CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

[chicagopubliclibrary]

2014 Best Book Covers

Let's face it, sometimes we judge a book by its cover. 

More of our choices for best 2014 book covers here: http://bit.ly/1xvBQxE 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

51 Of The Most Beautiful Sentences In Literature

A few of our favorites from this lovely compilation: 

3. “She wasn’t doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.” —J. D. Salinger, “A Girl I Knew”

16. “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” —John Steinbeck, East of Eden

24. “In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart.” —Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank

41. “I have spread my dreams under your feet; / Tread softly because you tread on my dreams” —W. B. Yeats, “Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven”

51. “One must be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” —Cassandra Clare, The Infernal Devices

What are your favorites?  #WeLoveLiterature

[chicagopubliclibrary]

'Tis the season. 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

Hipster Kindle. 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

One Book, One Chicago 

The 2014-2015 pick for our citywide reading program, One Book, One Chicago, is the Pulitzer-Prize winning "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" by Michael Chabon! 

Our shelves are stacked and ready for you. Join the conversation at onebookonechicago.org. #OBOC

[chicagopubliclibrary]

#TBT: "Queen of the Motor Colony" 

A Chicago Examiner headline from August 1908: "Girl Dares Death in Auto Climbing." You go, girl. 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

Summer is the perfect time to dig into some books. Er, ice cream. 

Via Quirk Books.

[chicagopubliclibrary]

Humble Beginnings: YOUmedia Summer Soul Session Chance

Before he was Chance the Rapper, he was just Chance…a Chicago teen in our YOUmedia program, rapping for our YouTube channel.

See him — and a bajillion other great artists — at this weekend’s Lollapalooza! 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

#ButFirstLetMeTakeASelfie 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

Beachfront Libraries are the Best Idea...Ever.

Via Huffington Post Books:

"Beachfront libraries are an ingenious addition to shorelines around the world. Forget your book? Go grab a replacement. Finished your latest read? No worries, many choices await you."

[chicagopubliclibrary]

Happy 10th Birthday, Millennium Park!

Industrial wasteland turned cultural gem, let's geek out today looking at before, during, and after photos of building Millennium Park. 

Before: 

A railway, parking lots, and sparse greens in the space where Millennium Park is now (looking east). 

After: 

  Looking west and slightly south, Millennium Park in all its glory. 

Grab yourself a slice of birthday cake and look through more photos in our digital archives: shar.es/NkP4S 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

For a Love of Books 

London's bright benches show their love of books, via NPR. Think Chicago could get these, instead of cows? 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

Elephant Breaks Into Dearborn Street Restaurant; eats 12 pies. 

And who could blame him?! Who doesn't LOVE pie. 

For #TBT, enjoy this article from the June 16, 1908 Chicago Examiner, courtesy of our Special Collections & Preservation Division. 

The full Examiner can be accessed here: http://digital.chipublib.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/examiner/id/10146/rec/1

[chicagopubliclibrary]

Novel Couture

  The "Build Her a Myth" exhibit -- dresses inspired by Romance novels -- is on display right now at Harold Washington Library:  . 

But upon further inspection: 

These dresses aren't just inspired by harlequin heroines, but are actually constructed from the pages of romance novels. 

Carrie Ann Schumacher's creations will be on display at Harold Washington Library Center on the 8th floor through July 18th. 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

Summer Learning Challenge -- "Explore & Roar" 

Alright, Chicago kids. We've got some reading to do. Our Summer Learning Challenge runs through August 2nd. Read 20 minutes a day, complete activities in the Explorer Guide and win prizes! 

And this year's additional perk (for mom and dad): Jimmy Fallon & The Tonight Show will film in Chicago if kids read enough minutes equivalent to 2.4 million books.

Sign up and get reading: http://chicago-kids-2014.bibliocommons.com/ 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

WWII vet remembers Normandy, 70 years later

D-Day Veteran Harold Bradley remembers the largest invasion in history... 70 years later. CNN's Erin McLaughlin reports.

"I landed in Normandy on my 21st," says 91-year old D-Day Veteran Harold Bradley. "I remember saying to a friend -- it's my birthday today Rob, and he said: 'It seems a pretty good day to have it.' But of course once you are on those boats you aren't thinking about birthdays."

We pay tribute our veterans on this 70th anniversary of D-Day. Thank you for your service. 

[chicagopubliclibrary]

The Caged Bird, Free 

"I want to write so well that a person is 30 or 40 pages in a book of mine ... before she realizes she's reading." - Maya Angelou 

Rest in Peace, Ms. Angelou, and thank you for freeing us with your beautiful words.