Chicago Public Library

Laura Washington: The public library at the Obama Presidential Center rises above it all The public library at the Obama center will be a gift to the community, where we can seek credibility and substance. A literary sanctuary.

Let’s discover a new chapter together, Chicago.

The Obama Presidential Center Branch opens today as CPL’s newest location and the first public library branch to be built within a presidential center. Rooted in community and designed for discovery, creativity and civic engagement, the branch offers a one-of-a-kind library experience for Chicagoans and visitors from around the world.

Whether you’re from one of our vibrant 77 neighborhoods or visiting from across the globe, we look forward to welcoming you into this remarkable new library experience. Learn more: chi.gov/opc

Though only recently declared a federal holiday, Chicago celebrated Juneteenth well before it was nationally recognized. Today, we bring you back in time to one of those special celebrations from 2002 at Rainbow Beach Park full of soul, happiness and pride. We hope these images serve as a reminder of the power and importance this date holds. Happy Juneteenth!

Photo Credits: Juneteenth Celebration, Rainbow Beach Park, June 15, 2002, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections (📸Javét Kimble)

Explore Chicago’s robust art installations, museums, history and more through Summer at CPL! Through our Summer at CPL reading challenges, you can explore events and books related to this Chapter of Chicago and win some cool prizes along the way. All ages welcome. Learn more here: chi.gov/summeratcpl

Pro tip: kids get a FREE Family Pass to the The Art Institute of Chicago (valid through June 30, 2027) when they pick up their Summer Activity Guide. Available at your local library.

Free access to The New York Times is here.

Chicago Public Library patrons now have unlimited access to everything The New York Times has to offer, including:

News: Engage with expert reporting, including breaking news, culture coverage and analysis

Games: Unwind with Spelling Bee, Wordle, the Crossword and an archive of over 10,000 past puzzles

Cooking: Enjoy delicious recipes, advice and inspiration daily

Audio: Unlock full access to podcasts and audio journalism on NYTimes.com, via the Listen tab on the New York Times app and on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Wirecutter: Choose products confidently with reviews and real-world testing

Plus, enjoy subscriber-only newsletters, gift articles and explore 150 years of archives.

Learn more: chi.gov/nyt

That’s a wrap on Gamer’s Universe 2026! From competitions to cosplay, Chicago showed its love for all things gaming. Special thanks to our partners, including After School Matters and I Play Games. See you next year!

YOUmedia

Before “The Bean” (officially known as “Cloud Gate”), there was the Chicago Picasso, an untitled sculpture designed by Pablo Picasso and given as a gift to the people of Chicago. This monumental sculpture was commissioned in 1963 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the architects of the Civic Center (now the Richard J. Daley Center). Standing 50 feet high, it was made of the same material as the exterior of the Daley Center and assembled at U.S. Steel in Gary, Indiana.

Thousands of people gathered downtown to watch the unveiling of the sculpture on August 17, 1967. Some Chicagoans disliked the sculpture because of its abstract design, which led to endless interpretations of what it might represent. Over time, it became one of Chicago’s many icons and has been featured in movies like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Blues Brothers."

The maquette and sketches of the sculpture can be seen at the The Art Institute of Chicago. To see more historical photographs of Chicago, check out Chicago Public Library’s Archives and Special Collections digital collections here: chi.gov/digitalcollections

Photo credits: Robert W. Krueger Photograph Collection, Northside Neighborhood History Collection, Chicago Public Library.

Adult readers, unite! CPL has Summer at CPL reading challenge for you. Win a cool a limited-edition Summer at CPL hat and to be entered to your branch’s grand prize raffle when you complete our Adult Program Guide & Log. Visit any CPL location to pick up a copy or print out your own one using our website — once complete, turn it in to win a limited-edition Summer at CPL hat (while supplies last) and be entered to your location’s grand prize raffle. Click here to get started:

Adults: Join Summer at CPL Adults can read with Chicago Public Library during Summer 2026: Chapters of Chicago and enter for a chance to win prizes.

To celebrate the first day of the FIFA World Cup, we thought we would bring all our soccer fans and history buffs back to 1994 when Chicago hosted the FIFA World Cup! Picture this: Diana Ross performing, Germany vs. Bolivia, Germany vs. Spain, Bulgaria vs. Greece, Bolivia vs. Spain and a Soldier Field full of passionate fans. Is your mind blown yet? This is why we love Chicago history. Enjoy and shout out your team in the comments below!

Want to dive deeper into Chicago sports? Summer at CPL has a Chapter of Chicago dedicated to just that. Learn more: chi.gov/summeratcpl

Photo Credits:

(Image 1) World Cup event, June 21-23, 1994, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, City of Chicago, (📸 Peter J. Schulz)

(Image 2) World Cup soccer game (Germany vs Spain), June 21, 1994, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, (📸Cheryl Tadin)

(Images 3, 4 and 10) World Cup soccer game (Germany vs Bolivia), June 17, 1994, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, (📸Cheryl Tadin)

(Images 5, 7 and 9) World Cup soccer game (Bolivia vs Spain), June 27, 1994, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, (📸Cheryl Tadin)

(Images 6 and 8 ) World Cup soccer game (Bulgaria vs Greece), June 26, 1994, Chicago Public Library, Special Collections, (📸Cheryl Tadin)