Branching Out to Chicago’s Libraries
Journey with us as we visit all of the Chicago Public Library’s 81 branches and visit all of Chicago’s neighborhoods along the way!
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Roden (#23)
Is this even Chicago? BEN: Yes! But barely. Roden sits in Norwood Park, in the far northwest corner of the city. You may remember us being up in these parts last when we visited the Oriole Park branch not far…
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Independence (#22)
Dogs in the library? BEN: Always looking for a reason to get our tails wagging, we headed up to Irving Park to meet Wally and Ruby, the stars of a therapy dog program at the Independence Branch. The turnout was…
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Edgewater (#21)
We interrupt this broadcast… BEN: Faithful readers, you probably noticed a bit of a hiatus in our posting – life has been busy! But, we’re back – in fact, we never stopped visiting libraries, but we got more than a…
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Legler Regional (#20)
Survivor Training! SAM: Always on the hunt for interesting library programs, I was intrigued by “Survivor Training” at the Legler branch – how could we not check it out? Our facilitator, children’s librarian Ms. Jenny, was fantastic! We learned how…
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Water Works (#19)
Um…where’s the library? BEN: Given its location across the street from the iconic Chicago Water Tower on the Magnificent Mile, we’ve been wanting to visit this branch for months and were stymied by its closure. Finally, the day arrived! Right…
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Sherman Park (#18)
Books, jars, and fishing poles SAM: Daniel and Nathan are always looking for new ways to decorate their room (“The Cozy Den”), so the Sherman Park branch’s family event was something both of them were very excited about: making luminary…
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Little Italy (#17)
But first, boba! BEN: You haven’t had Chicago’s best milk tea until you’ve been to Gathers Tea Bar, a mandatory stop anytime we’re in the vicinity of Little Italy / University Village. With our boba fix managed and a walk/scooter…
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Bucktown-Wicker Park (#16)
House History! BEN: Ever since I heard about the Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative, I’ve wanted to connect with them and learn more, and I finally got my chance! Our Bridgeport home, like many in the neighborhood, is a circa 1885…
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Oriole Park (#15)
BEN: Welcome to the far Northwest side! Oriole Park is one of 5 small neighborhoods in the Community Area of Norwood Park (which has its own library branch – stay tuned!), and is home to many city employees and first…
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Merlo (#14)
But first, coffee. BEN: Today’s adventures required extra liquid propellant and thus began at Pedestrian Coffee, directly adjacent to the Belmont “L” station and just a few blocks away from the library. This is obviously a super popular spot and…
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