One of the great joys of being a parent is seeing my kids discover the power that comes with a library card. We’ve actually had to institute a rule of “one tote bag per trip, and you must be able to carry it out by yourself”. Even then their rooms are stacks of books on every topic, and they have become voracious readers. They both know how to put holds on books from their iPads, and weekly trips are required to return books and pick up new ones.
While Chicago may have issue, it’s public library system is not one of them. It is a truly amazing resource.