245-Square-Foot Library Is a Success Story

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Just one short year ago, the Chicago Public Library introduced a tiny outpost with reference books for visitors to read while in the building, a small collection for Chicago library card holders to check out, and a pick-up location for materials ordered online by card holders in one of the city’s busiest visitors center, the renovated Water Works Visitor Center located at 163 E. Pearson Street. Afterwards, Dorothy Coyle, director of the Chicago Office of Tourism, commented that the Visitor Center “had been in that space for a while; we thought we’d freshen it up. And it was an opportunity to add some new features.”

And though some of Chicago’s 44 million annual tourists certainly make it to the Visitor Center, how well the library’s satellite location would play into the mix was an unknown.

Today, there is good news to report. “This has become a great resource for residents as well as visitors,” Coyle said.

Just how popular inquiring minds may want to know.

The 245-square-foot library “out-circulates many branch libraries” after one year of operations. That’s how big the traffic is because “people just want the convenience of being able to pick up a book,” reported Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey recently.

The Visitor Center also houses a very cool First Slice Pie Cafe, which donates some of their proceeds to feed the homeless.

I’ve always preferred small spaces and that includes small libraries. They make me feel at home and I like their cozy feel. They are also extremely eco-friendly.

For the record, I believe small libraries, like homes, will be the wave of the future. And why not? Small is beautiful. Small is energy efficient. And small is oh-so-green.