Hint for "Around Town" contributors: photographs of the Harold Washington Library will always be considered for inclusion. It's certainly one of our favorite photography subjects. We just find the building from the architecture firm of Hammond, Beeby and Babka (now known as Hammond Beeby Rupert Ainge, Inc.) to be one of the underrated gems of downtown. We can pass by the Washington Library twice a day and find something new about it we hadn't noticed before. more ›

Publicity stunt, freedom of speech, or an equal mixture of both? Whatever your take on it, the Rev. Terry Jones of the 50-member Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida is getting maximum use out of the First Amendment with his plan to burn the Qur'an on Saturday, which just happens to be the anniversary of 9/11. Reaction has been ... well, you can probably guess. President Obama said, "I just hope he understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values [as] Americans." Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has warned that the event will endanger U.S. troops stationed around the world: "Images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan — and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence." Even Sarah Palin condemned the event though not without using her pretzel logic as another chance to oppose the Muslim community center planned near Ground Zero: "Book burning is antithetical to American ideals. People have a constitutional right to burn a Koran if they want to, but doing so is insensitive and an unnecessary provocation - much like building a mosque at Ground Zero." more ›

Nice work by the Reader's Whet Moser who points us to the below "in-depth" story by Fox Chicago exploring libraries and if we even need them anymore. No, really. If nothing else, we learn that the Internet is killing the library even as, you know, library use is on the rise. more ›

The Newberry Library has countless fascinating objects within their collections, but one of the coolest is an Oscar. Yes, an actual Academy Award, given to Ben Hecht for Best Original Story for Underworld (1927) at the first Academy Awards. It ended up at the Newberry with the rest of the Ben Hecht Papers, bequeathed to the library by his widow Rose. The collection was in a state of disarray at the time it was acquired; in fact there's a memorable photo that shows Hecht's Oscar being used as a doorstop! more ›

Thanks to the actions of a Chicago-based ex-gay advocacy group, many libraries nationwide have found themselves in a precarious position on the topic of reparative therapy - i.e. attempts to de-gay the gay. Opponents of pro-gay books have called for everything from public book burnings to tarred-and-feathered library directors. more ›

As Harold Washington Library displayed its new teen media center, Mayor Richard M. Daley focused on ways to stem the rash of youth violence the city has experienced in recent weeks, Chicago Breaking News reports. The library's new YOUmedia lets teenagers edit music and video projects on computers. A program like this teaches marketable skills and provides a "safe place" and an alternative to hanging out on the streets, Daley said. more ›

In an ongoing effort to control costs and contain the city budget, the Chicago Public Library system is working on a plan to reduce hours at 76 branches this winter. The cuts will reduce the hours that libraries are open, Monday through Thursday, but will not impact the three main libraries: the Harold Washington library downtown, Sulzer on the North Side, and Woodson on the South SideMost branches are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.. Under the new plan, which is still being worked out, branches would open no earlier than 10 a.m. and close no later than 8 p.m.; hours would be staggered amongst branches. more ›

Yesterday we told you about eight year old Shawna Lewis of Robbins, Illinois, who had the audacity to stand in front of her public library and ask the President of the United States to help keep it open. more ›

In what may be the most adorable publicity stunt this week, eight year old Shawna Lewis of Robbins, Illinois, stood in front of the village library Tuesday to ask President Barack Obama to help keep her public library open. more ›

Wow, the info-nerd in me is going apeshit over this card catalog for sale on Craigslist. According to its listing, the vintage piece "measures 60" tall, 18" deep, and 39" wide. It also has 3 pull out shelves." And is really heavy and costs $250. Too awesome. more ›