CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

NSA Scandal Sends Sales of George Orwell’s ‘1984’ Soaring

From ABC News:

Sales of “1984,” George Orwell’s 1949 classic novel about the oppressiveness of government overreach and life in a world where there is no place to escape the watchful eye of Big Brother, have risen more than 3,000 percent on Amazon since the country learned of the U.S. government surveillance programs.

As of noon today,  the book was number 5 on the “movers and shakers list,” which represent the biggest gains in sales over the past 24 hours. The book’s sales rank had jumped to 194, from 6,750 Monday.

The dystopian novel chronicles the plight of Winston Smith, a member of the government working in the fictional dictatorship Oceania. Smith is dissatisfied with his work and dreams of rebellion against totalitarianism.

The book aims to serve as a warning for what can happen when government overextends its powers; the term “Orwellian” has become associated with the idea of a totalitarian society. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., used it Monday on MSNBC to describe the NSA surveillance program, telling Chris Hayes, “Kids will grow up knowing that every damned thing that they do is going to be recorded someplace in a file. And I think that will have a very Orwellian and very prohibiting impact on the way we live our lives.”

Liz Keenan, director of publicity for Plume publishing, which produced Orwell’s book, told ABC News that sales of “1984″ always spike this time of the year because teachers and students are buying copies for summer reading, but the increase has never been this large.

“Without a doubt, this has a lot to do with surveillance coverage,” she said.

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“Let me tell you something. I’m from Chicago. I don’t break.” - Barack Obama

Happy 176th birthday to Chicago, the greatest city in the world!

Happy 204th Birthday, Abraham Lincoln! 

In honor of Mr. Lincoln’s birthday, here are three things you might not know about our 16th President:

1. He had a Confederate five-dollar bill in his pocket the night he was assassinated.
2. He was the first President to sport a beard while serving in office.
3. He often stored items in his stovepipe hat, including notes, letters, money, and even government bills. 

PS: If you like the print of Abraham Lincoln wearing a Michael Jordan jersey as much as we do, you can buy it here!

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor At The CPL 

DATE: Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

TIME: 6:00 PM

LOCATION: Harold Washington Library - Winter Garden 

ABOUT: The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench in My Beloved World. The journey recounted in this memoir offers testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself.​

Justice Sotomayor appears in the Winter Garden, located on the 9th floor. Seating is available when the Winter Garden opens at 4:30 p.m. Guests arriving prior to 4:30 p.m. will line up in the first floor Congress Corridor, where free tickets will be available beginning at 4 p.m., first come, first served and one ticket per person. When the 500-seat Winter Garden fills, guests will be seated in the ninth floor South Hall, a 200-seat overflow space into which the event will be streamed live.

Justice Sotomayor’s book will be available for purchase and she will only autograph copies of My Beloved World at the conclusion of the program. No other memorabilia or items will be autographed. Photography and recording devices are not allowed.

Click here for more information.

Obama Portrait Presented To Chicago Public Library

From Crain’s Chicago Business:

A caricature of President Barack Obama was presented to the Chicago Public Library on Tuesday as part of the city’s celebration that his political roots began here. Along with featuring Mr. Obama, it showcases his connections to his work on the South Side before he entered politics.

Library Commissioner Brian Bannon and artist Steve Musgrave presented the portrait at the West Pullman Branch.