Cafe Society will be meeting at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Fifth Floor Millenium Park Room on Wednesday, January 18
Anders Lindall, from American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 will be our guest speaker.
From Kids need libraries on Monday in Letters to the Editor
As a Chicago Public School teacher for the past 22 years, I am convinced that shuttering public libraries on Mondays is a disastrous decision that should be reconsidered. Chicago school students need as much time and as many safe places as possible to study and learn. What the mayor and other cost-cutters may not understand is that we have over 10,000 homeless students in Chicago Public Schools. We have many more thousands of students who have places to live but do not have access to computers and a wide range of books beyond the classroom. Public Libraries serve as a first line of defense in a democracy. Rather than limiting library hours, Chicago should be looking to expand them.
Want to learn more?
- Editorial: Keep branch libraries open six days a week
- Library Hours (video)
- Is it Time to Privatize the Chicago Public Library System
- Library Cuts Displace Community-Based Writing Programs
- Broad shoulders but shut libraries
Questions for Consideration
With budget cuts and shortened hours, what will the future look like for libraries? How will library closings impact community based programs, especially in underserved neighborhoods? What would result with the privatization of the Chicago Public Library mean? What role do public spaces play in our city? What kind of effect do these developments have on a healthy democracy?
More about our guest speaker
Anders Lindall is director of public affairs for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31. The largest union of public-service workers in Illinois, AFSCME represents some 3,500 frontline employees of the city of Chicago, including librarians and staff of the Chicago Public Library system.
Free and open to the public. For more information, call 312.422.5580.
If you need a sign interpreter or require other arrangements to fully participate, please call 312.422.5580. For parking locations near the facility, please visit ChicagoParkingMap.com.