A sad plot twist for book lovers: Newberry Book Fair to be shelved

The final chapter has come to a close for Newberry Library’s annual Book Fair after nearly 40 years.

The Newberry has hosted its beloved book fair every summer since 1985, drawing bookworms eager to browse a collection of 60,000 donated books, many priced at $3 or less.

Interim President Gail Kern Paster said the decision to shut down the volunteer-run fair was made sometime over the summer, and volunteers were notified in September of the news. The fair was held for what would be the final time the last weekend in July, and Paster said while the event went “very well,” she ultimately made the call to close the book on the event because it was “very off-center” for the library’s mission of conserving and expanding its collection.

“It’s an enormous, enormous size event, and it really seemed to us that we would rather put our energies towards things that seem more collection-centered,” Paster said. 

For many of Chicago’s book lovers, the closure came as a shocking and saddening plot twist.

Melissa Sherwin, who consistently attended the book fair for about 20 years, said she was surprised and disappointed to learn the fair had been shelved, calling it a “personal loss.”

“I always enjoyed walking through the library, browsing through all the different rooms that were heaped with books on every topic imaginable; they always had a very unique collection,” Sherwin said. “I discovered many hidden treasures there.”

She thinks many people will miss the fair, and said she hopes the library will provide a better explanation to give its fans a resolution, as she found the reasoning unconvincing.

The fair was filled with rare finds, she said, recalling a beautiful, nearly complete collection of William Shakespeare’s plays printed in the United Kingdom more than 100 years ago that she once brought home from the fair.

Greg Zimmerman, a bookseller at Roscoe Books, said the fair was a great addition to Chicago’s literary scene and one he will miss, though he’s glad the library is still there.

“It was just one of those things that was great to know it was there even if you couldn’t make it,” he said. “It was just kind of sad that that tradition is going away.”

“For a book nerd, it was heaven,” he said, describing the thrill of meandering through room after room filled wall to wall with books.

The book fair brought about 3,000 from around the city into the Newberry every summer, according to Paster. Founded in 1887, the research library’s vast and diverse humanities-focused collection includes books, maps, manuscripts, and other materials.

Its broad reach and wide appeal made it seem like a great opportunity for the library to expand and improve its publicity, Sherwin said.

Paster said the fair is just turning a new page, calling the change more of a reduction in scale than a total shutdown, as some used books will remain available for sale year-round in the Newberry’s shop.

Although she said the fair had a “lovely atmosphere,” it was not sustainable long term because it took a lot of resources to run, and most of the staff supported the move.

“I know that there were parents who brought their kids to the book fair, and there were people for whom the book fair was a really important event,” she said. “I’m really sorry that we’re disappointing so many people, but in terms of the Newberry’s real, genuine priorities, the book fair just didn’t make it.”

But to some book fair aficionados, the decision seemed short-sighted.

Heather Kenny, who has been attending the fair for the past few summers, said the book fair’s abrupt conclusion felt “uncaring.”

“The value of things is not just in how much money you make, but it’s the value of the brand and your reputation and public engagement,” Kenny said. “The event really gave people an excuse to put [the fair] on their calendars and have a chance to actually go into the building and find out what it’s about.”

She said the book fair was a “special” event and she’s sad to see it go. Without it, she said she’ll have little reason to go back to the Newberry.

“It’s just nice to be with people who enjoy reading and to see that that’s still important,” Kenny said.