Chicago Public Library

Does your child need help with writing, math, science, social studies or ESL? Get an extra boost with free homework help at CPL. Our tutors are ready to help you after school at select local library locations. Plus, you can get virtual help 24/7 through Brainfuse. Explore all our in-person and virtual resources here:

Get Free Homework Help at CPL Is your child struggling to develop effective study skills? Have questions about their homework assignments? Worried about potential…

Teens and young adults ages 13 to 20, don’t miss a night full of spooktacular surprises at Teen Lit Night: Unbound! We'll be celebrating YA literature, art and culture. Plus, enjoy a jam-packed evening with the following activities:

- A silent disco party with Mo MAMI
- Sick beats with DJ Ca$h Era
- Live poster printmaking with Real Orbit + special T-shirts & totes
- A Yollocalli Arts Reach recording with author Carolina Ixta + book signing + photo op
- A free pop-up library to build your personal library
- A trick-or-treat station and more!

RSVP today: chi.gov/TeenLitNight2026

Friday, October 9
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Harold Washington Library Center

Teen Lit Night: Unbound Join our night celebrating YA literature, art and culture! Come for the stories that grab your attention, connect over themes that matter and find your next favorite read. What's Happening? Silent disco party with Mo MAMIMusic beats with DJ Ca$h EraSpooky book-themed mocktails and foodLive poster pr...

Don’t miss your chance to take part in a wide range of activities that will help you learn more about STEAM in the world around us at STEAM-Powered Saturday. Children ages 3 to 11 and their families will be able to enjoy activities from our partners, including: The Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Center, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium. Learn more here: chi.gov/spsoct3

Saturday, October 3
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Harold Washington Library Center

STEAM-Powered Saturday Take part in a wide range of activities that will help you learn more about STEAM in the world around us. With activities from our partners: Art Institute of ChicagoChicago Architecture CenterGriffin Museum of Science and IndustryLincoln Park ZooShedd Aquarium Plus LEGO building, an area for prescho...

Don’t miss a special author discussion that will dive deep into Puerto Rican’s persistent struggle with exploitation, discrimination and marginalization during the second half of the 20th century in Chicago. Michael Staudenmaier will be in discussion with Joanna Hernandez of WTTW News, discussing his book “White, Black, Brown: Becoming Puerto Rican in Chicago” and how Puerto Rican organizers and activists were able to make a difference during this pivotal time. Learn more here: chi.gov/whiteblackbrown

Tuesday, September 29
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Harold Washington Library Center

Pride. Joy. The CPL Bookmobile!

Taken in the 70s at the 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade, these photos from our archives show the power of community and the importance of celebrating the history and culture of our diverse communities. Leave us a comment if you were there.

Photo Credits:

1) Toman, Mexican Independence Day Parades, Chicago Public Library float, circa 1979, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, Box 46, Folder 7, Photograph 12

2-3) Toman, Mexican Independence Day Parade, Chicago Public Library float, 1978, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, Box 46, Folder 7, Photograph 21 and 22

4) Toman, Mexican Independence Day Parade, Chicago Public Library float, 1978, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, Box 46, Folder 7, Photograph 5

The Latine community in Chicago is something to behold. From these images from the Viva! Festival in Grant Park (leave us a comment if you were there!) you can see passion, artistry, sounds and talent within Chicago’s Latine culture.

Of course, these images from the 90s and early 2000s represent only a fraction of what Chicago is now. If you want to dive deeper into Latine history and culture, we invite you to participate in CPL’s Latine Heritage Month programming to enjoy special screenings, book discussions, workshops and more. Start here: chi.gov/LHM2026

1) Special Events: Viva Festival, People Dancing, August 2000, Photographer: Mark Montgomery, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, Box 137, Folder 30, Sheet 04, Negative 13

2) Special Events: Viva Festival, Tito Puente, May 1996, Photographer: Cheryl Tadin, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, Box 100, Folder 31, Sheet 06, Negative 32

3) Special Events: Viva Festival, Performer Dancing, August 1995, Photographer: Javét Kimble, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, Box 94, Folder 8, Sheet 10, Negative 20

4) Special Events: Viva Festival, Folkloric Dancers with flags, August 1995, Photographer: Javét Kimble, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, Box 94, Folder 8, Sheet 8, Negative 11

It’s almost time for our annual Silent Reading Soiree! This year we’ll feature our 2026 One Book, One Chicago selection: “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey. Enjoy refreshments and activities while you take part in some silent reading in Harold Washington Library Center’s Winter Garden. Admission is first come, first served. Learn more: chi.gov/silentreadingsoiree

Wednesday, September 23
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Harold Washington Library Center

Silent Reading Soiree Come read Orbital by Samantha Harvey with other Chicagoans at our annual Silent Reading Soiree! Join us for refreshments, activities and some silent reading in Harold Washington Library Center’s Winter Garden. The first 100 people will receive a free copy of the book! How to Attend: Doors to the W...

As “One Book, One Chicago” turns 25, the Chicago Public Library program sets its sights on outer space. This year also includes a children’s book selection for the first time.

The biggest book club in the city is back! Join us this fall to be a part of One Book, One Chicago as we read the book everyone will be talking about: “Orbital.” Samantha Harvey’s novel is a profound meditation on belonging, responsibility and the ties that hold us together told through snapshots of a day in the lives of six women and men hurtling around our planet. Programming themed around “Orbital” will be available from now until November. Enjoy our Book Club Celebration and Silent Reading Soiree, art and music workshops, film screenings and more. Teens and children can join the fun too with One Book, One Chicago book selections and programming for each age group: “The Lion of Mars” by Jennifer L. Holm and “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth” by Oliver Jeffers Oliver Jeffers. Join us here: chi.gov/oboc

Partners include:

Adler Planetarium
Northwestern’s CIERA
Chicago Society for Space Studies
Jazz Institute of Chicago
CHIRP Radio
Art Institute of Chicago
DePaul University
Northeastern Illinois University
Harold Washington College

This photo showcasing the some of the people who built Chicago Public Library’s first central library (now the Chicago Cultural Center) is a beautiful reminder that this city owes everything to Chicago’s workforce. From our nurses to our waiters, our teachers to our small business owners, each one of you has made this city the wonder that it is today. Happy Labor Day!

Photo credit: Workmen building the upper stories of the Chicago Public Library, Central Library, circa 1896, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections