Harold Washington Library

In the age of smartphones, driverless cars and e-books, one can wonder if public libraries are still useful, but if they visit the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, they would find that the answer is an affirmative yes. The genesis of the Harold Washington Library is the transformation of its former location near Millennium Park into the Chicago Cultural Center, leading to a period of flux. Mayor Harold Washington was a major force behind the creation of the library’s new home, though he passed away before it was completed. In his honor, Mayor Daley named it after his predecessor, hence the name Harold Washington Library. The new library is located in the Loop, only two blocks west from Grant Park, and offers free wifi, nine floors of books that range the breadth of human knowledge, study rooms, public computers, an exhibit hall and even an auditorium! The city can be a raucous, busy place, and it can be hard to find a place to park near the library. Luckily, a benefit of living in this age is that you can book Harold Washington Library parking ahead of time by using ParkWhiz, saving you time, stress and money.