We are happy that over 2,000 people have signed our petition in support of a new library for our community! Thank you all and we hope you will join us in sending an email to CPL officials to add some pressure on this movement. If you need help on what to say we have included a sample of our public press release below that you can copy and paste !
Send this:
The Gage Park Latinx Council is advocating for a new Chicago Public Library in our community and I support their efforts. With an outpouring of support from the community our petition has reached over 2,000 signatures in its first week. The small storefront library has been closed throughout the pandemic leaving our community's youth without access to resources for over 16 months. The reality is this small space has been divested from for decades and since its opening in 1990 little has changed or improved. The current building is ill equipped to serve the community: it has a plethora of problems from leaking ceilings, power outages, cramped spaces, limited books, outdated computers and has no community room or teen space. Perhaps worst of all the building is not wheelchair accessible and has zero public parking, adding to the many accessibility issues facing the outdated building. There is no lack of available space in our community for a new and improved library and we would like to meet with CPL to discuss this critical issue. Over the past 30 years, residents from our community have witnessed new libraries being built across the city, often in affluent white neighborhoods and we can no longer afford to allow our community to be left behind. Our community demands a library that serves the people of Gage Park with new facilities and adequate resources and that CPL does not renew its lease at this location that does not serve the community.
To them:
- Chris Brown,
commissioner@chipublib.org - Mary Ellen Messner, First Deputy Commissioner. mmessner@chipublib.org
- Maggie Clemons, Deputy Commissioner, Library Operations and Patron Experience mclemons@chipublib.org