UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — A pop-up shop selling new and used books has returned to Ukrainian Village for the holiday season.
Local literacy nonprofit Open Books has brought back its temporary store in the neighborhood through mid-January at Cornelia McNamara Flowers, 2130 W. Chicago Ave.
The pop-up launched at the location last year while Open Books waited to open its permanent location in Logan Square. The nonprofit also operates brick-and-mortar stores in the West Loop and Pilsen.
The West Town pop-up is “a very simple setup that meets demand on a strip of a walking traffic that doesn’t have a bookstore, and so we’re just simply thrilled to see it pop-up back for the holidays,” Open Books executive director Eric Johnson said. “The excitement, the demand are always there.”
Johnson said the pop-up setup is mostly the same as last year, although hours will be slightly reduced as the nonprofit prepares to open its store at 2068 N. Milwaukee Ave. That will happen as soon as a final city inspection takes place, Johnson said.
All proceeds from the Open Books stores support the nonprofit’s range of literacy classes, workshops and other programs for kids and students.
Like all Open Books locations, the Ukrainian Village pop-up is accepting donations, especially of children’s books, Johnson said.
“The demand we are seeing for children’s [books] through our book granting initiatives is vast and we simply can’t keep up with it. All donations are welcome for us to get them to children and families that need them,” he said.
The pop-up is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.
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