title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY’S RUDY LOZANO BRANCH LIBRARY
WHEREAS, based in the Pilsen neighborhood, Rudy Lozano Branch Library opened it’s doors to the public on September 7, 1989; and
WHEREAS, community-led efforts drove the establishment of the library at a time when Pilsen lacked a centralized library branch; and
WHEREAS, during the 1960s, at a time when the Mexican population was growing in the area, there was only a “bookmobile” that would traverse the neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, a Pilsen Library Committee was formed in 1980 by thirteen neighborhood residents who spearheaded the efforts to create a central library; and
WHEREAS, the Committee’s efforts ultimately led to the groundbreaking of the $4.5 million library in 1985; and
WHEREAS, the Committee collected suggestions from the public on the naming of the library and voted on Rudy Lozano, named after the influential community organizer who was tragically killed in 1983; and
WHEREAS, since its grand opening in 1989, the Rudy Lozano Library Branch has played a pivotal role as a community resource center not only for local neighborhood residents but for library patrons throughout Chicago; and
WHEREAS, the vision of the Pilsen Library Committee was for the library to be physically located in the neighborhood’s center so that it was within walking distance of residents; and
WHEREAS, the library houses the largest Spanish language collection in the Midwest and throughout the years has hosted events with authors from throughout the U.S. and Latin America; and
WHEREAS, the focus of the literature at the library is for, by, and about people of Latin American descent, and includes over 10,000 books donated by the Mexican government; and
WHEREAS, renowned for its diverse programming and the cultural and social services it provides, the Rudy Lozano Branch Library has received awards from the Chicago Community Trust for programs like Blue Skies for Library Kids; and
WHEREAS, the Knight Moves Chess Club, another Rudy Lozano program, has been among its most successful programs, leading youth to win local and national championships and facilitating their participation in tournaments in México; and
WHEREAS, the Rudy Lozano Library Branch remains an important resource for Chicago’s Latino and Spanish-speaking community as libraries throughout the city continue to refer patrons there, despite the population changes the community currently faces with gentrification; and
WHEREAS, the Rudy Lozano Branch features artwork funded through the Percent for Art Ordinance administered by the City of Chicago Public Art Program such as stained-glass panels entitled “Vivo Sin Vivir en Mi (Living Outside Myself)” by Nereyda García-Ferraz, an oil painting entitled “Soñando al Futuro (Dreaming of the Future)” by Filemón Santiago, a mosaic mural entitled “Chic Chac” by Héctor Duarte and Cynthia Weiss and a permanent exhibit celebrating the life and legacy of the late Rudy Lozano; and
WHEREAS, the Rudy Lozano Library Branch has reflected the diversity of the Mexican population in Chicago.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby congratulate Rudy Lozano Library Branch on its 35th anniversary; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to Hector Hernández, Branch Manager of the Rudy Lozano Library Branch, and to the library itself as a symbol of recognition for its contributions to setting a model in engaging Chicago’s Spanish-speaking community with the Chicago Public Library.
end