West Side Library Officially Opens Food Pantry Inside Facility

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public Library (CPL) announced the grand opening of the Library-Based Food Access program, opens a new window at Legler Regional Library, a full-service food pantry created in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The Library-Based Food Access program is free and operates like a full-service grocery store, providing a rotating selection of meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and other essential staples.

The Chicago Public Library is the second library system in the nation behind Baltimore, Maryland, to launch the innovative idea, which served over 700 families in its first eight weeks.

Read more

Bronx Library and Affordable Housing

“New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and New York Public Library (NYPL) officials are making good on their promise to add affordable housing atop public libraries sited on city-owned land.”

Public library and affordable housing
Bernheimer Architecture and LEVENBETTS are partnering with HPD, NYPL, Settlement Housing Fund (SHF), and Kalel Companies to deliver 113 affordable units above another public library. (Courtesy Bernheimer Architecture)

Read more

Sharks Foundation Refreshes Elementary School Library as Part of the Goals for Kids Program

LEAD Elementary School Librarian Shannon McGovern said, “The [kids] are so excited about getting all of the new books, they’ve been talking about it since the first day I told them.”

More than 40 volunteers from Team Teal and SAP joined nonprofit Access Books Bay Area to refurbish the library at LEAD Elementary school in San Mateo. Volunteers prepared 1,170 books by stamping, alphabetizing, applying bar codes, wrapping, and shelving them.