NORTH LAWNDALE — After years of West Side pop-ups, literacy nonprofit Open Books opened a new headquarters in North Lawndale this week — its fourth shop in Chicago.
The nonprofit unveiled its new home Wednesday at 3812 W. 16th St., part of the Dr. King Legacy Apartments. The space will feature a permanent “pay-what-you-want” bookstore as well as space for teachers to lead reading programs and bilingual services, Open Books leaders said.
The inside features a wall of books, two seating areas and a large table for reading activities. Open Books managing director Ryan Jackson said the bookstore features 2,000 new and used children’s titles, contemporary fiction, African American literature, cookbooks and lifestyle books.
Customers can select books and choose to donate any amount of money for the books using a QR code on the tables inside.
The shop will host storytime events, comic book workshops and family art and literacy programs, according to Chelsea Ridley, Open Books community engagement director.
Permanent store hours are yet to be determined, but Ridley said they are hosting a series of events in December. These include the Grinchy Afternoon holiday party from 3-4 p.m. Dec. 7 and Gingerbread Storytime from noon-1 p.m. Dec. 12.
January will feature a larger slate of programs, Ridley said.
“This has been in the making for about three years now, so we’re excited about bringing these opportunities for literacy and family programming for the community more frequently year-round,” Ridley said.
Program Director Paula Santos said they chose the 16th Street location close to neighborhood schools after having built relationships with families in the area.
“We want to work in communities where we can have the biggest impact. We know from the schools that there are children struggling with their reading, so the schools welcome us into this space,” Santos said. “We look forward to getting to know the kids around here so our educators are more responsive and make better connections with students and their families.”
Ald. Monique Scott (24th), whose daughter is a fan of comic books, said the bookstore is a boost for neighborhood children. It is near Penn Elementary School, Smith School, KIPP Ascend Middle School, Dvorak School of Excellence and Roswell B. Manson Elementary School.
“I work with Open Books and have many of their books in my office. Kids can pick up a book, and it won’t cost them anything. I think it’s amazing, and it’s a gem that we have in North Lawndale,” Scott said.
Ridley said the move to North Lawndale establishes a permanent presence on the West Side where literacy advocacy is needed the most.
The organization previously held pop-up shops in the neighborhood as part of its North Lawndale Reads program and the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot. The space at Dr. King Legacy Apartments was made possible through a $100,000 grant from Impact Grants Chicago earlier this year.
Founded in 2006, Open Books aims to encourage children to read at an early age, as it is important for growth and social mobility, Ridley said.
Access to books is harder to come by in poorer neighborhoods, with nearly two-thirds of low-income homes lacking a book for children to read, according to a study by Scholastic. The ratio of children to books in lower-income communities is 300 to 1, according to Open Books.
The other Open Books stores are in Pilsen, West Loop and Logan Square.
Those who want to make a monetary donation to Open Books can do so here. You can also donate books to help build classroom libraries here.
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