In the summer of 2018, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Library announced a new initiative: “Branching Out: Building Libraries, Building Communities.” Through this project, the city is investing in modernizing its existing libraries and building new ones.

Neighborhood library branches are essential cultural hubs for the people who live nearby. This year, more than 7 million people visited the city’s public libraries, according to Chicago Public Library. Explore these Chicago neighborhoods with prominent and architecturally striking libraries.

Bronzeville

Bronzeville CTA station

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The Near South Side neighborhood of Bronzeville is rich in culture. The neighborhood is home to the Harold Washington Cultural Center, multiple buildings designed by famed architect Mies van der Rohe, the Bronzeville Children’s Museum, and plenty of spots for dining out and catching live music.

It’s no surprise that the neighborhood’s Chicago Bee library branch stands out. Early in 2018, the landmark Art Deco-style building in the Bronzeville Historic District was reopened after undergoing a $2.32 million revamp.

“Chicago Bee is a community anchor in our community, and I am thrilled to see how these renovations will spark growth in residents across Bronzeville,” Alderman Pat Dowell (3rd Ward) said in a statement.

In addition to being a historic landmark, the library hosts community events like story time, chess game meetups, and crafting lessons.

Chinatown

Chicago Public Library in Chinatown

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Completed in 2015, the Chicago Public Library’s Chinatown Branch is reflective of the neighborhood’s cultural roots. The 16,000-square-foot library, designed by architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, features a feng shui inspired aesthetic. The architecture won the library a national design award from the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association in 2016. 

Now a regular part of the community, the library serves as a community hub for residents and anyone who wants to learn about Chinese culture. The Chinatown library hosts regular events that run the gamut from games and crafts to exercise and cultural spotlights on topics like Cantonese Opera. 

Pilsen

Chicago Public Library in Pilsen

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The vibrant street art splashed on walls and the steps of the CTA Pink Line makes Pilsen a visually arresting neighborhood. 

The neighborhood’s library, the Lozano branch, fits right in with stained glass panels by artist Nereyda Garcia-Ferraz and a mosaic mural by Héctor Duarte and Cynthia Weiss. Open since 1989, the library engages its community with events focused on STEM learning for teens, chess club, and book discussions. 

South Loop

South Loop neighborhood of Chicago

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Harold Washington Library Center is the crowning gem of the Chicago Public Library system. The towering red brick building and the stately owls perched atop it are impossible to miss when you walk down State Street in the South Loop. 

Not quite the center of the city, the South Loop is home to towering condo buildings and college campuses, the latter making Harold Washington Library Center a particularly attractive neighborhood feature. With thousands of books, the library is a well-organized maze of knowledge. 

Perhaps its most unique feature is the ninth-floor Winter Garden. Open to the public, this open space features a glass roof that can make even the chilliest of Chicago winter days seem pleasant. People take the elevator up to study and read in this beautiful, quiet space. 

West Garfield Park

Chicago Public Library in West Garfield Park

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The $95 million police and fire department training academy isn’t the only new development   happening in West Garfield Park. The City of Chicago is busy transforming the neighborhood’s Legler library branch, named for a former Chicago Public Library chief librarian, into a regional library that will serve the West Side. This project is a part of “Branching Out: Building Libraries, Building Communities.” 

“We’re very excited about this unique opportunity to turn the Legler Branch Library into a 21st century regional library. Our expanded library services and enhanced spaces will increase accessibility and resources for the entire West Side community,” Chicago Public Library Commissioner Brian Bannon, according to a City of Chicago press release.

The initiative will bring a new children’s library, adult training center, and a maker space to the Legler branch. Additionally, this library will be the first to have an “Artist in Residence” program, according to the press release.