Open Books

09/02/2026

Teachers, this one’s for you.🍎

50% off every book in our West Loop bookstore means you can stock your classroom libraries this year at a great price! Picture books, chapter books, YA, teacher resources, for half the price.

at Open Books West Loop ends Saturday, September 12th and we are continuously adding more books from our generous donors to our inventory. There will always be something to delight you when you shop!

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Our Open Books West Loop store at 651 W. Lake Street is open Wednesday-Thursday at 12pm-6pm and Friday-Sunday at 10:30am-6pm.

09/01/2026

Join us for Teacher's Day at Open Books Pilsen on September 26th!

Invite your teacher friends for an afternoon of food, drinks, networking, and resource sharing focused on ELL students. We will discuss how you and your students can navigate barriers to resource access and how you can best support your students in overcoming them. All attendees will get FREE BOOKS for your classroom library!

Registration is now open to all Chicago zip codes! RSVP today at open-books.org/teachers to secure your spot.

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Your support through open-books.org/donatenow makes all our literacy programs and book access events for educators (like this one!) and families in Chicago possible! Thank you for your generosity.

Come celebrate and chill with fellow educators at a fun day full of books and good conversations!

09/01/2026

50% off books at Open Books West Loop continues this Wednesday! Here’s what your purchase does:

📚 Open Books is a nonprofit. The half-price books you’re buying this week will fund reading programs, classroom, libraries, and book giveaways for Chicago families. Great deal for you, real impact for a child!

runs through September 12th and we are continuously adding more books from our generous donors to our inventory. There will always be something to delight you when you shop!

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Our West Loop store at 651 W. Lake Street is open Wednesday-Thursday at 12pm-6pm and Friday-Sunday at 10:30am-6pm.

08/28/2026

Open Books West Loop brings you THE STORY SALE: Every Story, Half the Price.📚

Every book in our store, more than 70,000 of them, is 50% off starting TODAY until September 12th. Proceeds from this sale event goes to book access and literacy programs for children across Chicago.

Browse thousands of books and take your new favorites home, while helping Open Books transform lives through the unlimited power of books!

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Our Open Books West Loop store at 651 W. Lake Street is open Wednesday-Thursday at 12pm-6pm and Friday-Sunday at 10:30am-6pm.

08/27/2026

💌A special invitation for educators!

On September 26 (Saturday at 12pm), come out with your teacher friends for an afternoon of food, drinks, networking, and resource sharing focused on supporting ELL students. We will discuss how your students (and you!) navigate barriers to accessing resources, and how you can best support your students in overcoming them.

And of course, all attendees will get FREE BOOKS for your classroom library!

*We are currently accepting RSVPs from the following zip codes: 60608, 60620, 60621, 60623, and 60624. Registration will be open to all Chicago zip codes on September 1st. Space is limited so make sure to secure your spot today at open-books.org/teachers.



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Your support through open-books.org/donatenow makes all our literacy programs and book access events for educators (like this one!) and families in Chicago possible! Thank you for your generosity.📚

08/26/2026

We at Open Books are deeply saddened by the news of legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton’s passing. She was also fondly known as “the book lady,” advocating for children’s literacy. Her work through the Imagination Library (DPIL) has impacted many lives, including Chicago youth and families.

Inspired by her father, who grew up in a household without books and never learned to read, Ms. Parton started the Imagination Library in 1995 to provide books to children in her childhood home of Sevier County, Tenn. Since then, the program has delivered more than 120 million books to children all over the world.

We will always love her.❤

Images from: dollyparton.com and imaginationlibrary.com

08/19/2026

Our annual Back to School Lit Fest is this weekend and there will be tons of activities for Chicago families to enjoy!🥳

Meet us on Ogden Avenue between Central Park and Lawndale Avenue as we join in celebrating America 250 and the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Same back to school lit fest, new location, community pride.

The Back to School Lit Fest is excited to once again bring:

🎒FREE backpacks and school supplies for kids in attendance
🚲Bike raffle for kids in attendance
🎶Live jams and performances
📚BOOKS for everyone with our very own Open Books Mobile

See you there!

08/18/2026

‼️ West Loop's online sale is EXTENDED! Use code OBAUG31 for 30% off used books at shopopenbooks.com.😱

You can choose to either pick up your books in-store or have them shipped to you. Get great deals on books while helping fund literacy programs and book access initiatives in Chicago!

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This sale is only valid for online purchases made through shopopenbooks.com and cannot be combined with our regular Member discounts. Digital gift cards will not be honored during the sale event.

08/15/2026

🛒Time to revisit or refill your online cart at Open Books West Loop because we are having an online sale on August 16 and 17 (TOMORROW and Monday)!

Use code OBAUG30 to enjoy 30% off on all used books at https://www.shopopenbooks.com and you can choose to either pick up your books in-store or have them shipped to you.

You’re not just getting great prices for a great selection of books, every purchase directly funds our literacy programs and book access initiatives in Chicago.🥰

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This sale is only valid for online purchases made through https://www.shopopenbooks.com and cannot be combined with our regular Member discounts. Digital gift cards will not be honored during the sale event.

12/13/2019

We had the pleasure of hosting Senator Dick Durbin for a visit to our bookstore, classrooms and Chicago Literacy Alliance Literacenter!
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We would like to thank the Senator and his team for supporting literacy and being a champion for education across the city and state!