91´«Ã½

CHICAGO - 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) President Wanda Brown and Executive Director Mary W. Ghikas today announced that 91´«Ã½ has sold its headquarters buildings at 50 E. Huron and 40 E. Huron in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

“We are thrilled that, after many years of study, research, and discussion, the transfer of a valuable real estate to 91´«Ã½’s endowment fund is at last complete,” Brown said. “Of course, it is bittersweet to be leaving our home of so many decades. But 91´«Ã½ is focused on the future and is optimistic about all that it holds.”

In Spring 2020, 91´«Ã½ will be moving its Chicago-based office functions to Michigan Plaza at 225 N. Michigan Ave. Until then, 91´«Ã½ staff will continue to occupy the buildings on Huron until the new office buildout, designed by architecture firm NELSON, is complete. The move will provide 91´«Ã½ with modernized workspace, including enhanced meeting space.

“50 E. Huron is a landmark in the library world,” said Ghikas. “We’ve heard from our members that visiting is a kind of pilgrimage. However, the spirit of 91´«Ã½ does not reside at any fixed address. We look forward to carrying on our work on behalf of librarians, library workers and libraries in our new home on Michigan Avenue.”

Dedicated in 1963, the building at 50 E. Huron served 91´«Ã½ for nearly two decades before the association built an extension in the parking lot it owned next door. In 1981, the building at 40 E. Huron opened for business. The two connected buildings have housed the association’s staff ever since.

“A project this large and this long in the making could not have been accomplished without the tireless help of many parties, including the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board, Mary Ghikas, Associate Executive Director, Human Resources Dan Hoppe, former 91´«Ã½ CFO Mark Leon, interim CFO Denise Moritz, our partners at Cushman and Wakefield, and countless others,” said Brown. “It’s a historic moment for 91´«Ã½, and we look forward to celebrating with our members, partners, and friends when we welcome more than 20,000 library workers to Chicago for 91´«Ã½’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in June 2020.”

91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, 91´«Ã½ has been the trusted voice of libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.