Harold Washington Library Center

About Harold Washington Library Center

• Facilities

  • After-hours book return
  • Bike rack
  • City Bill Payment Kiosk
  • Computers (close 30 minutes before the building does)
  • Music practice rooms
  • Private event rentals
  • Scanner
  • Street parking only
  • Study rooms
  • WiFi
  • YOUmedia Recording Studio (for teens only)

• Features

  • Exhibits
  • Federal Depository Library Program
  • Homework help

• Parking

  View parking facilities within convenient walking distance of Harold Washington Library Center.

• Accessibility

  The Assistive Resources Center on the 5th floor of Harold Washington Library Center is for individuals with visual impairments or who have physical disabilities that prevent them from performing tasks such as using a computer mouse.

  The Assistive Resources Center has three individual computer rooms available by appointment. To make an appointment, please call (312) 747-4001.

  Each room has:

  • Large-screen computer with high-contrast keyboard, speakers, trackball mouse and laser printer
  • Flatbed scanner
  • Braille embosser
  • Tabletop video magnifier
  • Braille typewriter
  • SARA scan and read device

  The Assistive Resources Center computers offer:

  • Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher)
  • JAWS screen-reading software
  • ZoomText screen magnifier
  • Duxbury Braille Translator, used in conjunction with the braille embosser

  Harold Washington Library Center has a videophone with video relay service for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Deaf or hard of hearing individuals may use the videophone to place video relay calls to hearing people, who receive the calls on a standard phone. Calls are routed through an interpreting center, where an interpreter, fluent in ASL and spoken English or Spanish, appears on the device. The deaf and hard of hearing caller signs the message to the interpreter, and the interpreter relays the conversation between the two parties. Deaf or hard of hearing individuals can also use the videophone to call other deaf or hard of hearing individuals with a videophone.