Toni Morrison in Conversation with Oprah Winfrey at the Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner on October 20

Toni Morrison, one of the most provocative and respected novelists of our time, will receive the Carl Sandburg Literary Award which is presented each year to an author whose significant body of work has enhanced the public’s awareness of the written word. The 21st Century Award, honoring recent achievement in writing by an author with ties to Chicago, will go to writer Eula Biss. Both awards will be presented at a fundraising dinner for the Chicago Public Library Foundation at the The Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Road at Halsted Street.
Event Co-Chairs are Mesirow Financial Chairman Jim Tyree and Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, President and CEO of Nia Enterprises. Ms. McKissack is also a member of the Chicago Public Library Foundation Board.
Sponsorships for tables of ten begin at $10,000. Individual tickets at $1000 and $2500 will be available this summer. Reservations will be strictly limited. For information visit chicagopubliclibraryfoundation.org or contact Rebecca Spence, event coordinator at (312) 201-9830 or rspence@cplfoundation.org.
Toni Morrison's A Mercy Chosen as the Fall 2010 One Book, One Chicago Selection

A Mercy is set in the late 17th century. Morrison’s story provides an insightful look into a time when the burgeoning American economy was being built on the institution of slavery, but slavery was not yet defined by race. A Mercy is a rich and accurate portrait of this early American society, and the people who struggled to survive within it.
The 2010 Fall One Book, One Chicago is presented by the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Public Library Foundation, the Motorola Foundation and Allstate. Partners include DePaul University, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Public Radio, the McCormick Foundation, Newberry Library, Steppenwolf Theatre and the Park Hyatt Chicago.
Reading Is Art-RAGEOUS - the 2010 Family Summer Reading Program - is here!

From June 14th though August 7th, the 2010 Family Summer Reading Program will partner the Chicago Public Library with the Art Institute of Chicago in a celebration of the art that is all around us in Chicago, the treasures of the Art Institute and the rich art collections to be found throughout the City at Chicago Public Library locations.
YOUmedia at the Chicago Public Library – A Digital Library Space for Teens
Hang Out – Mess Around – Geek Out These are the three dynamic sections of YOUmedia, a truly innovative new space for teens at the Harold Washington Library Center. Based on research funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation about the impact of new media on the way young adults learn, YOUmedia gives teens a place to hang out with friends, mess around with digital media and geek out in workshops where they learn to create digital artifacts. YOUmedia debuted in July 2009 and is open to all Chicago teens with a valid library card.Bookamania—a celebration of books for the whole family!

Bookamania 2009 was celebrated at the Harold Washington Library Center on November 21st. Over 5,000 children and their families celebrated the Chicago Public Library's annual day-long free celebration of books and book-related crafts for children ages 3–10 years old. Bookamania was made possible by a generous grant from Target Corporation through the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
Presented by:

Mark your calendars for Bookamania 2010: Saturday, November 20th, Harold Washington Library Center
Chicago Public Library Foundation Receives $1 Million Gift from the Shirley H. and Benjamin Z. Gould Family Foundation for Teacher in the Library After-School Homework Help

The Directors of the Shirley H. and Benjamin Z. Gould Family Foundation have announced an endowment gift of nearly $1 million to the Chicago Public Library Foundation to provide funding for Teachers in the Library who will provide after-school homework help in seven branches of the Chicago Public Library. The gift will provide 15 years of continuity for this essential academic support.



