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| Open Books' store in Logan Square will remain open. | |
Open Books, the Chicago nonprofit that provides literacy experiences for tens of thousands of readers each year through programs and the sale of new and used donated books, will be moving its headquarters from the West Loop to North Lawndale after receiving a $100,000 grant from Impact Grants Chicago, Block Club Chicago reported.
Having previously held temporary pop-up shops in North Lawndale as part of its North Lawndale Reads program and the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, Open Books will put down permanent roots in the neighborhood while expanding its North Lawndale Reads programs on the West Side, including offering more educational opportunities for children and opening a pay-what-you-want bookstore and community space.
Chelsea Ridley, co-founder of Open Books, said the two locations being considered for its new headquarters are on 16th Street and Roosevelt Road. Open Books currently operates bookstores in Logan Square, Pilsen, and at its West Loop headquarters; all three bookstores will remain open, Block Club Chicago noted.
Ridley added that the move to North Lawndale, which should happen sometime this year, has been planned since she began working at Open Books three years ago: "One of the first things I wanted to do when we started was establish ourselves in North Lawndale. This is going to make a huge difference in the community."