In every city I’ve ever lived in, I try to find out where the local library is located and make sure to pay a visit. And best of all - it’s free! It’s also a plus if it’s located in nice building too.

This is the Chicago Public Library where I like to visit if I am ever in the area again. One thing I remember about Chicago was that it was one windy city!

It’s a beautiful building we don’t usually see in the west coast.  It is design in the Beaux-Arts Classicism revival style. This style is an academic classicism taken from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

This building was the first permanent home of the Chicago Public Library in 1897, it is now the Chicago Cultural Center.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1976.

Image source:  Mary Ann Sullivan of Bluffton University, Ohio.

In case anyone is curious, here is a list of the top 10 largest libraries provided by American Library Association, www.ala.or , Aug. 2005.

1. Library of Congress 29,550,914 2. Harvard University 15,181,349 3. Boston Public Library 14,933,349 4. Yale University 11,114,308 5. Chicago Public Library 10,745,608 6. University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign 10,015,321 7. The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County 9,885,359 8. Queens Borough Public Library 9,691,126 9. University of California–Berkeley 9,572,462 10. County of Los Angeles Public Library 9,185,321 At least I have been to two of the libraries in California. Nice collection.