Biblioracle: The Chicago Public Library needs to hear from you
When I say 'you' I mean , as in everybody, because even if you are reading this thinking that you don't use the library, I'm here to remind you that public libraries are unique community resources, and even when we aren't accessing them directly, they remain part of the glue that holds society together.
I was reminded of this myself recently in a conversation I had with Chris Brown, the commissioner for the Chicago Public Library, who is asking for the public's help in completing their 2025 community survey, a vital tool in making sure public libraries continue to serve the public.
Brown used two related but also distinct terms for libraries, 'civic-minded place' and 'neighborhood public space.' Libraries are literally spaces where people go and do things. Five million people a year visit a Chicago Public Library, and half a million or so attend CPL programming and events. The branch system of the library means each neighborhood has a unique outlet for the specific needs of that community.
Brown points out that this is particularly important in a city like Chicago, with its array of neighborhoods and the multitude of cultures and languages that mix and meld into the spirit of the city.
One of the chief goals of the community survey is to achieve representative samples from all areas of the city, so library leadership can better understand the specific needs of the people of the city.
The CPL does these surveys every few years as a way of anticipating future needs and making sure the public space serves the public, a mission and legacy that the CPL takes seriously. Proud Chicagoans might recall that Chance the Rapper took advantage of the CPL Maker Lab to record his first mixtape. The survey is a way to anticipate what residents may need or want access to that they can't get for themselves, something particularly important in the current age of artificial intelligence's presence.
The leadership is hoping for around 8,000 responses, but more is better, which is why they're endeavoring to reach out through social media, email and at local branches where librarians are always happy to answer questions.
Consider the small act of taking a 15 minute survey as a voice of support for libraries in this challenging time. I wrote recently about the near zeroing-out of the budget for the Institute for Museum and Library Studies, an organization that Brown told me has been indispensable at exploring the future of libraries. Significant voluntary civic participation of this kind is a vote of confidence for these institutions.
The Chicago Public Library has a particularly proud history of advancing democratic principles, having been the first to draft an Intellectual Freedom Policy in 1936 in order to protect the rights of people to read books on all sides of controversial subjects.
When I asked about current threats to libraries, Brown reflected on the question and told me that the threats can also be seen as examples of democracy in action, that attempts to ban books or events like a drag queen story hour — provided they aren't successful — are expressions of democracy.
Completing this survey at chi.gov/communitysurvey isn't the same thing as voting, but like voting, it's an opportunity to use you voice to be heard on a matter of consequence.
The library people don't mind this because the institution is meant to serve, but why not help them just a bit in turn.
John Warner is the author of books including 'More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI.' You can find him at biblioracle.com.
Book recommendations from the Biblioracle
John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books you've read.
1. 'Between Two Kingdoms' by Suleika Jaouad
2. 'Reckoning at Eagle Creek: The Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland' by Jeff Biggers
3. 'The Frozen River' by Ariel Lawhon
4. 'The River is Waiting' by Wally Lamb
5. 'Leaving' by Roxana RobinsonI think 'Morningside Heights' by Joshua Henkin has the close character connection that Carol is after.
1. 'The Fourth Turning' by William Strauss and Neil Howe
2. 'Martyr!' by Kaveh Akbar
3. 'The Winners' by Fredrik Backman
4. 'Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst' by Robert Sapolsky
5. 'God's Country' by Percival Everett'Transcendent Kingdom' by Yaa Gyasi is a novel about wrestling with what it means to be a human who needs other humans and feels like a good fit with this list.
1. 'The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store' by James McBride
2. 'The Little Liar' by Mitch Albom
3. 'The Four Winds' by Kristin Hannah
4. 'The Anxious Generation' by Jonathan Haidt
5. 'The God of the Woods' by Liz MooreThere seems like a chance that Nancy has read 'The Underground Railroad' by Colson Whitehead, but if not, she should, and if so, she's going to email me and I'll try again.
Get a reading from the Biblioracle
Send a list of the last five books you've read and your hometown to biblioracle@gmail.com.
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