We made an appointment for our children's passports here…read more Amazing! Much better than the post office. The young lady who took care of use was very professional. I'm so glad that they provide this service.

What an outstanding spot to catch up on some reading, focus on a project with your laptop or take…read morein some of their incredible events. The building is beautiful, the staff is friendly and helpful, the kids are allowed to be kids in their section, the rest of the library is quiet. Really can't recommend it enough! What a library!

Librarian was super nice and welcoming, helped us get library cards as new Chicago residents.read more

Surprisingly tiny branch! I stopped in on a Saturday and there were a couple of employees there,…read morebut it's small and quiet enough that that was plenty of employees. There's been a branch here since the 1970s, and it may well have been this exact building! The plaza feels like it's half the size of the interior of the library--I wonder if they have events there at times? When you enter, you'll find the bathroom on the left immediately as you come in. You'll be facing the checkout desk, and to the left is the adult room, the right is the children's room. There are a few pieces of artwork here: some photographs, a quilt, and some folk art. The adult room has a bunch of computers, as well as small collection of books. You can have any book sent to the branch, however. Libraries are important, so I hope that this branch gets its share of visitors!

Small scale investment, big impact…read more We started going to the library in late covid, as a safe space to mask and social distance, but a place to go nonetheless. We've grown to love a weekend day at the library, and it's clear this branch is making investments to build its community. Puzzle tables, games, homework help, new toys for play, a beautifully intricate gingerbread house. My kids love hangouts at the library and are becoming avid readers in between.

I'm on a quest to visit every branch of the Chicago Public Library system…read more The Portage-Cragin library looks just like the Brighton Park branch on the outside. On the inside it's very much the same as well. There is a very large space behind the check-out counter to set up your laptop and do some work. I visited on a Saturday, so there weren't too many patrons. Despite there not being very many people in the building, it was quite noisy. I can only imagine what it's like when it's more crowded. Seems like it might be hard to get a spot at a computer, but lots of space to work with your own laptop!

Came in today to study for an exam and couldn't focus because the staff did nothing to quiet some…read moreloudmouth that wouldn't stop bothering others and talking loudly and making noise. He was a complete distraction. Tried to move to another area to study but they reserved the complete, entire other half of the library to children only, which I would normally understand, but I couldn't even sit there despite no children being present. Didn't want to make a scene, was hoping staff would quiet the person but they let it continue for a half hour or so. Got so frustrated and distracted that I couldn't study, packed up my things and left. Guy was still sitting at the computer talking, whistling, and generally being an enormous distraction. Libraries should be quiet. Library staff should help keep libraries quiet and distraction free the best they can. No effort isn't acceptable.

I will begin here. This location has been my go to library for years. I believe I might still my…read moreoriginal library card. I would come here when I had to do my research for a project and more. I would also come here to look for books to take home to read. I do love this location. The staff has changed over the years. But I still get the warm comfortable feeling upon entering. The computers have changed which is a definite bonus. Friendly staff upon entering and leaving. Which is always welcomed. What more could I say I love libraries. This location will always be my go to. I support the Chicago public libraries.

The CPL has some great events, which I knew before I had a baby, but I had obviously not…read moreinvestigated their kids programs at that time. Now my time is really her time and I have been checking out what the various CPL branches have to offer to get us out of the house, socializing, and learning. Our calendar is getting increasingly packed as we plan to visit several of the CPL's 81 branch libraries. This week we visited the Logan Square branch for both Tummy Time and Story Time with Ms. Erica in the community room and it was great. There were 10 or so other baby-parent pairs. At the tummy time program, most of the children were on the younger side since I don't think babies need tummy time once they can crawl (although there were a few walkers there), and story time was more older children though I still would take my seven week old so she could hear and learn. The librarian had some rhymes and songs ready for the kids, and read a few books as well. Some of the songs were in both English and Spanish. The tummy time program was scheduled for a half hour but she went another 20 minutes at least, which was great for us since I can't tell time. I definitely appreciate her being generous with her time! Story time must be popular because there were two back to back sessions scheduled and I noticed the first one was really packed. I'm not sure how proficient the libarian is with a guitar (she may be a virtuoso for all I know), but she had one there and Erica shares her talents with little ones by playing the guitar for them, using it to accompany the songs we sang along to. This morning she let children strum the guitar on their way out. As an added treat, there was a bubble machine that Erica turned on and the kids really loved it. I think mine is too little to yet understand what they were but she did seem intrigued. And I appreciate that Erica offered to take a photo of me and my bambina after the program was completed (thank you!). I don't live in Logan Square, and even though there are at least ten branches closer to us than this one I would love to visit and attend as long as my little one is not too crabby to get here (it's about 20 minutes away from us). Erica was very welcoming, as was another library employee who greeted us whilst we were waiting for the second story time to begin. This library is about the same size as most of the other branches and has parking for 15-20 cars which is certainly helpful. I almost missed it, honestly; maybe it was just me but it was kinda hidden. There's also street parking which appeared to be free as well. (As an aside, I recently realized that I've been mistaken in calling many of the libraries small; I've been thinking in terms of Sulzer Library, my neighborhood library, which is one of the three regional libraries; rather than compare them to Sulzer, the non-regional branches should be compared to one another and this one is reasonably sized from that perspective.) Across the street is a coffee shop called Sip of Hope, where all proceeds go to suicide prevention efforts, so if you need coffee before or after you will find no more convenient spot to satisfy that vice. Probably an unexpected FYI, but this branch has Narcan available for free. I took a box since I've been meaning for years to buy some and keep it with me in case I'm somewhere where someone appears to be overdosing. I know I've seen it at other branches but sometimes the dispenser boxes are empty and I'm not sure if this has been rolled out to every branch yet, but it's a great community service.

Love this branch of the chicago public Libraries…read more Helpful staff, clean spaces, great kids section.

A very nice and clean library with free parking. It has all the nice things you need such a clean…read morebathrooms, printing, lots of free events or discounts to activities and classes, a scanner, books and audiobooks, DVDs and CDs, a teen section, and free movie nights. You also have access to computers if you need to work on them. So quiet and relaxing to be here. You can get books on hold online at the library website. And they have free naloxone kits for potential overdose on opiate based drugs and a bleeding control kit.

This library is walking distance to my home. It opened over 10 years ago. During the summer months,…read morehours are very different. On Thursdays, for example, it opens at 10 a.m. while other days it opens at 12 noon. You need to CALL before going to make sure they are OPEN since summer hours vary from day to day. It is a small library with a very helpful staff. The artwork up in the ceiling area of the library is very colorful and pretty to look at from time to time. If you need to SCAN a document to someone (send it in an email) you can use their Scanner for FREE. Yes, there is NO CHARGE to scan documents (if under 10 pages). Also, you make a copy on the scanner (if you need a hard copy) and this service is ALSO FREE. Note: YOU DO NOT NEED a library card to use the scanner or make a copy on the scanner. The bathrooms are very clean. It is a quiet library during the summer months. During the regular school year, this library becomes crowded with children from Oriole Park Elementary school which is located very close to the library. It not only gets crowded, but it is LOUD with children talking, laughing, etc. This is WHY I NEVER go to Oriole Park library during the school year. Movies, books and books with audio are available at this library (yes, you need a Chicago library card to check these items out of the library). The free parking lot is not huge, but I have never struggled to find a parking spot. The library is HIDDEN several feet behind Oriole Park elementary school. If you have never been to the Oriole Park library before, use your GPS because you will never see the library from Oketo Ave. One must drive down a side street in order to FIND this hidden library.

Kids have a great time here. Yes, it's a small one room library but they really make it work. This…read moreis not actually a real library because it's inside the Chicago Park district, Rutherford Sayre Park. I'm hoping that Galewood will get it together soon and build and actual library for their neighborhood. It's definitely more of a kids library than an adults library. Although I do reserve books online for myself and just pick them up here. You can reserve books online at Chicago Public Library and have them delivered to the library of your choice. I choose this one because it's close to me. The librarians are super friendly and helpful. My kids love coming here to play with the toys and legos. When the weather is hot we go outside and get wet in the splash pad. Such a cute set up. Alderman Taliaferro, we are counting on you to step up and find an actual location for Galewood's library.

The Galewood-Mont Clare branch of the CPL is a shadow of it's former glory. But it is still a…read moregreat place. Support your local library! It is only one room in the fieldhouse of Rutherford Sayre Park. Park for free on the street (parallel or perpendicular) walk up either staircase and open the main door. turn down the left hallway and go to the end to the single room packed with books. They make the most of their space. They have tables with coloring and puzzles for small kids and many many books. If the kids get antsy, you can send them out to the adjacent playground and splash pad. It's also nice that you can request any book online and pick it up here. I live in OP, so I was able to get a CPL card and get access to more books. However, they only have two full-time employees, and so hours are not the best. Make sure you double-check before you go. Also they do not yet have a bookdrop here, you can always return your books at another CPL location like North Austin or West Belmont. Go check out this library!

Ms. Mary, the children's librarian, hosts a story time at Commercial Club Park a few blocks away…read morefrom the West Town Branch. So after the story time was complete we (by we, I mean I) decided to stop at the branch proper to take a look (and to check one more library off on our quest to visit them all). I'm not sure the branch has a meeting room or auditorium, and perhaps that's why the story time is at the park. It does have a lovely children's area, however. The children's section has several built-in seats which is probably comfortable for caregivers but also fun for kids to take their books an get comfortable with a book. The library is bright and welcoming. One thing to know is that there is no parking at this branch--you'll need to find parking on the street if you drive here. This is a newer branch, having opened in 2010, but it is in what was once a Goldblatt's store. I feel like an idiot because I've wondered what was in this building many times--I think every time I go to Carbon (which is basically across the street on Marshfield) I've looked at this old building and thought, I wonder what it is now. The building is a Chicago landmark; it debuted as the Goldblatt's Department Store around 1928, having taken seven years to build. It's fitting that an institution like CPL is helping care for important landmarks in Chicago.