poetry among the public. The library was created on the basis of Poetry magazine, which has been published since 2003.
The fund is the successor to the journal Modern Poetry Association, which was published since 1912. Its founder and the first publisher was Harriet Monroe, who was engaged in the publication until her death in 1936.
Over the decades of its existence, the Poetry Foundation has turned into one of the largest literary funds in the world. In 2003, the publication managed to receive a grant from the famous American philanthropist Ruth Lilly. In general, the amount of the grant totaled 200 million dollars.
Part of the received funds was directed to the construction of the Chicago Poetry Center, the official opening of which took place in 2011. The Poetry Center has a library that anyone can visit, a reading room, as well as schools and tourist groups.
To encourage young poets and artists, the Poetry Foundation has established several awards. Thus, the Pegasus Prize is annually awarded to insufficiently recognized poets. The Youth Poet Laureate award is presented every two years to authors of children’s poems.
Another award initiated by the Foundation is the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, which is presented annually to American poets for lifetime achievements in poetry. However, the prize is awarded only to the novice poets.
5. Chicago Public Library
The public library includes a network of library institutions located throughout the city. It is considered to be one of the largest public libraries in the United States. It is surpassed only by the New York Public Library and Boston Public Library.
In general, the network of cultural institutions consists of 79 offices and two regional libraries.
The library has an interesting and ancient history. After the Great Chicago Fire, there was a need to create a free library for the citizens. Thanks to generous donations, it was possible to collect a considerable amount for the arrangement of the cultural institution – 8 thousand pounds sterling.
The official decision to open the Chicago Public Library was taken by the Chicago City Council in April 1872. Originally, the Public Library was housed in an iron water tank near LaSalle Street. At that time, its book fund consisted of more than 3 thousand volumes.
However, after a short period of time, a two-story office building was built for the needs of the library. The year 1909 was an important stage in the history of the Public Library. At that time, the institution was managed by Henry Legler. He launched a strategy of aggressive expansion of library services. Therefore, branches were established in all areas of Chicago.
The Central Library located on State Street, was opened to visitors in 1991. At the time of its opening, the cultural institution was considered the largest one in the world.