Before eBooks, Kindle, or even the Internet for that matter, if you needed to do research or just wanted to read, chances are you were going to the public library and checking out the materials you needed. Thanks to modern-day technology, we no longer have to walk around with a stack of books that weigh more than we do.

In honor of National Library Week, let’s put aside our digital distractions and crack open a paperback the old fashioned way.

FUN FACT: With help from England, the Chicago Public Library rose from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire in 1873. In an act of sympathy and solidarity, England made a very significant donation, including books from private donors like Queen Victoria, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Robert Browning. (Source: Wikipedia)